Category: Sonoma County
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Chardonnay Lovers Take Note!
Fast facts: 2023 Lustrous Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California ($8.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) I spent enough years – heck, decades – in the wine trade to say with some certainty that you shouldn’t go looking for the Lustrous Winery should you be so lucky to find yourself in the Sonoma Valley. That…
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A Cal-Ital Wine Gem from Costco for Under $20 – Get on It
Fast facts: 2022 Ferrari Carano Siena (Red Blend) Sonoma County, California $16.99 (@Costco, California, Item# 135936) Ferrari-Carano has been a leading producer of world-class, nationally acclaimed wines since 1985. From a small, 30-acre plot of grapes to the present 20 estate vineyards, their success is based on their commitment to quality as well as…
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A TJ’s Chard to Toast the Arrival of Spring
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in 2022, best trader joes wine deals, best trader joes wines, best wines at Trader Joes, best wines under $20, California Wines, Chardonnay, costco wine blog, food and wine, reverse wine snob, Russian River Valley, russian river valley, Sonoma County, Sonoma County, Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve, Trader Joe’s wine, Trader Joe’s Wine, White Wine, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, wines under $25Fast facts: 2022 Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Chardonnay Lot #128, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California ($12.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) You have heard us say many times that Sonoma’s cool Russian River Valley excels at producing world class Pinot Noir and the same goes for Chardonnay. Chardonnay remains its most planted wine grape, although…
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RRV PN from TJs
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in 2021, best wines under $20, California Wines, costco wine blog, food and wine, Lot #122, Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir, Red Wine, reverse wine snob, russian river valley, Russian River Valley, russian river valley, Sonoma County, Sonoma County, Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve, Trader Joe’s wine, Trader Joe’s Wine, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, wines under $25Fast facts: 2021 Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Lot #122 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California ($12.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) Let’s start by unpacking the alphabet soup in our subject line, shall we? The Russian River Valley (RRV) is an important part of Sonoma, and Pinot Noir (PN) is an important part of …
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Kirkland Signature RRV Chardonnay – Bingo!
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in 2021, best costco wine deals, best costco wines, best wines at Costco, best wines under $20, California Wines, Chardonnay, Costco, costco wine blog, Costco Wines, Kirkland Signature, Kirkland Signature Series, reverse wine snob, Russian River Valley, russian river valley, russian river valley, Sonoma County, Sonoma County, White Wine, Wine, wine reviews, Wines Under $15, wines under $25Fast Facts: 2021 Kirkland Signature Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California ($12.99 @Costco in California – Item #789895) In her encyclopedic The Oxford Companion to Wine, author Jancis Robinson refers to Sonoma’s Russian River Valley as a “high quality California wine region and AVA west of Healdsburg along that portion of river that meanders through…
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A Whole Lotta Sonoma Chardonnay Goodness – for Just $6.99?!
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in 2021, best costco wine deals, best costco wines, best wines at Costco, best wines under $20, California Wines, Chardonnay, Costco, costco wine blog, Costco Wines, food and wine, Kirkland Signature, reverse wine snob, Sonoma County, Sonoma County, White Wine, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, wines under $10, Wines Under $15Fast facts: 2021 Kirkland Signature Chardonnay, Sonoma County, California ($6.99 @ Costco, California – Item #514007) Rules are made for breaking, but here is one I tend to subscribe to: avoid wines labeled “merely” California. I know it sounds like heresy, but hear me out. As a general rule, a wine that is not sub-appelated…
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Great Mmmerlot for Just $50 per Gallon!
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in 2020, best trader joes wine deals, best trader joes wines, best wines at Trader Joes, best wines under $20, California Wines, Chief Winehound, food and wine, Lot #227, Merlot, merlot, Popular Reviews, Red Wine, reverse wine snob, Sonoma County, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley, Trader Joe’s & Costco wines, Trader Joe’s Reserve, Trader Joe’s wine, Trader Joe’s Wine, William Knuttel Winery, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, wines under $10, Wines Under $15, wines under $25Fast facts: 2020 Trader Joe’s Reserve Merlot Lot #227, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California ($9.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California) We hope our subject line extrapolating the price per gallon (there are five standard 750ml bottles in a gallon FWIW) for this wine makes you feel better about the last time you filled up your…
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A Trio of Tasty Trader Joe’s Wines for Your Labor Day Soiree
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in best trader joes wine deals, best wines at Trader Joes, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Wines, Central Coast, Chardonnay, costco wine blog, food and wine, Red Wine, reverse wine snob, Rose´, Russian River Valley, russian river valley, Sonoma County, Sonoma County, Trader Joe’s & Costco wines, Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve, Trader Joe’s Reserve, Trader Joe’s wine, Trader Joe’s Wine, Wahluke Slope, Washington State Wines, White Wine, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, wines under $10Fast facts: 2020 Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Rosé ($6.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) 2020 Trader Joe’s Reserve Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California ($9.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) 2018 Trader Joe’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, Columbia Valley, Washington ($9.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) There’s a scene in the movie The Jerk, starring Steve Martin as..well,…
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A Nice $9.99 Sonoma/Alexander Valley Cabernet from Costco – Perfect for Food
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in 2018, Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, best costco wine deals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Wines, Costco, costco wine blog, Costco Wines, food and wine, Kirkland Signature, Red Wine, reverse wine snob, Sonoma County, Sonoma County, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, wines under $10Fast facts: 2018 Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, California ($9.99 @ Costco, California – Item #223343) Long term readers may have detected a slight bias we have in favor of Sonoma Valley vs. Napa Valley. There is no disputing that both Valleys produce world class wines, but the sheer diversity that…
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A Delicious Dry Creek Zinfandel from Trader Joe’s – Just Add BBQ!
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Fast facts: 2020 Trader Joe’s Reserve Zinfandel, Lot #71, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County ($9.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) I’ve been fortunate to have travelled to some of the most beautiful wine growing regions in the world, and Dry Creek Valley is among my favorites. Studded with knarly old growth vineyards, it’s an unpretentious premium…
