Category: Meritage
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Love at First Sniff – a 90+ Point Costco Red Wine Find for Under $15
Fast Facts: 2020 Clos de los Siete Red Blend, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina ($14.99 @Costco in California, Item #227843) See that subject line about “love at first sniff”? That is one we used almost exactly two years ago when we were surprised to encounter this wine at Trader Joe’s. Well, it’s almost the…
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Is this $11 bottle the highest QPR wine in the Kirkland Signature Napa portfolio?
Fast facts: 2022 Kirkland Signature Red Blend, Napa Valley, California $11.99 (@Costco, California, Item# 333110) This wine is an extraordinary value. The Beverage Tasting Institute had this to say about it: “If you need an everyday house red Bordeaux blend this should be at the top of the list.” That’s mighty praise for an…
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An Illegal Smile
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in 2020, best wines at Costco, best wines under $20, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Wines, Central Coast, costco wine blog, Meritage, merlot, Paso Robles, Paso Robles, paso robles, rabble, Red Blends, Red Wine, reverse wine snob, syrah, Wine, wine reviews, wines under $10, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, wines under $25Fast Facts: 2020 Rabble Red Blend, Paso Robles, California ($9.89* @ Costco, California – Item #922592) *net price after $3.00 in store discount After so many years in the wine business and trying to see what we could get away with when it came to wine names and label design (our company did, after…
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Fire Up the BBQ and Pull the Cork on this TJ’s Red Wine
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in 2021, best trader joes wine deals, best trader joes wines, best wines at Trader Joes, best wines under $20, Bordeaux Blends, California Wines, Central Coast, costco wine blog, food and wine, Lot #239, Meritage, paso robles, red blend, Red Blends, Red Wine, reverse wine snob, Trader Joe’s Reserve, Trader Joe’s wine, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, wines under $10, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, wines under $25Fast facts: 2021 Trader Joe’s Reserve Meritage, Lot #239, Paso Robles, CA ($9.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California) So this red caught my eye at Trader Joe’s recently. There were two things that first attracted me to this wine: the magical word Meritage (rhymes with “heritage” but is also pronounced “mehr-it-taj”) which promises good things…
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Is This the Best $11 Red Wine in America?
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in 2020, best costco wine deals, best costco wines, best wines at Costco, best wines under $20, Bordeaux Blends, Bordeaux Red Blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Wines, Costco, costco wine blog, Costco Wines, food and wine, Kirkland Signature, Meritage, Meritage, Merlot, Napa Valley, red blend, Red Blends, Red Wine, reverse wine snob, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, Wines Under $15Fast facts: 2020 Kirkland Signature Red Blend, Napa Valley, CA ($10.99 @ Costco, California – Item #333110) Ever heard of a “brand refresh?” It’s a term I heard regularly in my three decades – and counting – in the wine trade. It basically refers to a “facelift” when an existing wine brand gets a…
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One of our Perennial Favorite Red Wines from Costco
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in 2019, best costco wine deals, best costco wines, best wines at Costco, Bordeaux Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Wines, Costco, costco wine blog, Costco Wines, food and wine, Kirkland Signature, Meritage, Merlot, Napa Valley, Popular Reviews, Red Wine, reverse wine snob, Trader Joe’s & Costco wines, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, Wines Under $15Fast facts: 2019 Kirkland Signature Red Blend, Napa Valley, CA ($10.99 @ Costco, California – Item #333110) Tasting Notes: Start with nice aromas of cherry, spice, vanilla, cola, black pepper and a hint of sandalwood. Smooth and silky in the mouth with flavors of black cherry, red berries, vanilla, and eucalyptus. which linger…
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A Blockbuster Meritage from the Trader Joe’s Wine Lotto – You Can’t Win if you Don’t Play!
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in best wines at Trader Joes, best wines under $20, Bordeaux Blends, California Wines, Chief Winehound, food and wine, Meritage, Meritage, Merlot, Napa Valley, Red Wine, reverse wine snob, rutherford, Trader Joe’s & Costco wines, Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve, Trader Joe’s vs. Costco wines, Trader Joe’s Wine, Trader Joe’s wine, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20Fast facts: 2018 Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Meritage, Rutherford, Napa Valley, California ($14.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) Readers that have been following us for a while have seen prior reviews of Meritage bottlings here before. Frankly, it is rare to find a Meritage that disappoints. I think it has something to do with the flexibility…
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A Delicious Pair for Your Next BBQ – Each Just $7.99 at Trader Joe’s
Fast facts: 2019 Alamos Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina ($7.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) 2019 Roustabout Meritage, Paso Robles, California ($7.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) Daylight saving time – check! Spring arrives – check! Temperatures moderate – check! As North America thaws, our food and wine preferences change with the temperatures, which have crept well up into the 80s…
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All You Need is Love – a groovy Costco wine that is perfect for BBQ
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in Cabernet Sauvignon, California Wines, Costco, costco wine blog, Costco Wines, food and wine, GSM, Love Red Blend, Malbec, McClean Vineyards, Meritage, Old Vine Zinfandel, Paso Robles, Popular Reviews, Red Wine, reverse wine snob, Syrah, Trader Joe’s & Costco wines, wine blog, wine reviews, Wines Under $15, zinfandelFast Facts: 2019 McClean Vineyards, Love Red Blend, Paso Robles, California ($11.49 @Costco in California – Item #1528847) So I admit that it was the “packaging” that stopped me in my tracks for this wine. I am so shallow sometimes. In lieu of a traditional paper label, this wine comes in a gorgeous silk-screened…
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TJ’s Mystery Meritage Wine is a Winner
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in 10 Year Tawny Port, best trader joes wine deals, best wines at Trader Joes, best wines under $20, Bordeaux Blend, Bordeaux Blends, Bordeaux Red Blend, California Wines, Knights Valley, Meritage, Meritage, Popular Reviews, Red Wine, Sonoma County, Trader Joe’s & Costco wines, Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve, Trader Joe’s Wine, Trader Joe’s wine, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, Wines Under $15Fast facts: 2019 Trader Joe’s Reserve Meritage Lot 100, Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California ($12.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) So often in our reviews we discuss whether a vintage is too old, and whether the wine may have passed. This is especially true for white wines but applies to red wines as well. In the…
