Syrah is a dark-skinned red wine grape. Its origins have been popularly debated, but its modern viticultural home is unquestionably the northern Rhône Valley of eastern France. In Australia, Syrah is the flagship variety and has developed such a distinct personality that it is essentiallly regarded as a distinct variety, is overwhelmingly (but not exclusively) known as Shiraz.
Fast facts: 2019 Syrah, Columbia Valley, Washington ($5.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California) Before we start waxing about the grape, the vinification, the history…let’s say this: this is a great bottle of wine for $5.99! I entered the wine business – at least as a professional, hehe – in the early nineties. It … Read moreA Whole Lot of Red Wine Goodness for $5.99 from Trader Joe’s
Fast Facts: 2019 Kirkland Signature Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France ($22.99 @Costco in California – Item #777662) 2020 Kirkland Signature Côtes Du Rhône Villages ($6.99 @Costco in California – Item #887774) And, just like that, we find ourselves on the other side of the Thanksgiving holiday and on the slippery slide down towards the December holidays and … Read moreTwo Red Wines from Costco, and the Opposite Ends of the Rhone Price Spectrum
Fast facts: 2018 Trader Joe’s Reserve Shiraz, Lot 214, Barossa, Australia ($9.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) 2018 Trader Joe’s Reserve Syrah, , Lot 209, Paso Robles, California ($9.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) A Little Preamble: The Syrah grape is responsible for some of the most sought after bottlings in the world. In the Rhone Valley of … Read moreTwo Stunning Syrah/Shiraz from Trader Joe’s
Fast facts: 2019 Maison Barboulot Cabernet-Syrah $5.49 (@Trader Joe’s; California) Our featured wine from Trader Joe’s is a three-peat, updated to the 2019 vintage, and it’s every bit as good as we remember it’s predecessors to be. Seems like many of you liked this wine too – it has been our most popular review … Read moreOur First 3Peat – Our Most Popular Trader Joe’s Wine Ever
Fast 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 … Read moreAll You Need is Love – a groovy Costco wine that is perfect for BBQ
Fast Facts: 2020 Kirkland Signature K Vine Rosé of Syrah, Buckshot Vineyard, Washington State, USA ($9.99 @Costco in California – Item #1462888) At last, Costco’s much-hyped, highly anticipated K Vine series are arriving in stores. The first one to land in my local Costco is this lovely rosé. Created in collaboration with the “rock … Read moreThere’s a new K in town at Costco – think pink wine
Fast Facts: 2014 Campo Arriba, Yecla, Spain ($8.99 @Costco in California – Item #1104416) One of our unofficial slogans here is: “we taste a lot of inferior wines so our readers don’t have to.” A few words about frogs, and princes… Because we are especially excited when we find great values under $10, we … Read moreAn Incredible $8.99 Red Wine Value from Costco – 93 Points!
Fast Facts: 2017 Tenet Wines The Pundit Syrah, Columbia Valley, Washington ($9.99* @Costco in California – Item #1209292) *net price after $6 in store discount Like so many of our wine finds, this one really jumped out as a wine with good prospects. It was case stacked on the end aisle at my local … Read moreA Delicious 94 point Syrah – $9.99 at Costco!
Fast facts: 2019 Oxte The Silence, Red Wine Blend, Cariñena, Spain ($5.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) Let’s start with the most important part: this is an remarkably polished and elegant wine, especially considering its price. It is comprised of 40% Tempranillo, 25% Syrah, 25% Garnacha (aka Grenache) and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. A good summer-weight food wine, … Read moreTrader Joe’s has a red for your white and blue – just $5.99!
Fast facts: 2018 Maison Barboulot Cabernet-Syrah $4.99 (@Trader Joe’s; California) Maybe you’ve noticed that we have been on a run reviewing wines from Trader Joe’s, and there has been a corresponding dearth of reviews of wines from Costco since Covid-19 came to town. That’s simply because the lines have been shorter at TJ’s, although I … Read moreRevisiting our Most Popular Trader Joe’s Wine Ever