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 Ile de Conas Rouge Soupplesse, Pays d’Oc, France ($7.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California) You could go down a rabbit hole learning about “dried grape wines” which have literally been around since antiquity, but we hope to spare you from needing to do so. That is, unless you are itching to! … Read moreA Delightful French Wine, Which Borrows from Italian Winemaking Traditions
Fast 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 … Read moreA Blockbuster Meritage from the Trader Joe’s Wine Lotto – You Can’t Win if you Don’t Play!
Fast facts: 2020 Cecilia Beretta Prosecco Rosé ($9.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) Prosecco is a deliciously dry sparkling wine with crisp acidity, low sugar and plenty of fruit character – all at a fraction of the cost of traditional Champagne. Traditionally produced in Veneto in North Eastern Italy, it is fermented almost exclusively from the … Read moreA TJ’s Prosecco Rosé Find and an Easy Recipe for a Fancy Aperol Spritz
Fast Facts: 2017 Laguna Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, CA ($9.99* @Costco in California – Item #575261) * net price after $10 discount at store. Almost exactly a year ago we … Read moreCostco has a great 90 point Chardonnay – for under $10
Fast Facts: 2019 Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington ($8.99 @Costco in California – Item #1226845) 2019 Kirkland Signature Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California ($12.99 @Costco in California – Item #789895) What were the two most popular wine varieties sold in the US in 2020? That’s easy. Cabernet Sauvignon and – not far … Read moreThe Two Most Popular Wine Varieties in the US – via Costco
Fast Facts: 2019 Kirkland Signature Sancerre, Loire Valley, France ($15.79 @Costco in California – Item #1476058) 2019 Fleur de Napa Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, CA ($6.99 @Trader Joe’s in California) Move over red-breasted robins, daffodils and crocuses. From here on out, the harbinger of Spring for lovers of Sauvignon Blanc may well be the … Read moreSpring Into Stocking Up on Great SauvBlanc – With Help from TJs and Costco
Fast Facts: 2018 Kirkland Signature Old Vine Zinfandel, Sonoma, CA ($9.99 @Costco in California – Item #908097) 2017 Pure Bred, Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, CA ($6.99 @Trader Joe’s in California) OVZ is, of course, shorthand for Old Vine Zinfandel. And we have two good ones for you to explore this week – one from … Read moreTwo Zins from the Land of OVZ
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 Technique Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California – $5.99 (@Trader Joe’s, California) This was one of those wines that stopped me in my tracks during my most recent “recon” at the Trader Joe’s wine department. After all, Alexander Valley is THE appellation for Cabernet Sauvignon in Sonoma (the critically acclaimed – … Read moreCrazy good Cab, at a Crazy Good Trader Joe’s Price!