2020 KS WV PN

Classy new 2020 Kirkland Signature Pinot Noir lablel, from Willamette Valley, Oregon via Costco

Fast facts: 2020 Kirkland Signature Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon ($12.99 @ Costco, California – Item #975274) No, that subject line is not a recently-spied vanity license plate on the highways here in SoCal.  It is short hand for this week’s featured wine from the PNW.  (Shorthand for the Pacific Northwest, aka the “other” west … Read more2020 KS WV PN

Some January Ice (Wine) for Your Enjoyment

Fire and Ice (wine) will make the dark nights of winter more palatable, quite literally...

Fast facts: 2019 Levesque Estates Reserve Vidal Ice Wine, VQA Niagara On the Lake, Canada ($14.99@Trader Joe’s; California)   You may be surprised to learn that Icewine (the anglicanization of the German Eiswein) is the most famous wine produced in Canada. Heck, for all I know, you might be surprised to hear that Canada produces … Read moreSome January Ice (Wine) for Your Enjoyment

Costco has a Perfect Wine for your Late Summer BBQ – for $6.99!

Fast facts: 2020 Kirkland Signature Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina ($6.99 @ Costco, California – Item #1239144)   See that 91 prominently displayed on the foil of that Kirkland Signature Malbec?  That was awarded by the esteemed James Suckling. I am not a slave to others reviews and point systems (heck, I almost always have to deduct … Read moreCostco has a Perfect Wine for your Late Summer BBQ – for $6.99!

Put a Little (Aperol) Spritz in your Step

Trader Joe's store display of 2020 Cecilia Beretta Prosecco Rosé

Fast facts: 2020 Cecilia Beretta Prosecco Rosé ($10.99 @Trader Joe’s, California)   Seems like summer has arrived with a vengeance, and it is time for sipping poolside, lakeside or seaside.  However you stay cool is cool with us. Prosecco might help… Prosecco is a deliciously dry sparkling wine with crisp acidity, low sugar and plenty … Read morePut a Little (Aperol) Spritz in your Step

Trader Joe’s has Good Sake for Goodness’ Sake

Bottle and glass of Sho Chiku Bai Sake from Trader Joe's

Fast facts: Sho Chiku Bai Sake, Berkeley, Californa ($3.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California)   How good is the QPR on this (rice) wine? Well, a local high-end supermarket (which shall remain nameless) sells it for twice the price.  It’s less than a mile away from our local Trader Joe’s, so yeah, it is worth the … Read moreTrader Joe’s has Good Sake for Goodness’ Sake

Jonesing for a Great Napa Cab? Look to Trader Joes’s

A Santa statuette alongside a glass and bottle ofthe 2020 Trader Joe's Diamond Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the esteemed Stag's Leap district of Napa Valley.

Fast facts: 2020 Trader Joe’s Diamond Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California ($19.99 @Trader Joe’s, California)     Some of you may be familiar with unoaked Chardonnay bottlings.  These are wines that are not fermented or aged in oak casks. Most Chardonnay is. The winemaker’s motivation is to let the resulting wine … Read moreJonesing for a Great Napa Cab? Look to Trader Joes’s

Two Red Wines from Costco, and the Opposite Ends of the Rhone Price Spectrum

Bottle of 2019 Kirkland Signature Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France and 2020 Kirkland Signature Côtes Du Rhône Villages

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

Some Wine Assistance in the Final Countdown to Thanksgiving – Cheers!

Hello everyone! We’re publishing a day ahead of Thirsty Thursday because this week, it coincides with the Thanksgiving holiday.  Also, to give you one last chance to look for these great wine pairings if your holiday eve shopping trap line takes you into Costco, Trader Joe’s – or both. In our home, we have started … Read moreSome Wine Assistance in the Final Countdown to Thanksgiving – Cheers!