Category: Chardonnay
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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 Crazy High QPR Chardonnay from Napa – More Craziness Coming!
Fast Facts: 2023 Trader Joe’s Reserve Chardonnay Lot #256, Yountville, Napa Valley, California ($9.99 @ Trader Joes, California) I have worked in the wine business long enough to appreciate that it, like most agricultural endeavors, is cyclical. As of this writing, the wine market is softening. Demand is down. Sounds grim? Well it is…
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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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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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Fun Bubbles and $5!? Thanks, Trader Joe’s!
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in 2019, best trader joes wine deals, best trader joes wines, best wines at Trader Joes, Chardonnay, charles smith, Columbia Valley, costco wine blog, food and wine, reverse wine snob, Sparkling Wine, sparkling wines, Trader Joe’s Wine, Trader Joe’s wine, Washington State Wines, White Wine, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, wines under $10, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, wines under $5Fast facts: 2019 Pop Up Sparkling, 100% Chardonnay, Evergreen Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington ($4.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) This one was hard to pass by in a recent visit to Trader Joe’s. First there was the packaging. Striking, colorful and dare we say, adorable? From the crown cap on down? It reminded us of…
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Is Trader Joe’s Delicious Monster All That?
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in 2021, best trader joes wine deals, best trader joes wines, best wines at Trader Joes, best wines under $20, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, costco wine blog, food and wine, McGregor Winery, Muscat, reverse wine snob, South Africa, The Delicious Monster, Trader Joe’s Wine, Trader Joe’s wine, White Wine, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, wines under $10, Wines Under $15Fast facts: 2021 McGregor Winery, The Delicious Monster, South Africa ($5.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) Here is a fun fact that you might not know: in South Africa, the varietal Chenin Blanc is often called Steen. It is synonymous for Chenin Blanc. Impress your friends! I bring this up because the Delicious Monster is a…
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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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A Crazy Good Chard, from a Crazy Good Place, at a Crazy Good TJ’s Price
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in 2020, best trader joes wine deals, best trader joes wines, best wines at Trader Joes, California Wines, Chardonnay, food and wine, Lot #231, Monterey County, reverse wine snob, santa lucia highlands, Trader Joe’s Reserve, Trader Joe’s Wine, Trader Joe’s wine, White Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, wines under $10, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20Fast facts: 2020 Trader Joe’s Reserve Chardonnay, Lot #231, Santa Lucia Highlands, California ($9.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California) Don’t look now but we are on a slippery slope towards Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. Nooooooo!!!! Heck, Costco is already putting out Christmas decorations. But we will talk about Costco in future posts. …
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Bargain White Burgundy from Trader Joe’s?!
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in 2020, best trader joes wine deals, best trader joes wines, best wines at Trader Joes, best wines under $20, Burgundy, Chardonnay, costco wine blog, Espirit des Lieux Macon Verze, food and wine, French Wine, reverse wine snob, Trader Joe’s Wine, Trader Joe’s wine, White Wine, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, Wines of France, wines under $10, Wines Under $15, wines under $25Fast facts: 2020 Chardonnay, Esprit des Lieux Mâcon-Verzé, Mâconnais,France ($9.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California) Usually when you are buying a bottle of French Chardonnay and it says Vin de Bourgone on the label, you would be paying more than $10. A lot more. After all, white Burgundy is one of the most sought after…
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Attention Chardonnay Lovers!
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in 2017, 2018, Anderson Valley, best costco wine deals, best costco wines, best wines at Costco, best wines under $20, Bouchaine, California Wines, Carneros, Chardonnay, Costco, costco wine blog, Costco Wines, Napa Valley, reverse wine snob, White Wine, Wine, wine blog, wine reviews, Wines Under $20Fast Facts: 2018 Carpe Diem Chardonnay, Anderson Valley, Sonoma, California ($15.99 @Costco in California – Item #980701) 2017 Bouchain Estate Chardonnay, Carneros, Napa Valley, California ($17.99* @Costco in California – Item #60020) *price after $10 in store discount, as show below! Two Chardonnays with similar price points, but slightly different styles meant we…
