GSM-G= This Tasty 90 Point Wine from Costco!

Costco store display for the 2018 Gerard Bertrand Saint Chinian Heritage An 1877, 90 Parker Points for just $9.99

Fast facts: 2018 Gerard Bertrand Saint Chinian Heritage An 1877, Languedoc, France ($9.99 @ Costco, California – Item #661141) We have highlighted a number of Grenache, Syrah Mourvedre (GSM) blends here on these pages.  This particular bottling is just missing Grenache in the cuvee.  But it is no less delcious. To paraphrase George Orwell’s book … Read moreGSM-G= This Tasty 90 Point Wine from Costco!

Gee, Gigondas! That’s French for High QPR!

Bottle and glass of Kirkland Signature 2019 Gigondas, Gigondas, France (Item #1134102) $14.99 at Costco, California

Fast facts: 2019 Kirkland Signature Gigondas,  Gigondas, France ($14.99 @ Costco, California – Item # 1134102)   I am blaming the warping of time on Covid, but when I recently spied this in my local Costco my first thought was: “didn’t we just review the 2018 vintage?” The answer was no, we reviewed it some … Read moreGee, Gigondas! That’s French for High QPR!

93 Points for $11.99 Makes it a Good Time Get to Know Monastrell

Glass and bottle of Juan Gil 2018 Monastrell from Costco

Fast facts: 2018 Juan Gil Monastrell, Jumilla, Spain ($11.99 @ Costco, California – Item #967359)   There is a lot to like about this wine. For starters, it is made of 100% Certified Organic Monastrell (Mourvèdre) grapes. Then there is the 93 point rating bestowed by none other than Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. All this … Read more93 Points for $11.99 Makes it a Good Time Get to Know Monastrell

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

All You Need is Love – a groovy Costco wine that is perfect for BBQ

Bin display of McClean Vineyards Love red wine blend at Costco

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

Kirkland Signature Gigondas. It Only Sounds Expensive.

Bottle and glass of Kirkland Signature Gigondas 2018 before an open fire.

Fast Facts: 2018 Kirkland Signature Gigondas, France ($14.99 @Costco in California – Item #11341020)   This blend (Grenache 85%, Syrah 10% and Mourvedre 5%) is crafted from the fruit of old vines grown in the Grand Cru appellation of Gigondas, on some of its highest limestone vineyards in the Southern Rhone Valley. A GSM, it’s a … Read moreKirkland Signature Gigondas. It Only Sounds Expensive.

Costco Over-Delivers – 91 points for $8.99

Close up of the label of 2013 Cuvee Z from Costco

Fast Facts on this Week’s Featured Wine: 2013 Zaca Mesa Z Cuvée, Santa Ynez Valley, CA ($8.99* @Costco in California – Item #160928) *net price after $5 .00 discount     Taking one for the team, we finally donned our facemasks, waited in line and made our way into our local Costco.  Our relatively long … Read moreCostco Over-Delivers – 91 points for $8.99

Another Trader Joe’s GSM – Crazy High QPR at $6.99

Close up photo of Pontificis 2016 GSM

Fast facts: 2016 Badet Clement Pontificis GSM, Languedoc-Rousillon, France ($6.99 @Trader Joe’s, California)       Long time readers will have come to understand that QPR is shorthand for Quality to Price Ratio.  It’s a good measure of wine value. This one scores super high on that scale. And if you read our review of a … Read moreAnother Trader Joe’s GSM – Crazy High QPR at $6.99

Trader Joe’s has two great wines for your next BBQ – just $9.99 each!

Two bottles of wine and each in a wine glass.

Fast facts: 2016 Trader Joe’s Reserve Zinfandel Lot #185, Amador County, California ($9.99 @Trader Joe’s,  California) 2017 Trader Joe’s Reserve GSM Lot #187, Central Coast, California ($9.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) It’s hard to believe, but Labor Day is right around the corner.  So if your plans, like ours, include firing up the grill and using … Read moreTrader Joe’s has two great wines for your next BBQ – just $9.99 each!

Real Deal Spanish Steal @ Costco

2015 Tarima Hill Monastrell, Alicante, Spain

Fast facts: 2015 Tarima Hill Monastrell, Alicante, Spain $11.69 (@Costco; California)   In last week’s post, I confessed my love for the Monastrell grape when reviewing a $6.99 Spanish wine from Trader Joes.  You can find the review here: https://wp.me/p9ygim-6N This is a very different, superior rendition of a Spanish Monastrell, which is also known as … Read moreReal Deal Spanish Steal @ Costco