Fast facts: 2020 Les Sommets Liès Corbières, France ($6.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) During a recent visit to my local Trader Joe’s, I overheard an employee enthusiastically recommending this wine. She was telling a customer that it was “everyone’s favorite” among store employees. Needless to say, my curiosity was piqued. So when she was free … Read moreBingo! Wine Stalking Pays Off at TJ’s
Fast facts: 2020 Kirkland Signature Red Blend, Napa Valley, CA ($10.99 @ Costco, California – Item #333110) Ever heard of a “brand refresh?” It’s a term I heard regularly in my three decades – and counting – in the wine trade. It basically refers to a “facelift” when an existing wine brand gets a … Read moreIs This the Best $11 Red Wine in America?
Fast facts: 2021 Richebois Côtes du Rhône Village, France ($7.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California) Coat do roan villahj. (That is how it’s pronounced.) While you’d be forgiven for thinking that wines labeled simply Côtes du Rhône are synonymous with Côtes du Rhône Village, there is actually a distinct step up in quality in the latter. … Read moreGoats do Roam…
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!
Fast Facts: 2014 Poggio al Casone, Toscana, Italy ($9.99 @Trader Joe’s in California) Frankly, every time I take a first sip of this wine I exclaim (often to myself): “I don’t know how they do it!” For starters, this brand is always well-aged. In this case 8 (!) years. That rarely comes cheap. And … Read moreYour House Wine for Pizza and Pasta Nights
Fast facts: 2019 Casa Ermelinda Freitas Vinhas da Fonte Reserva, Peninsula de Setúbal, Portugal ($7.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California) Anyone who has spent much time in the European Union in the past several decades can appreciate the vastly improved infrastructure of member countries. But beyond the the more conspicuous investment in bridges, tunnels and … Read moreA $7.99 Mouthful of Red Wine Goodness – Perfect for Late Summer Grilling!
Fast facts: 2019 Rabble Red Wine, Paso Robles, CA ($9.89* @Costco; California – Item # 922592) *price after $3 discount. Here is one we have reviewed before. It is the closest thing to a perennial feature in the Costco wine selection that you will find. But it is difficult to argue that it doesn’t deserve … Read moreGood Luck Telling this Rabble to be Quiet
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!
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: 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