red wine blend

A $7.99 Mouthful of Red Wine Goodness – Perfect for Late Summer Grilling!

Bottle and glass of the 2019 Casa Ermelinda Freitas Vinhas da Fonte Peninsula de Setubal from Portugal

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!

Good Luck Telling this Rabble to be Quiet

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

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!

A Delightful French Wine, Which Borrows from Italian Winemaking Traditions

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

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

A Lot of Bordeaux Value for A Little Dough

Bottle and glass of 2018 La Garenne Red Blend, Cotes de Bordeaux, France.

Fast facts: 2018 La Garenne Red Blend, Blaye, Côtes de Bordeaux, France ($7.99 @Trader Joe’s, California)   Most wine drinkers know of the great and coveted wines of Bordeaux. But the Côtes de Bordeaux? That’s some unfamiliar territory to most. And with good reason. You see, unlike the storied regions that made Bordeaux famous, this … Read moreA Lot of Bordeaux Value for A Little Dough

Literally Super – a Tuscan Red Blend from Costco

Bottle and glass of Kirkland Signature 2018 Toscana in front of a fire. $14.99 at Costco.

Fast facts: 2018 Kirkland Signature Toscana IGT, Italy ($14.99 @ Costco, California – Item #1181768)   Wine runs deep in Tuscany, aka, Toscana. Like the art of the Renaissance, it is tightly woven into the cultural identity of this central Italian region. Agriculture forms the roots of the Tuscan lifestyle, and “the big three” – … Read moreLiterally Super – a Tuscan Red Blend from Costco

Dualing Red Blends from Costco – Both Under $10 if You Act Fast

Bottles and glasses of 2018 Simi Winery red wine blend and Hook or Crook Cellars 2018 red field blend from Costco.

Fast Facts: 2018 Simi Winery, Red Wine Blend, Sonoma County, California ($9.99* @Costco in California – Item #1487627) 2018 Hook or Crook Cellars, Field Blend, Lodi, California ($5.79* @Costco in California – Item #1529759)   We love the in-store discounts that Costco is known for.  Here are two wines that would be good values before … Read moreDualing Red Blends from Costco – Both Under $10 if You Act Fast

Our First 3Peat – Our Most Popular Trader Joe’s Wine Ever

Front label of Maison Barboulot red wine from Trader Joe's

Fast facts: 2019 Maison Barboulot Cabernet-Syrah $5.49 (@Trader Joe’s; California)   Our featured wine from Trader Joe’s is a three-peat, updated to the 2019 vintage, and it’s every bit as good as we remember it’s predecessors to be. Seems like many of you liked this wine too – it has been our most popular review … Read moreOur First 3Peat – Our Most Popular Trader Joe’s Wine Ever

French (Wine) Lessons from Costco – Très Bien at Under Ten!

Case stacked Kirkland Signature 2018 Bordeaux Superieur at Costco

Fast Facts: 2018 Kirkland Signature Bordeaux Supérieur, Bordeaux, France ($7.99 @Costco in California – Item #1184548) 2017 Gérard Bertrand Tautavel, Côtes du Rousillon Villages, France ($9.99 @Costco in California – Item #637442)   I think that it’s fair to say that most American wine consumers don’t understand French wine nearly as well as they do the wines … Read moreFrench (Wine) Lessons from Costco – Très Bien at Under Ten!