Tag: reverse wine snob
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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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Liquid Sunshine is as Close as Your Local Costco
Fast facts: 2021 Kirkland Signature Toscana IGT, Italy ($13.99 @Costco; California – Product #1181768) I’ve decided that the imports in the Kirkland Signature program are far better than the domestic wines. There. I’ve said it. Sure, there are exceptions. But on balance, the deck is stacked with wines like this Toscana, the Sancerre, Barolo,…
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TJ’s Has a Napa Cab for People that Don’t Like Napa Cab – for Under $20!
Fast facts: 2022 Trader Joe’s Diamond Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley, California ($19.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) Oakville is what you could think of as the heart of Napa Valley. It is arguably the most prestigiou$ wine region in America. It includes famous vineyards like ToKalon and Martha’s as well as “cult” and…
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Old School Pinot from Costco – Is this a Good Thing?
Fast facts: 2020 Acacia Pinot Noir, Carneros, California ($14.99 @ Costco, California – Item #58889) In their review of this wine, the critics at Wine Enthusiast called this a “1980’s style Pinot”. One could take this as a compliment, or a dismissal of the juice. But since they also gave it 93 points, it…
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The “Other Pinot” from Oregon You Need to Know
Fast facts: 2023 Trader Joe’s Reserve Pinot Gris Lot #258, Willamette Valley, Oregon $9.99 (@Trader Joe’s, California) Imagine you have ended up on a televised broadcast of Wheel…of…Fortune. Your friends are of course mortified that you didn’t make it on to Jeopardy. The clue is Oregon wine grapes. The first word is 5 letters…
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We’re Taking you On a Washington State Road Trip
Fast Facts: 2021 DeLille Cellars Métier Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington ($19.99 @Costco in California – Item #1699463) When you think of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) do you think of cool, moist, and overcast? Well, much of it is. But not all of it… Fact is, the Columbia Valley is a sun-soaked part of…
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Beat da Heat with with this High QPR Refresher from Costco
Fast Facts: 2023 Kirkland Signature Côtes de Provence Rosé, Provence, France ($7.99 @Costco in California – Item #1133993) It is seemingly (very!) hot everywhere, so the choice for our Wine of the Week (W.O.W!) was a bit of a no-brainer. We had planned to purchase and review the KS Barolo after some of…
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One of Our Perennial Favorite Red Wines is Back at Costco
Fast Facts: 2021 Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Suscol Vineyard, Napa Valley, California ($17.99 @Costco in California – Item #1491800) In our home, we have two Kirkland Signature wines which are personal favorites. The first is the Sancerre which arrives in the Spring. And amongst a fairly sizeable portfolio of red wines, this one that…


