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: 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: 2020 Ocean View Pinot Noir, San Luis Obispo County, California ($14.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) 2019 Opolo Summit Creak Vineyard Zinfandel, Paso Robles, California ($12.99 @Costco, California) We say “finally” in our subject line not to imply that we have been keeping you waiting for our red wine picks for the Thanksgiving holiday, … Read moreFinally, a Pair of Thanksgiving Red Wines – one each from TJs and 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
Fast facts: 2020 Dr. Loosen Blue Slate Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany ($14.99 @ Costco, California – Item #249109) Dr. Loosen is one of the most highly acclaimed wine estates in the world, especially in the world of German wines, and specifically the Riesling grape. In the family for over 200 years, Ernst “Erni” Loosen assumed … Read moreA Delicious Riesling – A Wine for Hard to Pair Foods – from Costco
Fast facts: 2018 Zaca Mesa Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley, California ($12.99 @ Costco, California – Item #27950) Being less than an hour away, Santa Barbara County (which includes the Santa Ynez Valley AVA) is our “local” wine region. So we were pretty excited to find this 90 point (Galloni and Wine Enthusiast) 2018 Zaca … Read moreA Yummy 90-point Wine Surprise from Costco
Fast facts: 2018 Las Margas Garnacha, Cariñena, Spain ($12.99 @Trader Joe’s, California) Garnacha is the Spanish (and therefore original) name for the grape known in France and elsewhere (like California) as Grenache. There was a time when it was the dominant grape in Spain. Now, despite ripping up almost half of its Garnacha vineyards, … Read moreA Summer Weight Spanish Garnacha from Trader Joe’s
Fast facts: 2020 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier (California) $11.99 (@Trader Joe’s; California) I have to admit that the first time I encountered this wine in the wilds of the Trader Joe’s wine section, I was puzzled. I knew Pine Ridge well, but exclusively as a producer of fine and expensive ($65 to … Read moreTJs Delivers Spring in a Wine Bottle