The Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Paso Robles GSM+ 2024 is a $14.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive produced for them by division of McPrice Myers Wines. The Story The back says that Barrel 27 produced and bottled this wine. That indicates that they made this wine, no shell companies, no hidden partners. Barrel 27 is part of…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Paso Robles GSM+ 2024 This is a GSM+; the + is Cinsault, from one of the entities of McMyers Price Wines. This is a top-quality winery from the Central Coast and directly from Paso Robles. A GSM is a Red wine blend from the Rhône Valley. Wineries…
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The Trader Joe’s Reserve Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2025 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The name of the producer is hidden. The Story The back label says ” vinted and bottled by” JBA Cellars, Rutherford, California. This is probably a shell company meant to disguise the producer of the wine. JBA Cellars has been used…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Trader Joe’s Reserve Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2025 Napa Valley has made Sauvignon Blanc since Robert Monfavi called it Fumé Blanc to get folks to drink it. That’s 50 or 60 years. Since then, New Zealand has made Sauvignon Blanc a hot commodity. Mondavi and Napa are synonymous, and years later, Napa…
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The Aldi Specially Selected Brut Cava is an Aldi $8.99 Import exclusive from Northeast Spain. The Story The Aldi Specially Selected Brut Cava is produced by Torre Oria, a wine company founded in 1897, and was the first Cava produced outside of the Penedes. Cava Sparkling wines are made the same way as Champagne; the…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Aldi Specially Selected Brut Cava This Cava is from a 130-year-old winery. Their House Cava is Macebeo (grape) only, rather than the usual 3 traditional grapes. This wine seems to be a relabeled wine from Torre Oria, a well-established Spanish Bubbly producer. This Bubbly does not taste like the typical value-priced…
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The Kirkland Signature Côtes Du Rhône Villages 2025 is $7.49 Costco exclusive that has been offered since the 2015 vintage. The Story The 2025 vintage shows a change in the winemaker from Patrick Lesac to Romain Leroy, the winemaker at Grandes Serres, a winery located in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cru region of the Southern Rhône Valley….
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Kirkland Signature Côtes Du Rhône Villages 2025 This GSM wine is one you wouldn’t think twice about paying $17.49 instead of $7.49. A solid, well-made, tasty Southern Rhône Valley Red blend. The winemaker, new this vintage, is from a Châteauneuf-du-Pape winery. He did an excellent job on this Costco value-priced Red….
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The Moon X Red Blend 2024 is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. This is a line of wines that Trader Joe’s has offered since at least 2015. The Story The Moon series of wines, here is their webpage, they show a Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and this Red blend, but have had White wines in…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Moon X Red Blend 2024 2015 was the first vintage CWF reviewed, and it is still a value option. Back then, it was a dupe of the $40 Prisoner wine. A rich, extracted Red blend. Today, the Prisoner is still around, but not the force it once was. The Moon X…
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The Courtier California St. Helena Sauvignon Blanc 2025 is a $12.99 Costco wine. This is a negociant wine. The Story A Negociant is a wine company that purchases surplus wine from a winery and sells that excess under its own label and does not reveal the name of the winery. These wines are sold at…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Courtier California St. Helena Sauvignon Blanc 2025 A Negociant buys surplus wine from a winery and sells it under their own label at a discount. The negociant never tells where the original wine came from; secrecy is important. Well, not so much here; listen to the podcast! A St.Helena Estate vineyard…
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The Aldi Bear Bros Reserve North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a $12.99 Aldi exclusive. The California Wine COLA registry says that Sutter Home had a hand in producing this wine, The Story Sutter Home has been in Napa Valley for about 140 years. Today, they produce mainly value-priced wine, but they do have some…
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Send us Fan Mail Aldi Bear Bros Reserve North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 California has no legal definition of Reserve wine, but it typically denotes a wine that is a cut above. The North Coast is Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake County, and Napa Valley. Not bad places to source grapes. This 2023 vintage is a little…
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The Brisall Albariño 2025 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. According to Google AI, it is a brand from the Spanish Cava producer Codorníu. The Story Albariño wines are best known from the west coast of Northern Spain and Portugal. These are crisp, flavorful wines and among the best White grapes of Spain. The…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Brisall Albariño 2025 Albariño is the White wine of Spain’s and Portugal’s Western Atlantic coasts. This $7.99 Albariño is from Spain’s east coast. Not being from the prime location gives this wine bargain status. While Albariño is not too pricey, eight bucks from TJ’s is a bargain. Albariño is a White…
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The Aldi Specially Selected Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024 is an $11.99 Aldi exclusive, produced for them by an entity of Precept Wine & Spirit. The Story About a year ago, in September 2025, Aldi released a Specially Selected Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024 with a different label; it was $12.99 (a dollar more and…
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Send us Fan Mail Aldi Specially Selected Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024 Aldi’s 2025 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is a 2024 vintage. The new 2026 wine is a Specially Selected Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024. Different wine, but same vintage. A year more aging and a dollar less. Why didn’t Aldi separate this wine from…
Read MoreThe Compass Bridge Sonoma Chardonnay 2024 is a $9 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It appears to be produced by Delicato/Coppola Wines. The Story The back label reads ” Vinted and bottled by Compas Bridge,” Manteca and Geyserville, California. Manteca (Lodi AVA) is the home of Delicato Family Vineyards, and Geyserville is the home of Coppola Wines….
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Compass Bridge Sonoma Chardonnay 2024 Wine has changed; California has changed! Just because last year’s wine had perfect conditions does not mean this year’s wine has the same. Trader Joe’s, in the past, may have had five to ten new wines a month. Those times are gone. Each vintage needs to…
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The Dearly Beloved Lodi Red Blend 2024 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s wine. This is a wine that Trader Joe’s has offered since at least 2010. The Story This wine looks to have had several producers over the years; Precept appears to be responsible lately. The grapes have been sourced from Mendocino, the Central Coast,…
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Send us Fan Mail Dearly Beloved Lodi Red Blend 2024 This is the now-famous Trader Joe’s Day of the Dead Skull wine. It has been available at Trader Joe’s for about 15 years or more. This is the wine with the silk-screened, flowered skull! Over the years, the grapes have been sourced from Mendocino, the…
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The Underwood Oregon Pinot Gris 2023 is a wine I found for $12.99. It is a brand from the Union Wine Company. The Story Underwood is their brand that produces very good, affordable wine from all over Oregon, not just the Willamette Valley. The Underwood Oregon Pinot Gris, the 2024 vintage, is sourced from 81%…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Underwood Oregon Pinot Gris 2023 Ok, Ok, so Oregon Pinot Gris has nothing in common with New Orleans Voodoo culture! Except they are both pretty cool. This is an affordable, tasty Oregon White wine that sips great. Gris is French for grey, and Grigio is Italian for grey, and it refers…
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The Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2024 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s wine, produced and bottled by (that means they made it) Bozzano and Company. The Story Bozzano & Company is a wine company based in the Central Coast AVA of California. They have made many wines for Trader Joe’s. Check out their…
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