Send us Fan Mail Maison Barboulot Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah 2024 The winner, so far, of how low can you go (price-wise) and still have an enjoyable Red wine. This is a Trader Joe's imported wine that has been available since the 2020 vintage. It was $5.99 then, and it is $5.99 now. It is remarkably…
Read More
The Maison Barboulot Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah 2024 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. It is sourced from grapes in southwest France. The Story This is a 50-50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah taken from vineyards located between the Black Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Designated as an IPG or Pays d’Oc wine, which…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Big Churn Chardonnay 2024 This is a $6.99 Trader Joe's wine. It has sold for $6.99 since the 2015 vintage. It is supposed to be a hommage to the big Napa Chardonnay wines of the 1980s. They were expensive; this is $6.99. So, how do you make a cheap wine taste…
Read More
The Big Churn Chardonnay 2024 is a Trader Joe’s exclusive, available for $6.99. It is produced for Trader Joe’s by Fior di Sole, a Napa-based wine company. The Story Fior di Sole has been producing the Big Churn Chardonnay since at least the 2015 vintage, and it has kept the $6.99 price tag the whole…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Kirkland Signature Ti Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025 This is one of Costco's wines that are here for every vintage. Ti Point is the winery that has been family-owned since the 1990s. The winery is situated on a coastal peninsula about an hour north of Auckland. They have grown to include…
Read More
The Kirkland Signature Ti Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025 is a Costco exclusive that should be found for around seven dollars. It was produced for Costco by Ti Point Winery. The Story Ti Point Winery was started in the 1990s with a vineyard on the Matakana Coast. They have since acquired vineyards in both the…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Petiole Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024 This is a wine that Trader Joe's has offered since at least the 2015 vintage. It has been a consistent value. It is a Pinot Noir that is not trying to be a $9.99 version of a $60 wine. It is trying to be a…
Read More
The Petiole Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024 is a $9.99 Trder Joe’s exclusive, produced for them by a brand owned by Wines by Joe. The Story Joe Dobbs has been in the wine world since the 1980s. He founded Wines by Joe in 2002, along with Dobbs Family Estate in Dundee, Oregon. He stepped down…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Paso Robles Meritage 2023 There is a Trader Joe's Reserve Paso Robles Meritage 2023 ($9.99), and I didn't know what the difference was between that and the Grand Reserve. Turns out the Grand Reserve was aged in French oak for 22 months, just like the expensive wines…
Read More
The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Paso Robles Meritage 2023 is a $12.99 TJ’s exclusive. This wine was produced for Trader Joe’s by Bozzano & Company. The Story Bozzano & Co has produced multiple wines for Trader Joe’s and is a large maker of custom wines. Trader Joe’s also released the Trader Joe’s Reserve (no grand)…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Squealing Pig Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 Weird name, good wine! The vineyards are located in the Ataware Valley of southern Marlborough in the South Island of New Zealand Most vale priced wine (this was $13.99) from New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc, is a taste of Marlborough with vineyards selected from all over….
Read More
The Squealing Pig Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is a wine I found selling for $13.99 at a local wine shop. The Squealing Pig brand; have a full line of New Zealand wines, which is part of the Treasury Wine Estate portfolio. The Story The Squealing Pig Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is sourced from vineyards in…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Shortbread Buttery Chardonnay 2023 Buttery but not too buttery. Maybe more butterscotch than actual butter. This is a dry wine, and the butter flavor is only one component of the flavor! This is a sipping wine, but if you are a spicy Asian food fan, this wine is your friend. Check…
Read More
The Shortbread Buttery Chardonnay 2023 is a wine I discovered at a local wine shop, priced at $11.99. This was a brand from Wine Hooligans, which would sell the controlling interest in their company to Bronco Wines. The Story This Chardonnay is sourced from coastal vineyards in both the Central and North Coast AVAs. The…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Josh Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 This is a special edition wine; the current Josh Cabernet Sauvignon is a California wine. Lodi is a unique AVA in California, not a coastal or a mountain AVA bur a Mediterranean AVA that has more in common with Italy than California. Well, if Italy got…
Read More
The Josh Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is $10.89 at Costco. The .89 price indicates this is a special discount wine from the manufacturer, and this wine once typically sold for between $15 and $20. The Story The Josh line of wines is part of Joseph Carr Wines (started in 2007) as a tribute to his…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Aldi California Heritage Brut Sparkling E & J Gallo have been producing cheap Bubbly for decadesm they know what they are doing, Inexpensive wine has never been of a higher quality. Aldi is offering cheap Bubbles that are extremely drinkable. They won't make you forget about Champagne, but they will make…
Read More
The Aldi California Heritage Brut Sparkling is a $4.85 non-vintage Bubbly. It is produced for Aldi by E & J Gallo, who have plenty of experience with bargain Bubble with the Andre, Balatore, and Barefoot. The Story This is a revisit. We reviewed this Sparkling wine in February 2024 and found it to be very…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Napa Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 This is a Trader Joe's wine from a long-time supplier, DNA Cellars. That stands for Dennis and Andrea, who have been in the California wine industry for decades. The California wine industry has taken a downturn, and there is an excess of quality wine available. DNA…
Read More
The Napa Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 s $9.99 at Trader Joe’s. It is Cellared and Bottled by DnA Cellars, who are long-time suppliers of popular and tasty value Trader Joe’s wines. The Story To Cellar and Bottle a wine means that the barrels and tanks are kept in storage for an unspecified time, and then…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Opaline Brut Sparkling Wine There is an Opaline Pinot Noir Rosé Brut from Trader Joe's that, 6 months ago, sold for $7.99. This Chardonnay-based Bubbly from France is now $9.99. It has that cut-glass, prism bottle that is almost for the price of the wine. But, no worries, the Bubbly inside…
Read MoreThe Opaline Brut Sparkling Wine is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s import wine, though I did see it selling for $14.99 in a place that Trader Joe’s doesn’t cover. The Opaline Rosé Brut, made from Pinot Noir grapes, was $7.99 before tariffs. The Story The back label indicates that CFG Group bottled this Bubbly. CGF is…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Rural Mendocino Pinot Noir 2023 This is a wine from the Fetzer brothers, the Fetzer winery in Mendocino, sold to a South American winery years ago; their name is on the label, but they do not own it. This is a wine from the current Fetzer winery that produces organic top-quality…
Read More
The Rural Mendocino Pinot Noir 2023 is a wine available at Costco for $13.99. It is an excellent price, as most internet retailers charge between $29 and $25. The Story Rural Mendocino Pinot Noir is a label from Masüt Vineyard and Winery, which is operated by the Fetzer Brothers in the Eagle Pass AVA near…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Flora and Stone Cabernet Sauvignon A bargain Aldi wine. For my tastes, a $6.99 Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit too cheap. A few bucks more gets me a wine more to my liking. But this is a perfectly drinkable, bargain wine. Try it you might like it! Check us out at…
Read More
