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…
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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…
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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…
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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)…
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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….
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The Flora and Stone Cabernet Sauvignon is a $6.99 Aldi wine. It is a non-vintage wine made by some division of Fetzer Wines, Mendocino California. The Story Fetzer makes affordable wines and is a certified B Corporation. Here is a quote from the Fetzer website, As a Certified B Corp, we are committed to caring…
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Send us Fan Mail Cocobon Espresso Roasted Oak Red Blend This is the newest wine in the Cocobon Red Blend series. They take a blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah and age it in some sort of oak. I don't know what kind of oak aging, since oak barrels can cost over a $1000,…
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The Cocobon Espresso Roasted Oak Red Blend is $6.99 at Trader Joe’s. The Cocobon line of wines is a little different; they have a Red blend, a dark Red Blend, a roasted oak Red blend, and a roasted oak Chardonnay. The three Red blends use the same three grapes: Merlot, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah, with…
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Send us Fan Mail Angeline Vineyards California Pinot Noir 2024 This is a value-priced Pinot Noir, a brand from Martin Ray Winery, a family-owned wine business since 1990. Angeline Vineyards has also been around since 1990. This is a wine I found at Trader Joe's for $9.99; it should be available everywhere. It is a…
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The Angeline Vineyards California Pinot Noir 2024 is a wine I discovered at Trader Joe’s, priced at $9.99. It is widely available in wine shops across the US and can be found on the wine list for $15 on the company’s website. The Story Angeline Vineyards is a brand from Martin Ray Winery. The original…
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Send us Fan Mail Tattoo Girl Riesling 2024 This is a wine from a Washington State producer. They have a whole line of Washington State wines, and if they are as good as this one, I will seek them out. The best Riesling is from the Mosel in Germany, but for value, I like Washington….
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