(cheap wine articles & info)
The Cambalala Chenin Blanc 2025 is a $5.99 Aldi wine from the West Cape growing area of South Africa. The Story The Western Cape wine region comprises almost all of South Africa’s wine country. The leading White grape cultivated there is Chenin Blanc. Chenin Blanc is best known as originating in the Loire Valley of…
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The Kirkland Signature Russian River Pinot Noir 2024, a $10.99 Costco exclusive. It is one dollar less expensive than past vintages. The Story This is more of an update than a new review. Here is a link to the CWF description of the 2023 vintage. The Kirkland Signature series of wines is similar to Trader…
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The Thesis Russian River Chardonnay 2024 is selling for $9.99 at Costco, but $35 to $50 on the internet. This wine is produced by Fior di Sole, a family-owned Napa winery, though the Russian River is located in Sonoma. The Story The Thesis Russian River Chardonnay 2024 was a surprise. A ten-dollar Chardonnay from Costco…
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The Trader Joe’s Grower’s Reserve Organic Red 2024 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It is produced for Trader Joe’s by ASV Wines. The Story ASV Wines seems to be the current supplier of Trader Joe’s Grower’s Reserve line of organic wine. They are a producer located in the Monterey AVA and make wine with…
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The Viale Antica Asolo Prosecco DOCG is an $8.99 Italian Bubbly sold at Trader Joe’s. It is an Extra Dry (a little sweet), and Asolo is a tiny top-rated Prosecco appellation. The Story The Prosecco region is huge, and most of the vineyards are DOC-designated. Asolo is a DOCG region with the vineyards situated around…
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The 19 Crimes Cali Red-Snoop & Tupac, full name 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted, is a wine I found for $11.99. The bottle has a scan code (available March 10) for Snoops’s interactive tribute to Tupac. The Story The 19 Crimes Cali Red-Snoop & Tupac is a limited edition wine. The official release is March…
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The Studio by Miraval Rosé 2025 is a wine I found for $12.99, and yes, Brad Pitt is the principal owner of the winery, Château Miraval. The Story Brad Pitt owns 60% of Miraval, and Famille Perrin is involved with the production and distribution of the wine. Miraval is a Provence winery. Studio by Miraval…
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The Bread & Butter Chardonnay 2024 is a wine I found on sale at a local wine store for $7, but is more likely to be found selling between $12 and $15. The Story Bread & Butter Chardonnay is a brand from WX Brands whose wines include Chronic Cellars and Trapiche (Argentina). Bread & Butter…
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The Campo Viejo Cava Brut is a wine I found selling for $7.99, but it should be available around 10 most places. Campo Viejo is one of the brands in the Pernod Richard portfolio. The Story The Campo Viejo winery is located in the Rioja region of Spain, near the border with France. This Cava…
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The Specially Selected Single Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025 is an Aldi $8.69 import exclusive. The single New Zealand wine estate is Lismore Wines. The Story Lismore Wines is a family-owned winery that looks like they export much of their wine to China; they have a webpage written in Chinese. Since this is an estate…
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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…
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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…
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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The 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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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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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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The Tattoo Girl Riesling 2024 is a wine that should be found for under $15. Tatto Girl wines are part of William Weaver Wines, and they offer a full array of the typical Washington/Columbia Valley wines. The Story The Tattoo Girl Riesling 2024 is 98% Riesling, with 1% Chardonnay, and 1% Pinot Gris. Pinot Gris…
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The Roseta Lisboa Vinho Tinto 2024 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s import wine. It is a table wine from the Lisboa region of northern Portugal. The Story This is a table wine from vineyards in the Lisboa region (near Lisbon) of northern Portugal. Portugal has DOC, IGP, and table wine classifications for their wines. The…
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The Aldi Scarlet Path Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel 2023 sells for $6.79, which is the cheapest it has been, and we have reviewed every vintage since 2020. It is produced for Aldi by a large sustainably farmed family-owned winery from Monterey, California. The Story There is no legal definition of “Old Vines.” It is generally…
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