(the cheap REDS we’re diggin’ on lately)
The Elouan Oregon Pinot Noir 2022 is a wine I found on sale at a local wine shop, selling for $12.99. This brand is from Joe Wagner, the family behind the Caymus brand of wine. You may know Joe from his Meiomi Pinot Noir that caused a sensation, and he sold that brand for several…
Read More
The Duvergey Taboureau Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2023 is a Trader Joe’s $11.99 exclusive, sourced from grapes farmed in the Burgundy region of France. The Story Maison Duvergey Taboureau was a wine estate founded in 1868 in Burgundy. When the founders passed away, Jaques Prieur acquired the estate in 1925. This estate continues to this day….
Read More
The La Ferme Julien Rosé 2023 is a $6.99 trader Joe’s wine produced for them by Famille Perrin. The Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer suggests that this bottling is a special edition, slightly different from the Rosé Perrin sells at retail wine shops. Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault blend with the Trader Joe’s. The Retail version is…
Read More
The Rosé al day 2023 is a wine I found selling for $9.99; it is a Rosé of Grenache sourced from grapes in the IGP Pays D’Oc growing area of the Languedoc in southeast France. Enjoying Rosé al day has never been easier with this affordable option! The Story The Rosé all day 2023 is…
Read More
The Ravini California Sparkling Wine is a $9.99 Aldi exclusive made for them by Rack and Riddle Of Healdsburg, California. The Story Rack and Riddle is a custom Sparkling wine producer based in Northern California. They specialize in producing Bubbly in the traditional or Champagne style and recently added the ability to produce Charmat Bubbly…
Read More
The Motif Monterey Pinot Noir 2023 is a $4.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The Motif line of wines has been at TJ’s for the last 4 or 5 years, in the past they have offered a Red Hills AVA Cabernet Sauvignon, also selling for $4.99. The Story I checked with the California Wine Cola Registry, which…
Read More
The Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Bersano Nizza Barbara 2019 is a $14.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive made by Bersano Estates, a 123-year-old family-run estate in the Piedmont district of Italy. The Story Nizza was once part of the DOCG Barbara D’Asti area and became a separate DOCG in 2014. The larger D’Asti DOCG comprises 160 villages…
Read More
The Quarter Cut Bourbon Barrel Red Blend 2022 is a $9.99 Aldi exclusive. A check of the California Wine Cola Registry, the organization that approves wine labels, shows that this wine was produced by Vinå Concha y Toro, which makes wine in Chile and Argentina, and their California subsidiary Bonterr Organic Estates/Fetzer. The Story The…
Read More
The Lazy Bones Paso Robles Cabernet Franc 2023 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It is made for Trader Joe’s by the Miller Family Wine Company, who have been producing wine for Trader Joe’s for years. The Story The Miller family has been making wine sold at Trader Joe’s for at least 15 years, in…
Read More
The 19 Crimes Revolutionary Red Limited Edition is a wine released near St. Pat’s Day, which I found selling for under $10. It looks like this wine was first released in March 2024, but this version has a different label, so it seems to be new and not a 2024 leftover. 19 Crimes is a…
Read More
The Pinot Project 2022 is a wine I found at a local wine shop selling for $11.89. This is a project from famed wine importer Michael Skurnik. They focus exclusively on Pinot wine, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio (one from Italy and one from Washington, and a Rosé of Pinot Noir). The Story The Pinot Project…
Read More
The Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a $17.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. Like the title says the vineyards for this wine are located in the Yountville AVA of Napa Valley. The Story In 1835, George Yount planted grapes here, making Yountville the first wine region in Napa. Yountville is part of the…
Read More
The Gambler’s Ghost North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is a wine I found at Costco selling for $8.99, a check on the web found it sells for between $15 and $25 elsewhere. This wine was made by Fioe di Sole winery of Napa. The Story Fior di Sole is a family-owned and operated winery. They…
Read More
The Cotillion Pinot Noir 2022 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive wine that has been available since at least the 2013 vintage. Plata Wine Partners produces this Pinot Noir for Trader Joe’s under its Ashford Court winery label. The Story Plata Partners (founded in 2005) has 60 vineyards with over 18,000 acres of vines. Grapes…
Read More
Call me Domaine Dave. The Folly Of The Beast Pinot Noir 2022 is a Herman Melville/Moby Dick inspired wine sourced from fruit grown in California’s Central Coast AVA. I found it at a local wine store selling for $14.99. The Story Ryan Zotovich is the head winemaker for ABG Wines. He has worked for Palmina,…
Read More
The Opaline Pinot Noir Brut Rosé (2025) is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer says that this Bubbly is from the South of France, but gives no more detail than that. The Story This Sparkling Wine is designated a Vin de France, the bottom classification for French wine. This typically means…
Read More
The Originals Washington Syrah 2022 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The Originals currently produce it from Walla Walla, Washington, a part of Precept Wine & Spirits. But this wine has a longer history. The Story The Originals Washington Syrah 2022 was at one time part of the Charles Smith Wines House Brand of wine….
Read More
The Octavian Cellars McKinley Springs Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is a $15.69 Costco wine (.69 could mean a winery special). It is a single-vineyard wine from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of the Columbia Valley in Washington State. The Story The producer of the Cabernet Sauvignon is N W Wine Company from Oregon, which make…
Read More
The Trader Joe’s Reserve Adelaida District Paso Robles Zinfandel 2023 is an exclusive $9.99 wine from the Beckett Family, Paso Robles, California. The back label says that the Beckett Family produced and bottled this Zinfandel, which means they made the wine. Typically, these Trader Joe’s Reserve wines will say “bottled and cellared by,” which usually…
Read More
The Mark Hill California Pinot Noir 2022 is a wine I found at Aldi selling for $7.99; it looks like an Aldi exclusive. This is a wine wine produced for Aldi by Trinchero Family Wine Estates. The Story The Mark Hill California Pinot Noir 2022 has a label very similar in color and shape to…
Read More
The Doña Paula Single Vineyard Malbec 2023 is a wine available at Costco for $11.99 and around that price elsewhere. The single vineyard mentioned on the label is the estate Alto vineyard in the Lujan de Cuyo region inside the Mendoza Valley of Argentina. The Story Santa Rita Estates of Chile owns Doña Paula winery….
Read More
The Domaine de la Croix 2021 Irresistible Rosé 2023 is a wine selling for $9.99 at Costco and for as much as $20 elsewhere. The Domaine de la Croix winery and vineyards are located in Provence near San Trope. The Story There are 18 wineries in Provence designated as Cru Classé, a title given to…
Read More
The L’Authentigue Compagnie Beaujolais Villages 2023 is a $8.99 Trader Joe’s French import wine. L’Authentigue Is a French wine company that includes wineries from 12 different French growing regions. The Story The Beaujolais region has 12 appellations and 10 Crus; the main grape is Gamay, with a small amount of Chardonnay also farmed. Beaujolais is…
Read More
The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Russian River Pinot Noir 2023 is a $12.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. This is a wine that TJ’s has offered in other vintages. Here is a link to the 2020 vintage. The 2020 was produced for Trader Joe’s by MWK Wine Consultants, the 2023 is from DNA Vineyards. The Story DNA…
Read More
The Chandon California Brut Rosé is a Sparkling Wine I found selling for $18.99 at Target. Chandon is the first French Champagne House to start a California outpost (1973). The Story Chandon, California, is the California winery of Moet & Chandon, founded 281 years ago. Both are now part of LVMH, a luxury brand company…
Read More
