The 2012 PoiZin California Zinfandel is 75% Zinfandel, 19% Petite Sirah and 6% Grenache sourced from more than one California grape growing AVA. There are actually 2 different PoiZin bottlings, this one, sourced from California vineyards, which has the black skull and crossbones on the label (should sell for a little over $10) and the…
Read More
The 2013 Aurelia Prima Côtes de Provence Rose’ is a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 20% Rolle (also known as Vermentino and Yes, it is a White grape) sourced from a vineyard in the westernmost portion of the Côtes de Provence AOP in the south of France. The Aurelia Pima Rose’ is a wine produced…
Read More
The 2011 The Stump Jump GSM is a blend of 46% Grenache, 39% Shiraz and 15% Mourvedre (also known as Mataro or Monastrell) sourced from older vines in several vineyards located in the McLaren Vale region of South Australia. The Stump Jump, the name refers to a horse-drawn plow that was invented in the region,…
Read More
The 2012 La Maceta Garnacha (translates to The Flower Pot) is a $4.99 ALDI import exclusive, produced for them by Bodegas San Valero in the Cariñena DO of Spain. Bodegas San Valero is a cooperative of 700 small growers (they farm 8,600 acres) founded in 1944. The Cariñena DO is located in the Zaragoza Province of Aragon in…
Read More
The Bistrot Tropezien Cotes de Provence Rose’ is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and a little Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Cotes de Provence AOP, the largest of the Provence (Southeast France) wine districts. The Cotes de Provence AOP produces 72.6% of all the wines from Provence and 89.5% of those wines are Rose’. Cinsault and…
Read More
The 2013 Chateau de Fontlade Saint Qvinis Rose’ is a blend of Cinsault and Grenache sourced from estate vineyards in the Coteaux Varois en Provence AOP of Provence in southeast France. They have documented that vineyards have existed on the Chateau de Fontlade property since the 900s, but since the vineyard is located on an ancient…
Read More
The 2011 Bonny Doon Contra is a blend of 56% Carignane, 28% Mourvedre, 9% Grenache, 6% Syrah and 1% Zinfandel sourced mainly (85%) from two 100+ year old vineyards located in Contra Costa County (suburbs of San Francisco) along with grapes from Arroyo Seco, San Luis Obispo, Monterey County and Santa Maria inside California’s Central Coast….
Read More
The 2011 Chapelle-St-Arnoux Cotes-du-Rhone Red is a blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre, the vineyards used featured vines that where at least 50 years old. This bottle is from the Negociant Eleveur side of Arnoux & Fils, a family owned wine business founded in 1717. A Negociant Eleveur purchases excess wine from existing…
Read More
The 2012 Goats do Roam Red is a blend of 46% Syrah/Shiraz, 23% Grenache, 17% Mourvedre, 11% Cinsault and 3% Durif/Petite Sirah sourced from multiple vineyards in South Africa’s Western Cape wine region. The name, Goats do Roam, is a play on the Cotes du Rhone AOC grape growing area in the Rhone Valley in…
Read More
The 2011 Pontificis (translates to Pope) Grenache (50%) Syrah (30%) and Mourvedre (20%), also known as a GSM blend is a Vin du Pays d’Oc wine sourced from vineyards in the Languedoc region of southern France and is a Trader Joe’s $6.99 import exclusive. This blend is produced for Trader Joe’s by Badet Clement and…
Read More
The 2012 Coppola Votre Sante (French for “to your health”) Chateau Red is a blend of Rhone grape varietals, mainly Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre with a few other grapes added in small amount to season the stew, sourced from several California grape growing AVA’s, but primarily from Monterey, the North Coast and Lodi. This blend…
Read More
The 14 Hands Vineyards Columbia Valley Merlot is 78% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Syrah, 1% Grenache and 1% Cabernet Franc sourced from several vineyards in the Columbia Valley of Washington State. 14 Hands refers to the height of the wild mustangs that used to roam the Columbia Valley, the average regular horse is 15…
Read More
The Zestos Old Vine Garnacha is 100% Garnacha (also known as Grenache) sourced from high altitude vineyards located in the San Martin sub region of the Vinos de Madrid (DO) in Central Spain. Old vines in this case means 40 to 50 year old dry farmed (not irrigated, the only water the vines get is…
Read More
The Stark Raving Cab (that’s right, Cab, not Cabernet Sauvignon) is a non-vintage Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from grapes grown in the Languedoc region of France, with about 15% Grenache blended in. Stark Raving is a Brand put together by Rosenblum Cellars, a leading producer of California Zinfandel. Value priced wines are often non-vintage to keep…
Read More
The 2010 Triptych Red (a triptych is a 3 panel painting or carving) is a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 20% Petite Sirah sourced from Broken Earth Wineries Estate vineyard, Shimmin Canyon Vineyard, in Paso Robles, located inside San Luis Obispo County which in turn is inside the larger Central Coast AVA and situated…
Read More
Theisn’t your usual bottle of French wine. First, Saint Cosme is the negociant side of Chateau Saint Cosme who produce excellent Estate wines, so these are purchased grapes, mainly from the Southern Rhone Valley. And yes, the grapes are pressed in a Basket Press, which is an old style type of mechanical press, you put…
Read MoreThe HobNob Wicked Red is an unusual blend of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Pinot Noir sourced from vineyards in the Languedoc in the south of France. There are 3 levels of wine in France, the top level is AOC (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone Valley, etc), the 2nd is IGP (used to be known as Vin…
Read MoreThe LePlan Classic Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2010 is a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah sourced from vineyards in the Southern Rhone Valley. The winery is owned by Dirk Vermeersch an ex-GT race car driver from Belgium. His wines are true to the Rhone Valley, but there are no Domaine this or Chateau…
Read MoreThe 2011 Caves du Fournalet Cotes du Rhone Red is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. Caves du Fournalet is a Negociant-Eleveur with cellars in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape area of the Southern Rhone Valley in France. A Negociant is someone who buys wine from various producers and then sells it under their own label, a Negociant-Eleveur…
Read MoreThe 2010 Les Truffieres Grignan-Les-Adhemar is a blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah sourced from the newly renamed Grignan-Les-Adhemar AOC in the Rhone Valley, France. Grignan-Les-Adhemar is the northern most AOC in the Southern Rhone region. The Rhone Valley is separated into Northern Rhone (mainly Syrah based Red wines) and the Southern Rhone (Grenache based…
Read More
The 2010 Babble Red Wine is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive sourced from grapes grown in Mendocino County, California. The blend is 36% Petite Sirah, 26% Syrah, 17% Merlot, 10% Carignane, 10% Grenache and 1% Malbec. Babble is produced by DnA Vineyards (owner and winemaker is Dennis Patton), who is a custom winemaker, tell him…
Read More
The 2009 Retorno (translates to repay or return) Garnacha is sourced from old vine vineyards (60+ years old) located in the Calatayud D.O. of the Province of Zaragoza in the Aragon region of Spain. The Retorno is designated as a “young” wine in Spain indicating that it receives little or no oak barrel aging, this…
Read MoreThe 2008 Razor’s Edge McLaren Vale Shiraz (75%) Grenache (25%) is an Australian take on the wines of the southern Rhone Valley. McLaren Vale has a climate similar to the Mediterranean and Rhone grapes grow well there. The wine was aged in 50%, 2 and 3 year old French oak barrels and the other 50% is aged…
Read MoreThe 2010 Chateau Pesquie Terrasses is a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah from vineyards in the Cotes du Ventoux region of the Rhone Valley in France. The Cotes du Ventoux is where the Alps meet the Mediterranean. The wine is unfiltered and unfined, which means all the dead yeast and grape residue are…
Read MoreThe Domaine Lafond Cotes du Rhone Rouge is a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah sourced from two vineyards in the Southern Rhone Valley. Since French wines are all about “terroir” (the effects the weather and the soil have on the wine), one vineyard was rocky with clay soil and the other was sandy…
Read More
