(the cheap REDS we’re diggin’ on lately)
The Kirkland Signature Carneros Pinot Noir 2024 is an $8.99 Costco perennial wine. Here is a link to our review of the 2021 vintage. The Story The Carneros AVA is at the southern end of the Napa Valley and just north of the San Pablo Bay. Carneros is situated in both Sonoma and Napa. The…
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The Foggy Veil Paso Robles Grenache 2023 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. A Check of the California Wine Cola Registry shows Miller Family Wines as the Producer. The Story The Miller Family have been farming in California since the 1940s and have had vineyards since the 1970s. They own some of the most highly…
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The 90+ Cellars Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a wine I found for 13.99 at a supermarket, the list price is 17.99. The Story 90+ Cellars started with an interesting concept. They went to wineries that had a wine that had recently earned 90 points or more and asked if they had any wine…
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The Gruet Blanc de Noirs is an American Sparkling wine I found selling for about $16. The reason it is an American wine is the grapes are sourced from Washington, California and New Mexico. The Story Gilbert Gruet who owned a winery in Champagne, France started a Sparkling wine winery in New Mexico in 1984….
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The Firesteed Oregon Pinot Noir 2024 Is selling for $11.99 at Trader Joe’s, while it typically sells for $15 and up on the internet. The Story The Firesteed brand has been in existence since 1992 and has been sold to several different wine groups over the years. It went from a winery wine to a…
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The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Sonoma County Brut Rosé is a $12.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive, produced for them by Rack and Riddle, a huge Sparkling wine producer with several location in California. The Story Trader Joe’s Reserve line of Sparkling wines, have multiple veriations of Northern California Bubbly. There is Diamond Reserve, Platinum Reserve, and…
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The Villa Cerrina Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2024 is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive, sourced from vineyards in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy. The Story The Villa Cerrina Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2024 has been a Trader Joe’s Italian wine staple for 10 years, though I only discovered it days ago. The Abruzzo region is on the…
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The Loudenotte Pays D’Oc Pinot Noir 2024 is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive, though it seems it is available for a few dollars more in states with no Trader Joe’s store. The Story Pays D’Oc is a growing region inside the Languedoc-Roussillon growing region of southwest France. This region has had IGP status for…
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The Table Santa Barbara Red 2024 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive produced for them by Field Recordings, a well respected winery. The Story Field Recording is an eclectic winery from Paso Robles. They started off scouring the coastal countryside looking for neglected, but promising vineyards. They we make a deal with the owners where…
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The Kirkland Signature Cote De Provence Rosé 2025 is a $8.99 Costco exclusive import wine, and is one dollar more than previous vintages. The Story This Rosé is made by winemaker, Olivier Sumeire of Famille Sameire, whose family dates back to the 1200s in Provence. So, this is a wine from a well-established winery. The…
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The Compass Bridge Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2023. is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive produced from vineyards in the Sonoma AVA. The Story The Compass Bridge Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is made by Coppola wines which is a part pf Delicato Family Wines from Lodi. I checked the California Wine Cola Registry and Coppola was the…
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The Barbanera inBianco Sangiovese White 2024 is a wine selling for $9.00 at Trader Joe’s and $14 and up elsewhere. The Story Barbanera is a family-owned winery founded in Tuscanny in 1938. This wine is part of their Barbanero Celebration line of wines that are new wines that have roots in the wineries history. The…
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The Everlight Provence Rosé 2025 is a $12.99 Aldi exclusive, sourced from vineyards in the Cru de Provence region in the South of France. The Story The producer is listed as Chassaux et Fils which is a name Aldi uses for their high-quality, but value-priced French wines. This name is used for wines in various…
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The Magus Dark Garnacha is currently on offer from Costco for $6.99. It does not look to be widely available outside of Costco, but prices fall between $18 and $24. The Story The Magus Dark Garnacha is from Bodegas Valdeorite in the Extremadura DO, inside the greater Ribera del Guadiana DO in North-West Spain, near…
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The Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel 2022 is a wine I found at Trader Joe’s, selling for $13.99. A check of the web saw prices between $14 and $20. The Story Cline Family Cellars was founded in the early 1980s and is still expanding while owned and operated by the Cline Family. Cline started as a…
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The Calos Cahors Malbec 2022 is selling for $8.99 at Costco, and it looks like it is available for around $15 elsewhere. The Story This Malbec is from the south of France, not Argentina. In the 1800s, pests and diseases hit French vineyards and decimated entire vintages. The Malbec grapes from Bordeaux were hit particularly…
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The Josh Reserve Bourbon Barrel Zinfandel 2021 is a wine that lists for $21.99, but I found it on sale for $9.99. The Story The Josh reserve wines are the top-tier wines and are part of the bourbon barrel-aged series. Joseph Carr created the Josh brand in 2006 in honor of his father. I have…
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The Chasing Rain Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a wine that has been selling for $20, but I found it for $10. It is produced by winemaker Joshua Maloney. The Story The Chasing Rain Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a wine that has sold for between $20 and $25 and was considered a…
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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 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 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 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…
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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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