(the cheap REDS we’re diggin’ on lately)
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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)…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
The Imagery California Pinot Noir 2023 is a wine I found selling for $12.99; the Imagery website lists its price as $25. This is a brand from The Wine Group and Benziger Family Winery. The Story Benziger Family Vineyards has been producing biodynamic and organic wines since 1995. Today, they are part of The Wine…
Read More
The Korbel California Champagne Brut is a Sparkling wine that should be found for under $14. Korbel has the legal right to call itself a Champagne since it was grandfathered in after the French enforced their trademark a few decades ago. The Story Korbel was founded by three Korbel brothers in the Russian River region…
Read More
The Trader Joe’s Diamond Reserve Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a $19.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The back label informs us that this wine was cellared and bottled by Isolated Cellars of Napa, California. The Story Cellared and bottled by means just that. They didn’t have a hand in the farming of the grapes or the…
Read More
The Kirkland Signature Brut Champagne (2025) is available for $22.99, up from $19.99 in past years. This Champagne is produced by Manuel Janisson, a fifth-generation winemaker in Champagne, France. The Story Manuel Janisson had his own Champagne House in Verzenay, with multiple vineyards and many designated Crus. He sold his holdings to LVMH, a high-end…
Read More
The Aldi’s Mark Hill Pinot Noir 2023 is a $7.89 exclusive to Aldi. This is a wine made from some entity of Trinchero Family Wine and Spirits. The Story The 2023 vintage has a new label; the previous vintages had labels reminiscent of Mark West Pinot Noir. The Mark West Pinot Noir (E&J Gallo) had…
Read More
The Momentum Legacy Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a $14.99 wine sold at Trader Joe’s. It was bottled by Momentum Wines in Napa, California. The Story Momentum Wines is part of the Fior di Sole winery, which is located along the Silverado Trail east of Route 29 in Napa Valley. It is interesting that the…
Read More
