(the cheap REDS we’re diggin’ on lately)
The Aldi Specially Selected Côte de Provence Rosé 2024 is an exclusive offering from Aldi, priced at $9.99. The Côte de Provence is the largest growing region or AOP in Provence. The Story The Côte de Provence covers 195,000 acres and produces 107 million bottles per year. There are 337 wineries and 35 Co-Ops. Aldi…
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The Sunshine Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023 is a $14.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The back label says it was “Produced and Bottled by” Northwest Collective from Dundee, Oregon. The Story The Northwest Collective is a part of Precept Brands, a large wine and spirits business in the Northwest part of the US. They have a…
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The J L Quinson Le Rosé French Fizz sells for $7.99 at Trader Joe’s. The brand is J.L. Quinson, a wine company located in the south of France since 1904. The Story J L Quinson produces a wide range of wines, from Chablis to Provence Rosé and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but it appears they no longer have…
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The Kirkland Signature Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a $6.99 Costco exclusive wine. It is produced by a division of Precept Wine & Spirits, the largest privately owned wine company in the Northwest. The Story Precept has its line of wine brands, and they have also produced wine for Trader Joe’s, Aldi, and Costco. They…
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The Trader Joe’s Reserve Walla Walla Syrah 2023 is an exclusive Trader Joe’s offering at $9.99. It is produced for Trader Joe’s by DNA Vineyards, which has provided Trader Joe’s with quality wines for years. The Story DNA Vineyards is Dennis Patton and Andrea Silverstein, who together have over 65 years of experience in the…
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The Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 7 is a wine I found for $11.98; it usually sells for between $17 and $25. Bonanza is a brand from the Wagner Family of wines, of Caymus fame, along with many other popular brands. The Story The Wagner family has roots in the wine world going back to the…
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The Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2023 is a $14.99 wine available exclusively at Trader Joe’s. The Dundee Hills AVA is a sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley AVA. The Story The back label indicates that this wine was “vinted and bottled by Cultavin Cellars.” Vinted and bottled by means that they bottled…
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The Trader Joe’s Diamond Reserve Rutherford Meritage 2022 is an exclusive, $19.99 offering available only at Trader Joe’s. This wine was produced and bottled by (that means they made it) 1542 ACE, which is a label from Miura Vineyards, a project from a Master Sommelier, Emmanuel Kemiji. The Story Miura and 1542 ACE typically deal…
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The Bacchus Ginger’s Cuvee Pinot Noir 2023 is a wine I found at a local wine retailer selling for $12.99. It is a wine label from David Gordon, the Sommelier at Tribeca Grill (owned by Robert De Niro) since 1990. The Story David Gordon has had an outstanding career, he is one of 3 Americans…
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The Le Monde Sparkling Pinot Nero Rosé is a Bubbly I found selling for under $10 on sale, though it typically sells for around $15. The Le Monde is an estate wine located in the Friuli region of northeast Italy. Slovenia is to the east, and Austria is to the north. The Story Le Monde…
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The Trader Joe’s Diamond Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a $19.99 TJ’s exclusive. This edition is Lot #09; they have previously used this brand name for a completely different wine. The Story This is a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon; the label only says Napa Valley, but this wine comes from one vineyard in a…
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The Copilot Carneros Napa Pinot Noir 2023 is available exclusively at Trader Joe’s for $7.99. Trader Joe’s also offers a $7.99 Copilot Carneros Chardonnay with the same origin story. For information on the folks who are involved with that wine, check out that review. The Story The Carneros AVA is located in both Sonoma and…
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The Kirkland Signature Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is a $9.99 Costco wine exclusive. The Alexander Valley AVA is in the northern section of the Russian River Valley. The Story The Alexander Valley is in northern Sonoma County, one of the warmer locations in Sonoma, but it has cool nights. That temperature difference allows grapes’…
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The Kirkland Signature Chianti Classico Riserva 2022 is a $8.99 Costco exclusive. This wine recurs each vintage. In the past, the back label mentioned the Cafaggio estate as the producer. The 2022 vintage makes no mention of Cafaggio and seems to have a different producer who does not wish to be identified. If this is…
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The Lapis Luna Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is a wine I found selling at Trader Joe’s for $10.99. It isn’t a Trader Joe’s exclusive; it is available elsewhere for $10 to $16. Lapis Luna is a brand from a joint venture of WarrRoom Ventures and Total Beverages Solutions. The Story Other brands under WarRoom Ventures…
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The Federalist Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is a wine I found on sale, selling for $9.99. The Federalist is a brand of wine from Terlato, a family-owned wine group with over 50 years of experience. The Story Terlato has a huge portfolio of wines and spirits from all over the world. They are the company…
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The Story The Elouan Oregon Pinot Noir 2022 Tasting Notes The Summary Look for the link to the entertaining companion podcast! 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…
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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….
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 Bontera Organic Estates/Fetzer. The Story The…
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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…
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