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 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 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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The Mumm Sparkling Brut Prestige (2025) is a wine I found on sale, selling for $8.99. GH Mumm has been a French Champagne House since 1827 and has had a California outpost since the 1970s. The Story Mumm has been in Napa and Sonoma for 50 years. Their Estate vineyard is located in Carneros, where…
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The Stringtown Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2023 is a wine I found selling for $13.99; the typical price is more toward $20. The Story The wine industry had declining sales in 2024 and 2025. I read that 40,000 acres of vines have been pulled up in California. There is a surplus of wine, and prices…
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The Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Carneros Pinot Noir 2023 is a $14.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. Not to be mistaken for the Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Carneros Pinot Noir, which has been a Trader Joe’s staple for 15 years. We reviewed the 2021 Platinum Caneros Pinot Noir. This is the 9th year for this offering. The…
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The Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Napa Valley Brut Rosé is a $14.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It is produced and bottled by Rack and Riddle, located in Healdsburg, California. The Story The Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Napa Valley Rosé Brut is made entirely from 100% Pinot Noir. If this wine were not a Rosé, it would…
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The Florility French Organic Pinot Noir 2024 is a $7.99 Aldi import exclusive. It is produced for Aldi by the Ethicdrinks company of France. The Story The Ethicdrinks company is certified organic, carbon neutral, sustainable, and vegan-friendly. They have a line of wines that allow you to plant a tree with every purchase, another that…
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The Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2023 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. This is a repeat wine for Trader Joe’s. We reviewed the 2021 vintage here. The Story This wine is produced and bottled by Bozzano & Company, who also made the 2021 vintage. They are a bulk and custom wine…
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The Aldi Specially Selected Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024 is an exclusive Aldi offering at $12.99. The Willamette Valley is one of the premier Pinot Noir regions in the world. The Story Aldi’s Specially Selected series of wines is a collection of affordable wines from some of the best wine-growing regions—quality at a value price….
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The Aldi Specially Selected Napa Valley Brut is $17.99 in-store, but the Aldi website lists it at $19.99. The Story The back label shows that this Bubbly was produced and bottled by Rack and Riddle. Rack and Riddle is a custom Sparkling wine producer. They have many Sparkling wines in the value-price category, including Peaks…
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The Aldi’s Peaks & Tides Sonoma Brut is a Sparkling wine sold at Aldi stores for $13.99. This Bubbly was produced by Rack and Riddle. The Story Rack and Riddle (these are terms used in making Bubbly) is a custom Sparkling wine producer located in several locations in Sonoma and Lodi. If you have tasted…
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The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Carneros Pinot Noir 2023 is a $12.99 exclusive to Trader Joe’s. This is the 15th vintage of this wine, and they seem to offer a Platinum Reserve Carneros Pinot Noir during the Holiday months. The Story The back label says Carneros Cellars bottled this wine. I looked up who owns…
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The Compass Bridge Sonoma Pinot Noir 2023 is a limited-edition wine available at Trader Joe’s for $9.99. The Compass Bridge brand is from a entity of Delicato Family Vineyards. The Story Delicato Family Vineyards, from the Lodi AVA, purchased Coppola Wines (Sonoma) a few years ago and formed a large wine company that produces wine…
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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 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 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 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 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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