Cheap wines that are SCARY cheap but super surprising
The La Finca Oak Aged Malbec 2014 is a $4.49 Trader Joe’s wine exclusive, produced by Finca La Celia (Finca translates to farm or estate), founded in 1890, from grapes grown in the Uco Valley region, in the southwest corner of Mendoza, in the foothills of the Andes in Argentina. This Malbec was aged for…
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The 2013 Earthstone Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc is $4.99 Trader Joe’s wine, produced by a family owned, sustainably farmed, carbon neutral winery located in Healdsburg, California. Trader Joe’s does not say who produces this Sauv Blanc, but if you Google carbon neutral, solar powered, family owned wineries in Healdsburg, it’s easy to figure out. Single…
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The 2013 Black Ink Red is a blend of Syrah, Merlot, Malbec and Zinfandel sourced from more than one California grape growing Ava. When 85% of the grapes in the bottle come from one AVA (such as Napa, Lodi, Paso Robles, etc..), then you will see that AVA shown on the front label. If none…
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The Underwood Pinot Gris 2014 Can is sourced from grapes grown in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same grape, Gris is the French word for gray and Grigio is the Italian word (the grapes can have a blue/grey color, but they do vary). Underwood is one of the…
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The Tin Roof Merlot 2012 is a taste of California Merlot with grapes sourced from the Central Coast, the North Coast and Lodi AVA’s. Tin Roof’s website has not been updated in a while (the last Merlot vintage shown is 2009), but they have made wine for over 30 years and have a pretty good…
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The Bogle Vineyards Chardonnay 2013 is sourced from grapes farmed in the Clarksburg, Monterey and Lodi AVA’s of northern California. Bogle Vineyards is a 6th generation, family owned vineyard (they have 1500 acres of grape vines) and winery located in the Clarksburg AVA, which is in the Sacramento River Delta. This Chardonnay is fermented “on…
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The Lehman’s Orchard Honeycrisp Apple Hard Cider is a small batch cider sourced from Lehman’s orchard in Niles, Michigan. Family owned and founded in 1929, Lehman’s has grown and sold fruit and harvested honey for decades and began making wines and cider in 2008. The color is almost clear, just slightly golden-yellow. The nose is…
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The Belcreme de Lys Pinot Noir 2013 is Pinot Noir, with a little bit of Syrah added in, sourced from vineyards in more than one California grape growing AVA. Belcreme de Lys is one of Diageo Chateau & Estate Wine many wine brands. Their portfolio runs from Moet & Chandon to Blossom Hill White Zinfandel….
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The Natura Pinot Noir 2013 is 100% Pinot Noir sourced from certified organic vineyards in the Colchagua Valley in the southern half of the Rapel Valley inside Chile’s Central Valley. The Colchagua Valley is a little cooler than the rest of the Rapel Valley and the western side of the valley sees climate influence from…
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The Natura Rose’ 2014 is 85% Syrah and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from certified organic and sustainably farmed vineyards in the Rapel Valley inside Chile’s Central Valley growing area. Natura is one of Emiliana Organic Vineyards line of organic and bio-dynamic wines. Emiliana is a family owned winery and vineyards who went organic back in…
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The Natura Sauvignon Blanc 2014 is 100% Sauvignon Blanc sourced from certified organic vineyards in the Casablanca Valley of the Aconcagua Region in Chile. You must remember this about the Casablanca Valley, this is a cool coastal growing region with morning fog and Pacific Ocean breezes. Much of the Chilean wine you see on store…
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The Natura Syrah 2013 is 100% Syrah and 100% organic sourced from vineyards in the Rapel Valley inside the Central Valley of Chile. The Rapel Valley growing area is includes the Cachapoal Valley and the Colchagua Valley and is one of the larger grape producing regions in Chile.. The Natura label is the everyday wine…
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The Matua Sauvignon Blanc 2012 is sourced from multiple vineyards thru-out the Marlborough region on the South Island of New Zealand. Matua translates to “head of the family” in the Māori language and the winery was founded by Bill and Ross Spence. They planted the first Sauvignon Blanc vines in New Zealand in 1969 and…
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The Altovinum Evodia 2013 is 100% Garnacha sourced from vineyards in the Calatayud DO of the Aragon region of northeast Spain. This region is to Garnacha what Lodi in California is to Zinfandel, which is the home of a myriad of old vine grapes farmed in an area that does not always get the respect…
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The Herencia Altes Garnacha Blanca 2014 is sourced from estate vineyards near the village of Batea in the Terra Alta DO of southeast Catalonia in Spain. Garnacha Blanc is a White grape that is related to the Red Grenache/Garnacha grape, it is possibly a mutation of the Red grape. Terra Alta (translates to High Land)…
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The Underwood Oregon Pinot Noir Can is sourced from multiple vineyards, 60% from the Umpqua Valley and 40% the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The can looks to be a regulation soft drink can, the lip on top is a little steeper than on a can of Coca-Cola, but otherwise seems to be identical. The Pinot…
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The Mavam Gold Fushion Vulcano 2014 is a Sparkling wine using the Macabeo grape (one of the 3 grapes traditionally used in the production of Cava Sparkling wines) and is produced by Bodegas Vidal Del Saz in the La Mancha DO of central Spain. There are 3 varieties, Gold Fushion, which is pink/orange in…
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The La Vidaubanaise Vin de Pays Maures Rose’ 2014 is a blend of Carignan, Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvedre sourced from vineyards north of Cannes and near the foothills of the Alps in Provence in southeast France. La Vidaubanaise is a wine co-op founded in 1912, they are a group of independent vineyards (about 130 in…
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The Sainte Croix La Bergerie Syrah Merlot 2012 is a blend of 50% Syrah and 50% Merlot sourced from vineyards (probably from purchased grapes or juice) in southern France on the Languedoc and Roussillon border. Domaine Sainte-Croix is owned and operated by an English husband and wife wine-making team, they are in the process of…
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The Lazy Bones Paso Robles Cabernet Franc 2013 is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive, vinted for them by the Central Coast Wine Warehouse. They are a custom label facility and own or control some of the finest vineyards in the Central Coast AVA. Central Coast Wine Warehouse has a long history of producing wines for…
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The Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Monterey Merlot 2012 is a $5.99 TJ’s exclusive and believe it or not, it is estate grown, produced and bottled by someone. The back of the bottle says Blue Canyon Wine Company, Greenfield, Ca., they are a front company and not an actual winery. There are 175 vineyards in Monterey,…
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The Villabella Vigna Morlongo Bardolino Classico DOC 2013 is a blend of 55% Corvina, 30% Rondinella and 15% Corvinone grown in an estate vineyard on a hillside near Lake Garda in Verona, Italy. Those are local grapes, traditionally used in the production of Bardolino, it seems every Italian town has indigenous local grapes that are only…
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The OZV Lodi ZInfandel 2012, OZV stands for Old ZInfandel Vines, is 96% Zinfandel and 4% Petite Sirah sourced from 50 to 120 year old ZInfandel vines located in the Lodi AVA, east and a little south of Napa. The OZV Zinfandel is produced by Oak Ridge Winery, started in 1934 as a wine co-op and…
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The Apothic Dark Limited Release 2013 is a blend of Petite Sirah, Teroldego and Merlot sourced from more than one California grape growing AVA, but the majority of the grapes came from the Lodi AVA (east of Napa). The Dark is a limited edition for E & J Gallo’s hugely popular Apothic line of Red And White blends. Teroldego is…
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From the old farm-house (La Vieille Ferme) to your table comes this rose-colored, almost neon pink dry rosé from Jean Pierre and François Perrin (of the “5 generations of winemaking” Famille Perrin) – the La Vieille Ferme Rosé 2013. The nose is farm stand raspberries. Expecting a sweet sip? Nope – dry! Opening up with…
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