Cheap wines that hover right around twenty bucks
The Hess Select California Chardonnay 2024 is a wine I found at Trader Joe’s, selling for $10.99. A quick check of the web shows it at a $12 nationwide average. The Story The Hess Select California Chardonnay 2024 is an entry-level wine from Hess Perrson Estates. Donald Hess started the winery in the late 1970s…
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The André Brunel Cuvée Bécassonne Cotes-Du-Rhone 2025 is a White wine I found selling for $12.99, it is sourced from a vineyard just outside the Chateaunuef-du-Pape region of the Southern Rhone Valley in France. The Story The Brunel family have been a fixture in the Chareaunuef-du-Pape region since the 1700s. The blend is 40% Roussanne,…
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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 Andre Goichot Saint-Véran Chardonnay 2024 is $12.99 at Costco, though the internet shows prices elsewhere from $18 to $30. The Story Andre Goichot is a family owned negotiant wine business founded in 1947. A Negociant îs a French wine business with strong ties to the local wineries that purchases wine from the wineries and…
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The Marqués de la Concordia Cava MM Special Selection Brut 2022 is a Costco $12.99 import, Sparkling wine from Eastern Spain. The Story The Marqués de la Concordia has been in business since 1882 and has holdings in both Rioja and the Penedes (Cava). Their Estate in the Penedes, in the town of San Sadurni…
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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 Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025 is a wine I found at Trader Joe’s, selling for $12.99, which is a typical price for this wine. The Story Babich is a family-owned winery that started in New Zealand in 1906. One of the advantages of being one of the early wineries is that they had their…
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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 Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a wine I found selling for about $15. It is from Kim Crawford, yes, that Kim Crawford. The Story The Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 typically scores 90+ points from wine reviewers. Kim and Erica Crawford, she handles the vineyard, he does the winemaking, sold Kim Crawford wines…
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The Côté Mas Sauvignon Blanc Vermentino 2024 is a wine I found at Trader Joe’s, selling for $11.99. Trader Joe’s price is in the ballpark with prices from other stores. The Story Côté Mas is Jean-Claude Mas of Domaine Paul Mas. The family has had vineyards since the 1890s, but more recently Jean-Claude has brought…
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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 Dry Creek Vineyards Sonoma Fume Blanc 2023 is a wine I found selling for $12. Dry Creek Vineyards has been family-owned and operated since the early 1970’s. The Story The first thing I need to explain is what Fume Blanc is. The Sauvignon Blanc grape originated in France, and there are two types of…
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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 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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The Squealing Pig Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is a wine I found selling for $13.99 at a local wine shop. The Squealing Pig brand; have a full line of New Zealand wines, which is part of the Treasury Wine Estate portfolio. The Story The Squealing Pig Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is sourced from vineyards in…
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The Shortbread Buttery Chardonnay 2023 is a wine I discovered at a local wine shop, priced at $11.99. This was a brand from Wine Hooligans, which would sell the controlling interest in their company to Bronco Wines. The Story This Chardonnay is sourced from coastal vineyards in both the Central and North Coast AVAs. The…
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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…
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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 Tattoo Girl Riesling 2024 is a wine that should be found for under $15. Tatto Girl wines are part of William Weaver Wines, and they offer a full array of the typical Washington/Columbia Valley wines. The Story The Tattoo Girl Riesling 2024 is 98% Riesling, with 1% Chardonnay, and 1% Pinot Gris. Pinot Gris…
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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 Whitehaven Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is a wine I found for $13, the grapes are sourced from Wairau and Awatere river valleys on the upper east side of New Zealand’s South Island. The Story Whitehaven is a small family-owned winery founded in 1994. They own about 250 acres of vineyards in several sections of…
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The Harken Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2024 is a wine I found at Trader Joe’s for $12.99, which may be slightly higher than other wine sellers. Harken is a brand from O’Neill Wines. The Story The main point of interest for the Harken Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2024 is the barrel fermentation. Both the initial fermentation and…
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