(and the cheap WHITES we’re diggin’ on lately)
The Segura Viudas Brut Cava is a blend of 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada, and 15% Xarello (these are the grapes traditionally used in making Cava) sourced from vineyards in the Penedes district of the Catalonia region of Spain (near Barcelona). There has been an estate on the Segura Viudas property since the 1000s and grapes…
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The Artesa Carneros Chardonnay 2013 is sourced 80% from Artesa estate vineyards and 20% purchased from neighboring vineyards. The Carneros AVA is half in Sonoma and half in Napa (Artesa is located in southern Carneros on the Napa side) and is a cool climate growing region that specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Artesa (means…
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The Bouchaine Estate Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay 2013 is a $12.99 Trader Joe’s special buy. Bouchaine Vineyards is the oldest continuously operating winery in Carneros (the Carneros AVA is partly in Sonoma and partly in Napa, Bouchaine is on the Napa side) and this bottling sells on their website for $30 and can be found on…
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The Cycles Gladiator Chardonnay 2013 is sourced from vineyards in the Arroyo Seco AVA (inside the Monterey AVA) and the Livermore Valley AVA (near the San Francisco Bay), both inside the Central Coast AVA of California. The Cycles Gladiator brand was started in 2005 by Hahn Family Wines, Hahn recently decided to overhaul their wine…
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The Avant Garde Blanc 2012 is 100% Sauvignon Blanc sourced from AOC vineyards in Bordeaux, France. There three White grapes permitted in Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is the main grape along with Semillion and Muscadelle ( a local grape not related to the sweet Moscato grape). The Avant Garde is a young wine (no oak conditioning…
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The La Granja 360 Cava Brut is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive, 70% Xarel-lo and 30% Parellada (these, along with Macabeo, are the grapes traditionally used in Cava) sourced from vineyards in the Penedes district of Catalonia (near Barcelona) in northeast Spain. The La Granja 360 Cava is made by Parxet, who have produced…
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The 2012 Lander Jenkins Chardonnay is one of Rutherford Wine Companies brands of wine, they also produce Rutherford Ranch, Predator and Round Hill wines, among others. The grapes are sourced the Central Coast, the Central Valley and the North Coast, as well as Rutherford Wine Company estate vineyards (and long-term grower vineyards) in Napa, Monterey…
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The 2012 Maryhill Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from 2 vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington. Maryhill Winery is family owned and was founded in 1999, by 2009 they were named Washington Winery of the Year and in 2015 were named Pacific Northwest Winery of the year. This Sauv Blanc was fermented and aged…
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The 2014 La Granja 360 Verdejo Viura is a $4.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive, 70% Verdejo and 30% Viura grown in the vineyards of Bodegas Avelino Vegas around the town of Santiuste in the Castilla y Leon region in northeast Spain. Verdejo is a grape that has been farmed in Spain for over a thousand…
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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 JOYA Sangria White is 100% Airén grape with “all natural essences of fresh Mediterranean fruit” sourced from vineyards in the Castilla-LaMancha region of Spain. Airén is a grape that is almost exclusively grown in Spain and not too long ago was the most planted grape in world, today it is the 3rd most planted…
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The Segura Viudas Gran Cuvée Reserva Brut is a blend of 85% Macebeo and Parellada (these, along with Xarel.lo, are the grapes traditionally used in the production of Cava), plus 15% of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grown in the Penedès region of Spain. The Segura Viudas property has been an estate since the 1000’s and…
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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 Old Soul Chardonnay 2013 is sourced from Oak Ridge Winery estate vineyards located in the Lodi AVA of northern California. Oak Ridge is the oldest winery in Lodi (founded in the 1930s) and is currently owned by the Maggio and Reynolds families who have 5 generations of vineyard and wine making experience. Lodi is…
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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 Bel Lago Auxerrois 2013 is an estate grown White wine sourced from grapes grown on the Leelanau Peninsula surrounded by Lake Michigan in upstate western Michigan. The Auxerrois grape is common to the Alsace region of France near the border with Germany. It is a close relative of the Chardonnay grape and does well…
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The Pascal Janvier Jasnieres 2013 is 100% Chenin Blanc (known locally as Pineau de la Loire) sourced from Pascal Janvier estate vineyards in the Jasnières AOC located in the northern section of the Loire Valley in France. Chenin Blanc is the only grape grown in Jasnières AOC. It had been a premier growing area for…
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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 Cantina di Soave Rocca Sveva Classico 2012 is 100% Garganega grape grown in DOC vineyards near the towns of Soave and Monteforte in Veneto, Italy. Cantina di Soave was founded in 1898 and is a co-op of over 2,600 vineyards comprising 8,600 acres of vines. Garganega is the main grape of Soave White 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 Celler del Roure Cullerot Blanco 2012 is an unusual blend of Verdil, Pedro Ximenez, Macabeo and Chardonnay sourced from an estate vineyard located near the town of Moixent in Valencia, Spain. Verdil is a grape indigenous to the region that was nearly extinct, there are only a little over 100 acres of these vines…
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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 il Palagione Hydra 2013 DOCG is 100% Vernaccia di San Gimignano grown in hillside vineyards outside the town of San Gimignano in Tuscany, Italy. There has been a farm on this site since the 1500s and they have grown the Vernaccia di San Gimignano grape here since the 1200s. There are other grapes named…
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The Bucamel Blanco Chardonnay 2013 is sourced from a Bodegas Tierras de Orgaz vineyard located on a hillside outside the town of Los Yebens in the Castilla-La Mancha region of Spain. This Chardonnay is designated a Vinos de la Tierra de Castilla wine, which is like IGT wines from Italy and Vin de Pays wines…
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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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