(and the cheap WHITES we’re diggin’ on lately)
The Trader Joe’s Growers Reserve Organic Chardonnay 2023 is a Trader Joe’s $5.99 exclusive made from certified organic grapes farmed in California. The back label states this wine was vinted and bottled by ASV Wines. ASV Wines is a family-owned wine business with over 50 years of experience and started converting its vineyards to organic…
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The Raimat Organic Albarino 2022 is a wine produced by organic Estate vineyards in the Costers del Segre DO in Catalonia in eastern Spain. For some interesting facts about the Albarino grape check out Wine Folly. This is a wine I found at Trader Joe’s selling for $8.49 and a check on the Web showed…
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The Claire Patelin Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive produced from grapes grown in the Cote De Gascogne in southwest France. It was made for Trader Joe’s by LGI Wines a custom wine brand producer from France. Gascony is south of Bordeaux in the foothills of the Pyrenean mountains to the…
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The Starpointe Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2022 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s wine produced for them by DNA Cellars from grapes grown in the Yakima Valley of Washington. DNA Cellars is located in the Russian River AVA of Sonoma County, they produce their labels and an extensive list of private labels, such as Trader Joe’s or…
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The Kate Arnold Columbia Valley Riesling 2022 is a wine I found in Chicago selling for $11.99, a quick check of the web saw prices from $10 to $15. Kate Arnold Wines is a family-owned winery located in Kelseyville, Ca. in Lake County. Kate and Jean Arnold are co-owners, they feature a Sauvignon from the…
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The Delicious Monster White 2023 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s US exclusive. McGregor Winery (established in 1948) produced this wine from grapes grown in the Robertson Valley of South Africa. It is one of their portfolio wines and not a wine made specifically for Trader Joe’s/ The McGregor website showed the selling price as 83…
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The Vignobles Lacheteau Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. Vignobles Lacheteteau oversees several Chateaus and Domaines, has 1,270 acres of vines, and is part of the CGF Wine Group. Touraine is an AOP and a large district in the Loire Valley of France. Chinon is the best-known village inside Touraine….
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The Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay 2020 is 100% Chardonnay sourced from vineyards in several AVAs in the Columbia Valley of Washington. Chateau Ste Michelle was founded in 1967 when it was known as St Michelle Vintners. They are the largest winery in the Columbia Valley with 3,500 acres of vines planted. The back…
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The Daou Paso Robles Sauvignon Blanc 2022 is a wine listed for $17 and often found for several dollars less. I found it for $15.99 at Trader Joe’s. The Daou winery is one of the premier facilities in Paso Robles (halfway between Las Angeles and San Francisco). Daou was founded in 2006 by two brothers…
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The 8 Plumas Sauvignon Blanc is a $5.99 Aldi import exclusive from Spain. It is produced for Aldi by Dcoop S.Coop an extensive farming and ranch coop comprising over 75,000 farms and ranches. They are the largest olive oil and olive producer in Spain, along with producing other food products. This is a non-vintage that…
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The La Burgondie Cremant de Bourgogne Brut is a $10.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. It is a Sparkling wine made in the Traditional or Champagne style. The grapes in the blend are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Aligoté, and Gamay, sourced from multiple vineyards in Burgundy, France. La Burgondie is an actual wine company and not a…
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The Aldi’s Specially Selected Napa Valley Chardonnay 2021 is a $10.99 ALd exclusive new to the Specially Selected brand as of April 2024. The Aldi Specially Selected line includes wines from premium growing regions like Napa, Rioja, Marlborough, Bordeaux, etc. Napa Valley is a large AVA, so simply showing Napa Valley as the place of…
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The Juggernaut Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is a wine brand from Bogle Family Vineyards of Clarksburg, California. It is a wine I found for $14.99 at a local wine shop. The Sonoma Coast AVA is the most westward AVA in California and runs to Mendocino. It features rugged Coastal Mountain valleys and is a cool climate…
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The Sunshine Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a $7.99 Aldi exclusive. The grapes are sourced from Estate vineyards in the Wairau Valley of New Zealand’s South Island. The Wairau Valley is the Northernmost grape-growing region in Marlborough and follows a river that runs the island’s width. The back label mentions Estate vineyards but does…
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The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Russian River Chardonnay is a $12.99 Trader exclusive produced with grapes from the Russian River Valley AVA in Sonoma County. The back label says this wine was “vinted and bottled by”Aril WInes of Oakville, Napa. They are a small boutique high-end winery with winemakers from Turley and Silver Oak. Vinted…
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The Kirkland Signature Friuli Grave Pinot Grigio 2022 is a $4.99 Costco exclusive sourced from grapes in the Friuli Grave region of far northeastern Italy near the Alps. This area has a very cool climate that allows the grapes to ripen slowly. The word “Grave” translates to gravel. The soil in the vineyards is heated…
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The Aldi California Heritage Chardonnay is a non-vintage $4.95 Aldi wine exclusive made for them by a division of E & J Gallo the largest family-owned winery in the US. Normally a non-vintage, $5 store brand would be a wine to avoid, but I have previously tried the California Heritage Pinot Noir and Brut Bubbly,…
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The Trader Joe’s Reserve SLO County Chardonnay 2022 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive produced for them by Miller Family Wine Company. The SLO in the title is San Luis Obispo which is in the middle of California’s Central Coast AVA, inside the SLO AVA in Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Arroyo Secco, and the San…
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The Aldi’s California Heritage Brut Sparkling Wine is a $4.95 Aldi exclusive sourced from grapes grown in California. The back label shows that a part of E & J Gallo produced this Bubbly. Neither Aldo nor E & J Gallo offer any production details on this wine. The wine was produced with the Charmat Method,…
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Along with a PODCAST interview with Kono winemaker Bruce Taylor talking about New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and much more. The Kono Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a wine I found at a local wine shop selling for $13.99. Kono is Mauri owned. The Wakatū Incorporation comprises 250 Mauri families who descended from the original land…
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The Kirkland Signature Sancerre 2022 is a $14.99 Costco exclusive. Sancerre is a town in the Loire Valley of France and the grape is Sauvignon Blanc. The White wine of the Loire Valley is Sauvignon Blanc, the regular affordable wines are a spring day in a bottle, pure joy to drink. The best Sauvignon Blanc…
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I found the Magistrate Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2021 selling for $11.99 at Mariano’s one of Kroger’s family of supermarkets. This seems to be a wine sold exclusively at Kroger stores. You store exclusive wine brands at Trader Joe’s, Aldi, and Costco, but many grocery stores, restaurants, and large liquor, beer, and wine shops often have…
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The Aldi Specially Selected Gavi DOCG 2022 is an exclusive $9.99 Aldi import. Gavi White wines are from the Provence of Alexandria in the southeast corner of Piedmont in Italy. Gavi is produced from the Cortese grape and is typically 100% Cortese. Gavi is considered THE White wine of Piedmont with Barolo made from the…
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The Aldi Hwy 5 Chardonnay 2021 is a $4.99 Aldi exclusive made by a company from Modesto, California which means some entity of E & J Gallo produced this brand. This is Aldi’s answer to Charles Shaw wine (2 Buck Chuck) from Trader Joe’s. Last summer we did a cheap Chardonnay shoot-out, Charles Shaw, Hwy…
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The Trader Joe’s DOC Prosecco is an $8.99 import exclusive for a Sparkling wine from the Prosecco region of Veneto in Northern Italy. The back label says a branch of Zonin, a large and excellent Italian wine producer produced it. If you are new to Prosecco, this Bubbly is made from the Glera grape which…
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