(and the cheap WHITES we’re diggin’ on lately)
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 Trader Joe’s French Blanc de Blanc Brut is a $7.99 exclusive that has shown up at the Holidays for years. This is not a Champagne or Traditional-style Bubbly, but a Mousseux. The Story Champagne is only grown and produced in Champagne. Cremant is Champagne-style Bubbly grown and produced in another famous French growing region….
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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 Trader Joe’s Reserve North Coast Brut Rosé (2025) is a $9.99 wine available year-round. It is produced by Rack and Riddle for Trader Joe’s. The Story The Trader Joe’s Reserve North Coast Brut Rosé (2025) is a Sparkling wine that has been available at Trader Joe’s for the last couple of years. We reviewed…
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The Cecilia Beretta Treviso DOC Extra Dry Prosecco is $10.99 at Trader Joe’s, though it looks to be available at places that don’t have a Trader Joe’s. The Story The Treviso region is in northeast Italy near Venice. It is where the DOC-designated vineyards are located. There are also the Valdobbiadene and Asolo regions nearby,…
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The Peaks & Tides Sonoma County Chardonnay 2023 is a $10.99 Aldi exclusive. This wine was previously sourced from the Sonoma Coast. The Story Aldi typically owns the brand names of their wines and then contracts with a winery to make the wine. The Sonoma Coast version of this wine was made by Delicato (Gnarly…
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The Aldi Landkastel Mosel Riesling 2024 is a $6.99 Aldi exclusive. Aldi owns the trademark to the Landkastel name, but a winery named St. Gisbertus is mentioned on the back label. The Story Mosel in Germany is the premier Riesling growing region in the world; some say it is the greatest wine region over Napa,…
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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 Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2023 is a wine I found on sale for $15.99; it typically sells for $20 or more. The Sonoma-Cutrer winery is part of the Duckhorn family of wines. The Story The Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2023 is their “entry-level” Chardonnay. It is 100% Chardonnay sourced from 4 sustainably farmed estate…
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The Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Napa Valley Blanc De Blancs is a $14.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It was produced and bottled by Rack and Riddle of Healdsburg, California. The Story Rack and Riddle is a large custom Sparkling wine producer serving California. They produce both the Traditional Method (think Champagne) and the Charmat Method (Prosecco)….
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The Elliot Cooper California Chardonnay is a non-vintage $10 Aldi exclusive. Aldi owns the brand name, but a subsidiary of Trinchero Family Wine and Spirits produced the wine. The Story Aldi tends to own the brand names in case the need to change the producer arises. A popular product can continue and have several producers…
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The Freakshow Lodi Chardonnay 2021 is a wine I found at a local grocery store for $15. This wine is from Michael David Winery of Lodi, California. The Story Michael and David are brothers, and Phillips is the family name. They are fifth-generation grape growers. The family has farmed the land since the 1860s and…
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The Lapis Luna North Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2024 s a wine I found at Trader Joe’s selling for $10.99. It is not a Trader Joe’s exclusive and a quick check of the internet found it selling in the $10 to $14 range. The Story Lapis Luna is Latin for the Stone and Moon. It is…
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The Willia Creek Willamette Chardonnay 2023 is a $12.99 Trader Joe’s wine. The Willia Creek Cellars trademark is held by Precept Wine & Spirits. The Story The back label shows this Chardonnay was ” produced and bottled by” Willia Creek Cellars of Dundee, Oregon. Produced and bottled by indicates the aforementioned winery may not have…
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The 19 Crimes The Mummy Hard Chard is a limited edition wine I found at Target, priced at $11.99. 19 Crimes is a brand owned by Treasury Wine Estates, an Australian company. In 2021, they reached sales of 5,000,000 cases globally, equivalent to 60,000,000 bottles sold annually. The Story The 19 Crimes The Mummy Hard…
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The Wente Morning Fog Central Coast Chardonnay 2023 is a wine I found at a local grocery store, selling for $11.99. This is the entry Chardonnay for Wente Family Vineyards, who have a unique history with the Chardonnay grape. The Story Wente was founded in 1883 and is the oldest continuously operated family-owned vineyard and…
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The Aldi Castellore Gavi DOCG 2024 is an Aldi wine, priced at $9.99. We previously reviewed the 2022 vintage and were impressed, so we sampled a newer vintage to see if the quality is maintained. The Story Castellore is the brand name Aldi uses for value Italian wines. The brand is used for Chianti, Pinot…
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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 Seek to Find Central Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is sold at Trader Joe’s for $7.99. It was made for Trader Joe’s by a branch of Treana wines, which is a brand owned by Hope Family Wines from Paso Robles in California’s Central Coast. The Story Hope Family Wines is an excellent family-owned winery that…
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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 Emile Cheysson Cremant De Bourgogne Brut is a Sparkling wine I found for $9.99 at a local wine shop. The average price on he internet is $17 and up. Wine sales have been down for the last years, and shops have been having sales to get folks in the door, so keep an eye…
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The Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier 2024 is a wine I found selling for $10.99 at a local wine shop. Pine Ridge Vineyards is a Napa Valley winery in the Stags Leap district. They typically produce Bordeaux-inspired wines, so this White wine is not typical of their wine program. The Story Pine Ridge Vineyards is…
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The Seaglass Central Coast Pinot Grigio 2024 is a wine that should be found for around $10. It was one of the 50+ brands of wines and spirits from Trinchero Family Vineyards. The Story Trinchero Family Vineyards is the 4th family-owned winery. They were founded in Napa Valley in 1948 and are still going strong….
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The Delicious Monster White 2024 is a wine available at Trader Joe’s, selling for $5.99. CWF reviewed the 2023 vintage of this wine and was impressed. How do they create a worthwhile wine at the southern tip of Africa and ship it all over the US for less than six bucks? The Story The Delicious…
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