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,…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
The Louise d’ Estrée Brut (in 2023) is a Trader Joe’s $9.99 exclusive, in places not served by Trader Joe’s this Bubbly sells at wine shops for $17 to $20. This is a Cremant wine, meaning it is a Bubbly produced in the Traditional Method (Champagne) but not in Champagne. The label is devoid of…
Read More
The Aldi Specially Selected Valdobbiadene Extra Dry Prosecco 2022 is a $10.99 Aldi exclusive, it is part of 10 wines in the Specially Selected series featuring wines from all over the world. Here is a link to their French Sparkling wine LINK. Aldi does not offer any details on the wines, such as why they…
Read More
The Mumm Napa Brut Prestige is a blend of 45% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, and the other 10% is a mix of Pinot Gris (White) and Pinot Meunier (Red). This Bubbly is produced in the Traditional Method or Champagne style. The second fermentation or triage lasted for a minimum of 18 months. GH Mumm started…
Read More
The Amuse Bouche Pet-Nat 2022 is a $11.99 Trader Joe’s wine made for them by Pierre and Antonin who produce natural wines in the Languedoc region of France. Pet-Nat is short for Pétillant Naturel which is a very old method of producing Sparkling wine. It is also called the Ancestral Method. A simple explanation of…
Read More
The Mionetto Prosecco Treviso Brut is a Sparkling wine from a winery founded in 1887 in the Valdobbiadene region of Veneto which is now located inside the Prosecco DOC region of northern Italy. The winery changed to the Charmat Method in 1982. The Charmat Method is by far the main production technique used in Prosecco….
Read More
The Los Dos Brut Cava is a traditional blend of Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada sourced from independent family-owned vineyards in the Penedes DO in Northeast Spain. Penedes is located in the Catalonian region of Spain where the central city is Barcelona. Cava is produced in the same way as Champagne though its history in Spain…
Read More
The Yalumba Y Series Viognier 2020 is from the entry-level line of wines from the Yalumba Family WInemakers who planted their first vineyard in Australia in 1849. Yalumba is the Hill-Smith family, and Sam Smith was the founder 173 years ago. They are still family owned and operated which is rare for a wine business…
Read More
The 19 Crimes Snoop Dogg Cali Gold is a Sparkling wine made from a blend of 36% mixed White grapes, 28% French Colombard, 26% Reisling, and 10% Muscat Alexandria. This is not your typical Sparkling wine grape blend. Muscat Alexandria is the oldest known grape varietal, Reisling is commonly used in German Sekt Sparkling wine,…
Read More
The Ca’Belli Prosecco Extra Dry is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s US exclusive though it is available in other countries under this label. This is a DOC Prosecco from an Italian custom wine producer. To start with the basics, Prosecco is produced from the Glera grape grown in the Prosecco region of Veneto in Northern Italy….
Read More
The Segura Viudas Brut Cava is a blend of three local grapes, 50% Macabeo, 30% Parellada, and 20% Xarel-lo sourced from vineyards in the Catalunya region of the Penedes DO in eastern Spain. This is their entry-level Cava but does not have entry-level production specifications. Cava is a Sparkling wine made in the Champagne style….
Read More
The Pleiades White Blend 2019 is a wine from a recently formed wine company that is an extension of Sean Thackery Wines. Who is or sadly was Sean Thackery (he passed away in May 2022)? Well, that is a long and exciting story. Sean Thackery was an art dealer and curator (he collected ancient books)…
Read More
The La Granja 360 Cava (The Farm 360) is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive in the US, I believe this brand of wine is available in other counties. La Granja 360 has a line of affordable Spanish bang for the buck wines. The winery preaches social responsibility and they strive to reduce their footprint…
Read More
The Cupcake Prosecco DOC is part of a curated line of wines from Cupcake Vineyards which is one of The Wine Groups‘ families of brands. They have Cava from Spain, Pinot Grigio from the foothills of the mountains in far north Italy, a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, you get the idea, all under the…
Read More
The Emma Reichart Gewürztraminer 2020 is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. This wine is produced by the Schåffer-Reichart Winery located in the Mosel region of Germany. As a point of reference, in New York where grocery stores are not allowed to sell wine, this wine is $11.99 in retail wine shops. Trader Joe’s is…
Read More
The Marengo Mauro Nas-Cetta 2020 is a White wine from the Langhe district near the town of Novello in the Piedmont area of northwest Italy. Marengo Mauro is a family-owned and operated winery, every member of the family has a duty. One manages the vineyards, another does the graphics and packaging, another oversees the winemaking,…
Read More
The Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava blend 40% Parellada, 35% Macabeo, and 25% Xarel-lo sourced from Freixenet estate vineyards in the Penedes region of northeast Spain. Freixenet says this is the #1 imported Sparkling wine in the world. Freixenet started producing Cava in 1914, and this is their “Black Bottle Bubbly.” Cordon Negro in the…
Read More
The Witches Brew Pumpkin Spice Apple Wine is a fruit wine I found at Trader Joe’s for $6.99. Made by Leelanau Cellars of Northern Michigan who have been producing fruit wines since 1974. They produce three versions of Witches Brew, a sweet Red Blend (made from grapes), and spiced apple wine, and this offering. There…
Read More
The Villa Antica Asolo Prosecco DOCG is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s import wine exclusive. The grapes are farmed around the village of Asolo, where the vineyards receive the top DOCG, and Conegliano and Valdobbiadene are the other two. DOCG desiganted regions inside of Prosecco. Most of the vineyards in Prosecco are rated DOC, with the…
Read More
The Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier 2020 is 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% Viognier. The Chenin Blanc is sourced from ten plots in contracted growers in the Clarksburg AVA; the Viognier uses vineyards in the Lodi AVA. Both Clarksburg and Lodi are situated inside the greater Central Valley AVA. The bulk of California wines come…
Read More
The RSVP Brut Sparkling Wine in 2021 is a revisit of a Sparkling wine we reviewed in 2019 (also 2010). It is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s Traditional Method Sparkling wine. It is made for Trader Joe’s by Bronco Wine Company, the same folks behind Charles Shaw wines (2 Buck Chuck), and many other brands. The…
Read More
The Espiral Vinho Verde – Trader Joe’s is a $4.45 Trader Joe’s exclusive. Vinho Verde is a region in Northern Portugal and not a particular grape. These wines are typically inexpensive wines with bright acidity and bracing citrus flavors. They are also a little fizzy. Vinho Verde wines were originally slightly carbonated because the winemakers…
Read More
The Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blancs Brut is a $5.99 Sparkling wine from France. Trader Joe’s has been selling Bubbly for years; Cheapwinefinder first reviewed this wine in October of 2013. Blanc de Blanc translates to White wine from white grapes. In Champagne, it means the Bubbly was made with Chardonnay. But here, they could…
Read More
