(the cheap REDS we’re diggin’ on lately)
The Mollydooker (Aussie for left-handed) The Boxer is 100% Shiraz/Syrah sourced from vineyards in Langhorne Creek, Padthaway and McLaren Vale in Southeastern Australia. The Boxer has been a perennial critics favorite, Robert Parker has given every vintage at least 91 points. The wine was aged in American oak barrels for one year, 60% new barrels…
Read MoreThe 2007 Vino Zaco is 100% Tempranillo made by Bodegas Bilbainas (one of the oldest wineries in Rioja) grown in Rioja, Spain. The wines of the Rioja DOC are classified by the aging process, so much time in the barrel and so much time in the bottle makes the wine a Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva….
Read MoreA by Acacia is the entry level label for Acacia Vineyards, a top notch producer of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Carneros AVA of Napa Valley. The A by Acacia Red Blend is 85% Syrah, 10% Merlot, 2% Grenache, 2% Petite Sirah and 1% Zinfandel, the grapes were sourced from vineyards in several AVA’s…
Read MoreA Trader Joe’s $4.99 wine, the Le Grotte Reggiano Lambrusco Russo Dulce (translates to sweet red) is a Sparkling wine sourced from the Lambrusco grape grown in the Reggiano nell’Emilia DOC of the Emilia-Romagna growing region in Italy. Lambrusco is both the name of the grape and the type of wine and this region has…
Read MoreThe 2008 Red Diamond Merlot is 91.6% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1.4% Cabernet Franc sourced from several AVA’s in Washington State. Red Diamond Winery is owned by Chateau Ste Michelle and Wine And Spirits Magazine named the Red Diamond Merlot one of the Top Ten Merlot’s In America, you should be able to find…
Read MoreThe Domaine Sainte-Eugenie Le Clos (translates to “enclosed field or vineyard”) is a blend of 45% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Carignan and 20% Grenache grown in Estate vineyards in the Corbieres AOC in the Languedoc, near the Mediterranean Sea in France. For some reason the Le Clos does not conform with the rules and…
Read MoreThe Villa Cerrina Montepulciano D’Abruzzo is another of Trader Joe’s $4.99 specials. Montepulciano is the grape, it is indigenous to Italy and is the second most widely planted indigenous grape, Sangiovese is #1. It is grown in the D’Abruzzo DOC of central Italy and according to regulations a minimum of 85% of the wine must…
Read MoreThe 2010 Don Miguel Gascon Malbec is sourced from grapes grown in the Uco Valley and the Lujan de Cuyo regions of Mendoza, Argentina. The winery has been producing wine sine the 1880s and first made single varietal Malbec in 1940. The wine is distributed in the US by E & J Gallo so the…
Read MoreTurn Me Red 2009 is a blend of 70% Zweigelt and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the Burgenland growing region of Austria. The Zweigelt grape is a cross of Blaufrankish (known as Lemberger in Germany) and St. Laurent, a grape that is in the same family as Pinot Noir. The winemakers figured that a you…
Read MoreThe 2009 Georges Duboeuf Chateau des Capitans Julienas 100% Gamay sourced from the Cru Beaujolais Julienas AOC. Where a usual Cru Beaujolais can be sourced from an area that is 3,000 to 4,000 acres, the Chateau des Capitans Julienas is sourced from a single old vine Estate vineyard that is 17 acres in size. This Gamay…
Read MoreThe 2009 Georges Duboeuf Cru Beaujolais Brouilly is 100% Gamay sourced from vineyards near the village of Brouilly in the Beaujolais AOC of Burgundy, France. Cru Beaujolais wines are sourced from one the 10 best designated villages in the Beaujolais district. The Cru Beaujolais is a young fruit forward wine and is not aged in…
Read MoreThe 2009 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages is 100% Gamay sourced from the Beaujolais AOC of Burgundy, France. The 2009 vintage is said to be the best vintage for Beaujolais in the last 50 years. There are different classifications of Beaujolais, the first is labeled Beaujolais and is sourced from all over the AOC. The second classification is Beaujolais-Villages…
Read MoreThe 2008 Nerelo Del Bastardo is imported for Trader Joe’s and sells for $7.99. The Bastardo is the Italian equivalent of the French negotiant wines. The wine makers in the Italian DOCG’s are allowed to produce only a certain amount of their top wines and the wines that don’t make the cut cannot be labeled…
Read MoreThe 2007 Route 45 Shiraz is an “end of the bin” find, all bottles $4.99 and when they are gone, they are gone for good. There is not much information available, Wine Spectator and Enthusiast both reviewed the wine in the past year, the Winery seems to have gone under and the Importer does not…
Read MoreRene Barbier Mediterranean Red is a non-vintage blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Tempranillo sourced from the Catalunya D.O. located in Northeastern Spain (near Barcelona). It is available at World Market and several other retailer and sells at Trader Joe’s for $4.99. The alcohol content is 12.5%. The color is clear, shiny cherry red. The…
Read MoreThe 2010 Domaine Les Aphillanthes Cote-du-Rhone Rose’ is a blend of 60% Cinsault, 20% Grenache, 15% Counoise (a Rhone red grape used in blends) and 5% Mourvedre sourced from Estate bio-dynamic vineyards in the Southern Rhone Valley in France. A Rose’ is red wine grapes made in a white wine style, the grape skins are…
Read MoreThe 2009 Penelope Sanchez Tinto Joven (means Young Red wine) is 85% Garnacha and 15% Syrah sourced from vineyards in the Campo de Borja region of Spain. Tinto Joven indicates this a “drink it now” wine and does not go thru much aging, no oak barrels only a short time in large open vats. This…
Read MoreThe 2008 Scott Harvey Amador County Mountain Selection Zinfandel is 99% Zinfandel and 1% Mixed Ports (the grapes that go into Port) sourced from several vineyards in the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County, California. The list of the vineyards used is interesting, 64% Bowman Vineyards, 13% Manby Vineyards, 9% Norton Vineyard (84 year old vines),…
Read MoreThe Les Trois Couronnes (the 3 Crowns) Cotes-du-Rhone is 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah sourced from sustainably grown grapes in the south of the Rhone Valley, France. This is a negociant wine (the negociant is Cellier des Dauphins), they purchase excess wine from different producers and make their own less expensive bottling out of the…
Read MoreThe 2010 Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Napa Valley Rose’ is a complete mystery wine, the label does not tell which grape was used to produce this Rose’. They did think it was important to tell you that the grapes were grown in Napa Valley. The only reason I can think of for withholding the type…
Read MoreThe 2008 Louis M. Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from vineyards in several Sonoma County wine growing areas, Dry Creek is the only AVA actually name checked on Louis Martini’s website. Louis Martini is one of Gallo Wines 40+ wine labels, but Michael Martini a third generation winemaker is still in charge of…
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