First thing you need to know about Trader Joe’s Pancake Cellars Big Day White is that there is no Pancake Cellars. Pancake Cellars is one of the many labels produced by Central Coast Wine Warehouse a contract wine producer, they make 50+ labels, many of which are first class wines. We reviewed the 2009 Pancake Cellars Big Day White several months ago and the 2010 blend is different from the 2009, this time it is, 38% Sauvignon Blanc, 26% Viognier, 17% Chardonnay, 13% Muscat Canelli and 6% Pinot Blanc, all sourced from the Paso Robles AVA in California. This is a Trader Joe’s $4.99 wine, they say that good grapes make good wine, so how do you get good grapes for a bottle of wine than costs a penny less than 5 bucks? Well, here is a good example, Viognier, Muscat Canelli and Pinot Blanc grapes cannot command the kind of money that Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc can, so 64% of this wine is relatively expensive grapes and the rest are “bargain” grapes. The alcohol content is 12.9%.
The color is a mere hint of butter yellow. The nose is strong and vibrant, pineapple and apricot mixed with a touch of lime and melon. It tastes of both sweet and sour, peach and pear mingled with Sweet Tart candy flavors, the fresh fruit wins the fight, but the tart holds its own. This is not a complicated wine, what happens up front is all you get, luckily what happens upfront is tasty. Not much of a mid-palate, but the finish is reminds me of the fresh peach and vodka drinks I used to get at the old Drink nightclub.
The Pancake Cellars Big Day White 2010 is a tuesday night wine, flavorful and cheap. I wouldn’t recommend pairing this with anything other than fast food, but that is ok. The Big Day White would over achieve as a party wine, if you got a wedding or an anniversary coming up, a case or two of the Pancake Cellars Big Day White will keep the crowd very happy.
