We taste and review Trader Joe’s Super Happy Sauvignon Blanc 2023, a $9.99 exclusive made by acclaimed Paso Robles winemaker Field Recordings from Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara grapes.
• Field Recordings proprietor Andrew Jones specializes in finding forgotten vineyards and transforming them into unique wines
• Happy Canyon is the easternmost and warmest AVA in Santa Barbara, with maritime influences from three sides
• Unlike New Zealand styles, this Sauvignon Blanc has a Bordeaux-inspired profile with tropical fruit notes
• The wine features a surprising hint of jalapeño-like spice along with apple, pear, and guava flavors
• Fermented in stainless steel and aged for seven months to balance its natural acidity
• Delivers complexity with “first and second acts” of flavor development – unusual at the $10 price point
• Available exclusively at Trader Joe’s for $9.99
Visit CheapWineFinder.com for more detailed wine reviews, and keep watching for upcoming summer wine recommendations.
Check us out at http://www.cheapwinefinder.com
or email us at [email protected]
Introduction to Super Happy Sauvignon Blanc
Speaker 1
0:02
Hello
,
welcome
.
It's
Domain
Day
from
CheapWineFindercom
,
another
podcast
to
kind
of
add
a
little
bit
of
information
to
a
wine
review
we
just
put
on
the
CheapWineFindercom
website
and
today
we've
got
a
$9.99
Sauvignon
Blanc
.
It's
the
super
happy
Sauvignon
Blanc
2023
from
Trader
Joe's
.
I
think
it's
a
Trader
Joe's
exclusive
.
This
wine
is
actually
made
by
Field
Recordings
.
Field
Recordings
is
out
of
Paso
Robles
.
They're
kind
of
a
young
,
innovative
,
cool
winemaker
.
They
do
a
lot
of
different
Field Recordings and Hidden Vineyards
Speaker 1
0:45
types
of
wines
.
Andrew
Jones
is
the
proprietor
there
and
he
was
a
vineyard
hand
and
what
he
does
,
used
to
and
still
does
,
is
he
would
travel
the
back
roads
In
California
along
the
coast
.
Vineyards
are
planted
where
vineyards
are
supposed
to
be
planted
.
There
are
certain
areas
that
lend
themselves
to
growing
grapes
.
If
you
go
back
in
there
sometimes
you
can
find
forgotten
vineyards
.
You
know
Grandpa
used
to
grow
grapes
and
the
kids
weren't
into
it
,
or
you
know
it's
fallen
on
hard
times
Different
scenarios
and
he
goes
and
finds
them
and
talks
to
the
owner
and
brings
them
back
into
shape
in
exchange
for
some
of
the
grapes
and
whatever
.
I'm
not
sure
the
intricate
details
of
the
deal
,
but
these
vineyards
quite
often
have
Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara
Speaker 1
1:41
different
type
of
grapes
growing
there
.
They're
not
necessarily
the
commercial
vineyards
which
have
the
latest
and
greatest
grapes
,
the
ones
that
are
going
to
sell
the
most
.
And
so
here
we
go
,
and
the
grapes
here
are
from
Happy
Canyon
of
Santa
Barbara
.
Happy
Canyon
is
the
most
eastward
AVA
in
Santa
Barbara
.
Santa
Barbara
is
100
miles
north
of
Los
Angeles
and
the
only
reason
they
can
grow
grapes
there
because
it
should
be
way
too
warm
is
that
there
is
like
a
pyramid-shaped
portion
of
land
that
juts
out
into
the
Pacific
Ocean
,
kind
of
like
a
wide
base
triangle
.
A
large
base
triangle
because
there's
like
six
AVAs
or
more
in
Santa
Barbara
where
these
are
at
Happy
Canyon's
in
the
back
,
but
it's
still
because
there
is
ocean
on
the
north
,
the
west
and
the
south
.
It
still
gets
that
influence
.
But
it's
the
warmest
of
the
Santa
Barbara
growing
regions
and
I've
got
links
to
even
the
Vintners
Association
of
there
and
there's
some
really
high-end
wineries
in
this
region
and
it's
a
little
bit
warmer
because
it's
a
little
bit
warmer
.
It's
not
a
warm
region
,
but
it's
a
little
bit
warmer
.
It
isn's
not
a
warm
region
,
but
it's
a
little
bit
warmer
.
It
isn't
going
to
have
Sauvignon
Blanc
like
Marlborough
,
new
Zealand
,
which
is
coastal
New
Zealand
,
with
the
cold
Pacific
Ocean
down
there
,
just
right
off
the
coast
and
winds
whipping
by
.
This
is
going
to
be
a
little
warmer
.
This
is
going
to
be
more
Bordeaux
style
.
Tasting Notes and Unique Flavor Profile
Speaker 1
3:23
Bordeaux
is
more
inland
.
It's
going
to
be
Bordeaux
Blanc
,
isavion
Blanc
,
a
little
bit
of
Simeon
.
So
this
is
going
to
be
a
little
bit
different
,
which
is
kind
of
fun
for
a
$9.99
Trader
Joe's
drink
from
a
wine
from
a
top-notch
winery
with
a
really
like
acclaimed
winemaker
and
a
guy
who
knows
his
grapes
.
You
know
it's
field
recordings
.
Check
out
the
website
.
I
got
links
to
that
too
.
Speaker 1
3:47
All
sorts
of
interesting
wines
.
They
don't
do
normal
,
they
do
interesting
.
So
here
we
go
,
and
this
is
an
interesting
wine
.
Let
me
take
a
sip
.
Make
sure
you
put
a
little
bit
of
a
chill
on
this
wine
.
Sauvignon
Blanc
always
likes
a
little
bit
of
this
one's
got
.
Speaker 1
4:16
This
is
the
only
one
I
ever
had
that
I
thought
had
a
faint
hit
of
jalapeno
pepper
.
You
know
how
the
jalapeno
is
on
everything
Chips
with
jalapeno
and
cheddar
or
whatever
.
There's
just
a
little
bit
that
goes
with
the
apple
and
the
pear
,
maybe
Meyer
,
lemon
,
guava
,
tropical
fruit
and
normal
kind
of
exotic
spice
.
But
this
pepper
faint
,
but
in
there
that
kind
of
goes
with
things
and
kind
of
turns
the
flavor
a
little
bit
sideways
,
kind
of
cool
.
I
mean
,
I've
had
jalapeno
beer
and
it
was
like
oh
my
God
,
it
was
horrible
.
But
I'm
not
saying
there's
jalapeno
in
here
,
but
I
got
that
type
of
spice
going
here
and
it
was
really
interesting
,
yeah
.
And
it
kind
of
starts
out
smooth
and
kind
of
roughens
up
towards
the
mid-palate
.
Speaker 1
5:13
It's
got
nice
length
,
good
acidity
,
and
we're
not
in
New
Zealand
,
we're
not
there
at
all
.
It's
got
kind
of
a
first
act
and
a
second
act
,
which
is
nice
for
a
$10
wine
.
Usually
you
get
what's
up
front
goes
all
the
way
through
,
and
if
it's
a
good
up
front
you're
very
happy
with
that
.
But
this
is
kind
of
a
little
bit
different
.
It's
very
interesting
10
bucks
for
a
.
You
know
these
field
recording
wines
usually
like
if
you
go
to
a
shop
somewhere
you
might
find
them
on
sale
for17
,
but
you're
going
to
be
in
the
$20
range
for
these
most
of
the
time
.
Wine Details and Final Thoughts
Speaker 1
5:51
And
while
this
is
a
Sauvignon
Blanc
,
yes
,
it's
aged
in
stainless
steel
,
like
almost
all
under
.
You
know
,
a
certain
amount
is
stainless
steel
.
There
are
some
oak-aged
Sauvignon
Blancs
,
but
not
in
this
price
range
,
and
then
they
age
it
for
another
seven
months
to
get
it
to
balance
,
which
leads
me
to
believe
that
it's
got
some
really
good
acidity
and
it
needed
the
city
to
calm
down
,
which
is
they
didn't
take
the
city
out
of
the
grapes
during
the
during
the
fermentation
process
.
They
let
it
happen
and
let
the
flavors
develop
over
time
.
So
that's
a
pretty
good
thing
.
So
this
is
a
pretty
decent
wine
.
Speaker 1
6:31
The
Super
Happy
Canyon
of
Santa
Barbara
Sauvignon
Blanc
2023
.
$9.99
at
Trader
Joe's
.
It's
a
bargain
.
Try
it
,
it's
different
.
Try
it
,
you'll
like
it
.
Adios
from
me
.
Domain
Dave
CheapWineFightercom
.
Like
us
if
you
like
your
podcasts
.
Adios
from
me
.
Domain
Dave
CheapWineFightercom
.
Like
us
if
you
like
your
podcast
and
check
out
the
website
and
I'll
be
talking
to
you
in
a
couple
of
days
.
We've
got
a
lot
more
summer
wines
coming
and
they've
been
pretty
good
wines
so
far
.
All
right
,
see
you
later
.
Talk
to
you
later
.
Bye-bye
,
keep
it
cheap
.
