Could you imagine uncovering a wine treasure priced at just $5.99 that rivals bottles three times its price? Join us as we pop the cork on Trader Joe’s latest bargain, the Hidden Hills Estate McLaren Vale Shiraz 2021. Our discussion takes you on a journey through the wine’s origins in the prestigious McLaren Vale region, while we ponder how such a quality wine lands at this price point. We also reflect on the broader economic trends affecting the Shiraz market, from its heyday to its present status, and how these factors may have contributed to this unexpected find.
You’ll hear our tasting experience of this compelling Shiraz, which offers a rich tapestry of dark, brooding flavors with hints of red berries and caramel. This wine is a true culinary companion, perfect for pairing with roasted meats and hearty dishes at your next gathering. We speculate on the peculiar circumstances that brought this gem to Trader Joe’s shelves, providing wine enthusiasts a chance to savor quality without breaking the bank. Tune in to discover why this bottle might just be the perfect addition to your collection, offering taste and value in equal measure.
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0:07
hey, a domain day. Cheap wine findercom another podcast for a wine we wrote up on the cheap wine findercom websites. This is a wine I found at trader joe's for 5.99. It says it's a special purchase. You don't always see it from Trader Joe's. You know they always. Their purchases are always intentional.
Speaker 1:
0:30
And this is called the Hidden Hills Estate, mclaren Vale Shiraz 2021. Mclaren Vale is the kind of the Sonoma or the Napa Valley of Shiraz in Australia. It's in southeastern Australia. The back label says Tate Wines made it. Tate Wines is from western Australia, which is a whole different wine area. They do different things, it's different wines. So where did this southeastern Australia from McLaren Vale come from? They do different things, it's different wines. So where did this Southeastern Australia from McLaren Vale come from? It's a long way away from where the winery is. And why is it $5.99? It's a 2021. It's almost 2025 in a couple of weeks. That's a lot of bottle age for an inexpensive wine or whatever.
Speaker 1:
1:31
So I'm trying to wonder is this a wine that was left over and they bought it from somebody and decided to sell it to Trader Joe's? It does happen and I'm not quite sure Shiraz was really really the wine to get in the early 2000s. From what I heard in 2008, when the big subprime meltdown happened, australia didn't really get hit with the turndown like everybody else did, and the dollar the American dollar, the Australian dollar thing went from being like a $12 wine in the US to the Australian wine getting stronger and being an $18 wine and no one's going to pay $18 for a $12 wine and the whole thing dried up and to this day it's still not back, even though they do make really nice wines. But it's not the trend it once was. I'm gonna take a sip. This is a bit of a dark and a brooding Shiraz, not too spicy. There's spice there, red berries, maybe some caramel, brown sugar, that type of thing, maybe a little blackberry in there somewhere. It's a. It does not taste like a $5.99 wine, even though it is. That's what it's selling for. It has a more expensive taste to it. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I haven't been drinking a lot of Shiraz lately. It used to be one of the first red wines I ever really got into back in the days when I was just learning about wine, but it's a nice wine.
Speaker 1:
3:22
This is is a food wine. It would go with like roasted meats. It would go with steaks and chops and that type of thing. It's got a real strong flavor to it's dark, it's brooding, it's sips well. I mean I wouldn't want to have this with popcorn necessarily because it's got that ripe nectar fruitiness to it. I'll take another sip. Yeah, it's really kind of concentrated. It's got nice flavor.
Speaker 1:
3:56
It's at a ridiculous price and, typically speaking, when you get a value price Shiraz it's usually from it'll say on the label from Southeastern Australia and it won't. You know, occasionally you get Barossa Valley, but you very seldom get McLaren Vale for a cheap price. Those tend to be expensive grapes and expensive wines. So this is a nice find. You know it's not a bad Shiraz at all. It tastes really good. It's uh, using. You can sip it. You can have it with a meal at $5.99. That's crazy good.
Speaker 1:
4:37
There you go it's from Trader Joe's and for the holiday you want to have a couple of wines. You're having a party, you have some reds, you have some white and you want to have a couple of wines. You're having a party, you have some reds, you have some white and you want to. You know, come in, it's pretty cheap. You get two or three of these things for under $20. And there you go. And they taste well.
Speaker 1:
4:53
It's dark and brooding, only $14.05 in the alcohol. I say only $14.05 because back in the glory days of Shiraz they would be 16 and 17. Sometimes they would be mad dog wines. Just took a sip. Yep, it's dark and it's brooding and it's cheap. And it's Shiraz from a very high-end growing region, from a wine company I can't find having any record of ever having their sold their wines in the US in this Hidden Hill estate. The only time I see this is for this Trader Joe's wine. So, at $5.99 I ain't taking a chance, but not much of one, and the chance will pay off. So, adios, keep it cheap. I think I'll get another wine in before Christmas and then after Christmas we'll get a couple of bubblies before the holiday, the New Year's Eve. So, adios, keep it cheap. If I don't talk to you, have a Merry Christmas and I'll be and stay warm. And again, keep it cheap. Adios, bye-bye.
