The Ruta 49 Rias Baixas Albariño 2023 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s import wine, it seems to be an exclusive since I did not see it available at other US retailers. Bogedas Vina Cartin produced this wine in the Rias Baixas DO of Galicia in northwest Spain. This is along the Atlantic Ocean north of…
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The Peaks & Tides Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2022 is a $12.99 Aldi exclusive. This is a brand that Aldi has every year. Here is a link to a review for the 2021 vintage. In the 2021 review, we identified the producer, but Aldi hid its tracks this time. Aldi owns the Brand name, that…
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The Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2019 is a $7.89 wine from Costco, it is available elsewhere for $10 to $14. The current vintage looks to be 2021 and it seems Costco got a deal on the close-out of the 2019 vintage. Penfolds may well be Australia’s leading winery, they produce the Grange which is…
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The La Galope Gascogne Rosé 2023 is a wine I found selling for $9.99 at a local supermarket, a web check showed this wine selling for an average of $13. Cascogne is located between the Pyrenees and the Atlantic Ocean in southwest France. This is designated a Comté Tolsan IGP wine which is one of…
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The Trader Joe’s Reserve Sonoma County Blanc de Blancs 2021 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. This wine is not to be confused with the Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve and Platinum Reserve Sonoma and North Coast Sparkling wines from the last two years. Blanc de Blancs translates to white from white meaning a Champagne or…
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The Acacia Carneros Pinot Noir 2020 sells for $12.99 at Costco and I have seen it at $35 but is more likely found for around $20. Acacia Vineyards was founded in the Carneros AVA in 1979 and was one of the first Pinot Noir wineries in the region. Acacia has changed ownership several times over…
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The Claude Manciat Bourgogne Chardonnay 2022 is $12.69 at Costco and $17 to $23 elsewhere. Bourgogne is what we call Burgundy, the home of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Claude Manciat is a family-owned winery founded in the 1890s, and today has 55 acres of vineyards around the region. This small winery does not have a…
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The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Santa Barbara GSM 2022 is a Trader Joe’s $12.99 exclusive. A GSM wine is the main blend from the Southern Rhone Valley in France. This blend is 42% Grenache, 395 Syrah, and 19% Mourvedre. The back label says this wine was produced and bottled, which means they made it, by…
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The Trader Joe’s Growers Reserve Organic Chardonnay 2023 is a Trader Joe’s $5.99 exclusive made from certified organic grapes farmed in California. The back label states this wine was vinted and bottled by ASV Wines. ASV Wines is a family-owned wine business with over 50 years of experience and started converting its vineyards to organic…
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The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Moulis-En-Modec Bordeaux 2022 is a $12.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. The Moulis-En-Modec is an AOC on the Left Bank in Bordeaux. The Left Bank is primarily, though not exclusively, a Cabernet Sauvignon growing region. Since Trader Joe’s does not provide details does not provide details on the making of this…
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The Raimat Organic Albarino 2022 is a wine produced by organic Estate vineyards in the Costers del Segre DO in Catalonia in eastern Spain. For some interesting facts about the Albarino grape check out Wine Folly. This is a wine I found at Trader Joe’s selling for $8.49 and a check on the Web showed…
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The Claire Patelin Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive produced from grapes grown in the Cote De Gascogne in southwest France. It was made for Trader Joe’s by LGI Wines a custom wine brand producer from France. Gascony is south of Bordeaux in the foothills of the Pyrenean mountains to the…
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The Scarlet Path Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel 2021 is a $7.99 exclusive wine at Aldi. It is produced by some segment of a large sustainably farmed family-owned vineyards and winery from Monterey California. They have a branch that makes contracted brands and several Aldi wines. Lodi is located in the Central Valley of California, and…
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The Field Recordings Freddo Paso Robles Sangiovese 2022 is a wine that lists $25, but I found it on sale for $16 (Binny’s). It is a blend of 79% Sangiovese, 16% Dolcetto, and 5% Valdiguié. Dolcetto is a grape from the Piedmont in Italy used to make sweet wines. Valdiguié is a grape from the…
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The Mark West Pinot Noir 2021 is the largest selling under $15 Pinot Noir for 15 years straight. It is a wine I found with a rebate for $4.99 but typically is priced for about ten bucks. Mark West Winery was founded in 1978 as a Pinot Noir-based company. They are now owned by E…
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The Kirkland Signature Single Vineyard Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is a $17,99 Costco exclusive. The single vineyard in question is the Suscol Vineyard in south Napa. Suscol is a native word meaning wet and green and is a popular location word in the area. The silk-screened label shows a map of the vineyard. the gold…
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The Starpointe Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2022 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s wine produced for them by DNA Cellars from grapes grown in the Yakima Valley of Washington. DNA Cellars is located in the Russian River AVA of Sonoma County, they produce their labels and an extensive list of private labels, such as Trader Joe’s or…
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The Kate Arnold Columbia Valley Riesling 2022 is a wine I found in Chicago selling for $11.99, a quick check of the web saw prices from $10 to $15. Kate Arnold Wines is a family-owned winery located in Kelseyville, Ca. in Lake County. Kate and Jean Arnold are co-owners, they feature a Sauvignon from the…
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The Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot sourced from several Northern and Central California AVAs. decoy is a second label from Duckhorn Vineyards, founded by Dan and Margret Duckhorn in Napa in 1976, and has been an elite winery ever since. This is very intentionally sourced wine the AVAs include…
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The Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Cachapoal Valley Red Blend 2021 is $14.99 at Trader Joe’s. This Red Blend is not exclusive to Trader Joe’s since the same wine sells under a different label for about $35. There were a few clues to the origin of this bottle, the bottle is a very heavy Napa-style. The…
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The Delicious Monster White 2023 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s US exclusive. McGregor Winery (established in 1948) produced this wine from grapes grown in the Robertson Valley of South Africa. It is one of their portfolio wines and not a wine made specifically for Trader Joe’s/ The McGregor website showed the selling price as 83…
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The Maison Barboulot Cinsault Rosé 2023 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive, they also sell the Maison Barboulot Cabernet/Syrah. This Vin de Pays/IGP wine is a step below the French AOC-designated wines. These wines are representative of the region but are grown and produced to less stringent standards, which is not a problem with…
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The Vignobles Lacheteau Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. Vignobles Lacheteteau oversees several Chateaus and Domaines, has 1,270 acres of vines, and is part of the CGF Wine Group. Touraine is an AOP and a large district in the Loire Valley of France. Chinon is the best-known village inside Touraine….
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The Florifity French Rosé 2023 is a $7.99 Aldi USA exclusive. This wine is produced by Ethical Wine Company a French wine company that specializes in sustainable and certified vineyard and winery practices. They use recycled material for their packaging, recycle what they use, and are carbon neutral. The Florifity French Rosé 2023 is something…
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The Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay 2020 is 100% Chardonnay sourced from vineyards in several AVAs in the Columbia Valley of Washington. Chateau Ste Michelle was founded in 1967 when it was known as St Michelle Vintners. They are the largest winery in the Columbia Valley with 3,500 acres of vines planted. The back…
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