The Aldi Bear Bros Reserve North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a $12.99 Aldi exclusive. The California Wine COLA registry says that Sutter Home had a hand in producing this wine, The Story Sutter Home has been in Napa Valley for about 140 years. Today, they produce mainly value-priced wine, but they do have some…
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Send us Fan Mail Aldi Bear Bros Reserve North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 California has no legal definition of Reserve wine, but it typically denotes a wine that is a cut above. The North Coast is Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake County, and Napa Valley. Not bad places to source grapes. This 2023 vintage is a little…
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The Brisall Albariño 2025 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. According to Google AI, it is a brand from the Spanish Cava producer Codorníu. The Story Albariño wines are best known from the west coast of Northern Spain and Portugal. These are crisp, flavorful wines and among the best White grapes of Spain. The…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Brisall Albariño 2025 Albariño is the White wine of Spain’s and Portugal’s Western Atlantic coasts. This $7.99 Albariño is from Spain’s east coast. Not being from the prime location gives this wine bargain status. While Albariño is not too pricey, eight bucks from TJ’s is a bargain. Albariño is a White…
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The Aldi Specially Selected Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024 is an $11.99 Aldi exclusive, produced for them by an entity of Precept Wine & Spirit. The Story About a year ago, in September 2025, Aldi released a Specially Selected Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024 with a different label; it was $12.99 (a dollar more and…
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Send us Fan Mail Aldi Specially Selected Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024 Aldi’s 2025 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is a 2024 vintage. The new 2026 wine is a Specially Selected Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024. Different wine, but same vintage. A year more aging and a dollar less. Why didn’t Aldi separate this wine from…
Read MoreThe Compass Bridge Sonoma Chardonnay 2024 is a $9 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It appears to be produced by Delicato/Coppola Wines. The Story The back label reads ” Vinted and bottled by Compas Bridge,” Manteca and Geyserville, California. Manteca (Lodi AVA) is the home of Delicato Family Vineyards, and Geyserville is the home of Coppola Wines….
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Compass Bridge Sonoma Chardonnay 2024 Wine has changed; California has changed! Just because last year’s wine had perfect conditions does not mean this year’s wine has the same. Trader Joe’s, in the past, may have had five to ten new wines a month. Those times are gone. Each vintage needs to…
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The Dearly Beloved Lodi Red Blend 2024 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s wine. This is a wine that Trader Joe’s has offered since at least 2010. The Story This wine looks to have had several producers over the years; Precept appears to be responsible lately. The grapes have been sourced from Mendocino, the Central Coast,…
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Send us Fan Mail Dearly Beloved Lodi Red Blend 2024 This is the now-famous Trader Joe’s Day of the Dead Skull wine. It has been available at Trader Joe’s for about 15 years or more. This is the wine with the silk-screened, flowered skull! Over the years, the grapes have been sourced from Mendocino, the…
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The Underwood Oregon Pinot Gris 2023 is a wine I found for $12.99. It is a brand from the Union Wine Company. The Story Underwood is their brand that produces very good, affordable wine from all over Oregon, not just the Willamette Valley. The Underwood Oregon Pinot Gris, the 2024 vintage, is sourced from 81%…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Underwood Oregon Pinot Gris 2023 Ok, Ok, so Oregon Pinot Gris has nothing in common with New Orleans Voodoo culture! Except they are both pretty cool. This is an affordable, tasty Oregon White wine that sips great. Gris is French for grey, and Grigio is Italian for grey, and it refers…
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The Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2024 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s wine, produced and bottled by (that means they made it) Bozzano and Company. The Story Bozzano & Company is a wine company based in the Central Coast AVA of California. They have made many wines for Trader Joe’s. Check out their…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2024 This is a value-priced Pinot Noir that I have enjoyed for several vintages. I never knew I liked Santa Barbara Pinot Noir and Chardonnay until Trader Joe’s started offering these wines at value prices. Buying at full price would never have given me…
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The TraderJoe’s Platinum Reserve Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a $17.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The Story The back label mentions that this wine was cellared and bottled by Isolated Cellars, Napa. They are the Negociant (according to Google Ai)arm of Navigator Wine, formerly Precept. A negociant is a wine company that purchases surplus wine…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail TraderJoe’s Platinum Reserve Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 Stags Leap District is a very exclusive AVA. Value-priced wines are definitely not the norm. One of the wineries won the Judgment of Paris award for Cabernet Sauvignon in 1976! These wines are the real deal. And now, in 2026, these wines can…
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The Kirkland Signature Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 is a wine currently available at Costco, selling for $19.99. Costco has offered this wine (different vintages in the past), and this is the lowest price in several years. The Story The back label says this Cabernet Sauvignon was cellared and bottled by D C Fynt…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Kirkland Signature Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 This is a Kirkland wine that has been around since 2014; they have a stable supplier from Stags Leap AVA The reason they say Stags Leap District is because Stags Leap Winery has a worldwide reputation, and they do not want to make…
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The Renwood Amador County Old Vine Zinfandel 2023 is selling for $7.99 at Costco and in the $ 15-plus range elsewhere. The Story Amador County wine country is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and this is where the Gold Rush occurred. It is east of Napa and north and east of Lodi….
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Renwood Amador County Old Vine Zinfandel 2023 This is the $7.99 Costco Renwood Zin. The podcast has a story about Renwood. There have been major changes recently. Renwood, in spite of the changes, is still a remarkable wine. Amador County still makes excellent Zinfandel. This is a bargain; find out why!…
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The Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Brut Cuvée is a wine I found on sale for $8, while the going internet price is closer to $20. The Story Kendall-Jackson is a family-owned wine company in business since 1982, and it has a truly impressive brand portfolio. Click on the link; they have a wine for every price…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Brut Cuvée This is a Bubbly that sells in the $20 range that I found at a sale price of $7.99. I was very happy. This is a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and French Colombard blend made with the Charmat Method. This is not a cookie-cutter Bubbly; it has…
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The Revelation Pays D’Oc Chardonnay 2024 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s import wine. The producer was Badet, Clement & Co., which later changed their name to Delaunay Vins and Domaines. The Story Delaunay is a family-owned wine business run by a husband-and-wife team. They are known for their progress and modern wine production. Pays D’Oc…
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Send us Fan Mail Revelation Pays D’Oc Chardonnay 2024 A French IPG wine from a family-owned winery (since 1995). It has a little oak seasoning and maybe some malolactic fermentation. All good things for a $7.99 French Chardonnay. IGP wines are made to be affordable; they are the wines that the average French wine drinker…
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The Bread & Butter California Pinot Noir 2024 is a wine I found at Trader Joe’s selling for $11.99, though it is available elsewhere in the $12 to $16 range. The Story Bread and Butter is a brand from WX Brands whose portfolio includes Chronic Cellars and Trapiche (Argentina). It is a full line of…
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