Send us Fan Mail Hess Select California Chardonnay 2024 This is a Chardonnay sourced from all over California. 30% of the juice was both fermented and aged in French oak barrels. Hess has been around since the late 70s, so they have great contacts for purchasing grapes. All that combines to produce an excellent value-priced…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Josh Reserve Bourbon Barrel Zinfandel 2021 Bourbon barrels are charred. Wine Barrels are toasted. Bourbon barrel flavors can overpower wine, unless handled properly. The bourbon flavors here are handled in textbook fashion! Barrel flavors are not everything in wine. But they do add texture and flavor. These wines are fun to…
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The Josh Reserve Bourbon Barrel Zinfandel 2021 is a wine that lists for $21.99, but I found it on sale for $9.99. The Story The Josh reserve wines are the top-tier wines and are part of the bourbon barrel-aged series. Joseph Carr created the Josh brand in 2006 in honor of his father. I have…
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Send us Fan Mail Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 You have heard of Kim Crawford. He sold his brand in 2003, but it is still going strong. In 2006, Kim and Erica Crawford started Loveblock Winery. I think it was originally a sheep farm. Today, the vineyards are certified organic, sustainable, and vegan-friendly. And the…
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The Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a wine I found selling for about $15. It is from Kim Crawford, yes, that Kim Crawford. The Story The Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 typically scores 90+ points from wine reviewers. Kim and Erica Crawford, she handles the vineyard, he does the winemaking, sold Kim Crawford wines…
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Send us Fan Mail Côté Mas Sauvignon Blanc Vermentino 2024 This is a one-liter bottle, not the usual .750 of a liter, so you get a little extra. I usually don’t want the extra in liter bottles, but I’m happy to accept it here. Vermentino is an Italian wine that is not unlike Sauvignon Blanc….
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The Côté Mas Sauvignon Blanc Vermentino 2024 is a wine I found at Trader Joe’s, selling for $11.99. Trader Joe’s price is in the ballpark with prices from other stores. The Story Côté Mas is Jean-Claude Mas of Domaine Paul Mas. The family has had vineyards since the 1890s, but more recently Jean-Claude has brought…
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Send us Fan Mail Trader Joe’s Brut California Sparkling Wine This is an $8.99 Trader Joe’s Bubbly that is well-made and full of flavor. Mother’s Day is approaching, and Spring Bubbly cocktails time is upon us! Pouring supermarket orange juice into an expensive Champagne seems excessive. But the Trader Joe’s Brut California Sparkling Wine calls…
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The Trader Joe’s Brut California Sparkling Wine is an $8.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It is produced by Rack and Riddle who make most of TJ’s California Bubbly. The Story The Trader Joe’s Brut California Sparkling Wine is not a Reserve or Grand Reserve wine, but a plain old Trader Joe’s wine. We already have North…
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Send us Fan Mail Bear Bros California Chardonnay 2024 Another wine in Aldi’s Bear Bros line of California wines. All well under ten bucks. His wine was not my favorite, but you may have a different opinion. I thought it had too much vanilla, but you may think it was just right. Check us out…
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The Bear Bros California Chardonnay 2024 is a $7.55 Aldi exclusive. Aldi owns the Trademark on the name and has had different wineries make each Bear Bros vintage. The Story The Bear Bros California Chardonnay 2024 looks like it was produced by a division of Trinchero Family Wines and Sutter Home. Trinchero Family is a…
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Send us Fan Mail 90+ Cellars DOC Prosecco Lot 50 This Prosecco really sips well. Balanced acidity and delicious flavors, all for around $10 to $12. Please check out the Podcast for info on 90+ Cellars; they are legit and an excellent source of top-value priced wine. Good, cheap Bubbly is always welcome! Check us…
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The 90+ Cellars DOC Prosecco Lot 50 is a Sparkling wine I found selling for around $10. It is a Bubbly sourced from vineyards near the town of Salgareda in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. The Story 90+ Cellars started its business by purchasing excess wine from established, highly rated wineries. It is common…
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Send us Fan Mail Ruta 49 Albarino 2024 This is a wine from a family-owned winery in Northwest Spain, the traditional home of the Albariño grape. This wine sells for $9.99 at Trader Joe’s but is often twice as much in palces trader Joe’s does not serve. Albarino is one of the great White wines…
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The Ruta 49 Albarino 2024 is selling for $9.99 at Trader Joe’s and between $15 and $20 in areas not served by a Trader Joe’s store. The Story The Ruta 49 Albarino 2024 is a wine produced by Viña Cartín, a family-owned winery in the Rías Baixas wine region in Northwest Spain. This is the…
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Send us Fan Mail Honey Moon Viognier 2024 Viognier is a Northern Rhone Valley (France) blending grape. It has a very fragrant scent and excellent natural acidity. It can help both Red and White wines that need a little boost. But when you put a chill on it, it makes a seriously good summer wine….
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The Honey Moon Viognier 2024 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive; it has kept the $5.99 price since at least the 2019 vintage. The Story The Honey Moon Viognier 2024 is produced for Trader Joe’s by some faction of Delicato Family Wines, which also makes Gnarly Head and recently purchased Coppola Wines. They make the…
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Send us Fan Mail Chasing Rain Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 This is a legitimate twenty-dollar wine. I found it to be a ten-dollar wine. The wine industry is down, and there are bargains to be had! This wine was reviewed as a bargain at $20. At ten dollars, it is a revelation. Check us…
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The Chasing Rain Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a wine that has been selling for $20, but I found it for $10. It is produced by winemaker Joshua Maloney. The Story The Chasing Rain Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a wine that has sold for between $20 and $25 and was considered a…
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Send us Fan Mail Cambalala Chenin Blanc 2025 This is a South African Chenin Blanc that hits well above its price tag. Chenin Blanc is a versatile wine not unlike Chardonnay. This young Chenin Blanc is delicious. Aldi hit a home run with this budget-priced white wine. These wines sell out fast, so if you…
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The Cambalala Chenin Blanc 2025 is a $5.99 Aldi wine from the West Cape growing area of South Africa. The Story The Western Cape wine region comprises almost all of South Africa’s wine country. The leading White grape cultivated there is Chenin Blanc. Chenin Blanc is best known as originating in the Loire Valley of…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Kirkland Signature Russian River Pinot Noir 2024 There have been several vintages of this wine offered by Costco, and they have differed from year to year. A top winemaker made this wine, and the grapes are of good quality. I think this is more of a food wine than a sipping…
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The Kirkland Signature Russian River Pinot Noir 2024, a $10.99 Costco exclusive. It is one dollar less expensive than past vintages. The Story This is more of an update than a new review. Here is a link to the CWF description of the 2023 vintage. The Kirkland Signature series of wines is similar to Trader…
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Send us Fan Mail Dry Creek Vineyards Sonoma Fume Blanc 2023 Fume Blanc goes back to the 60s and early 70s when folks didn’t want sweet Sauvignon Blanc. Robert Mondavi did a name change, and the rest is history. Please check out the podcast to understand why it is called Fume Blanc and why “meaning…
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The Dry Creek Vineyards Sonoma Fume Blanc 2023 is a wine I found selling for $12. Dry Creek Vineyards has been family-owned and operated since the early 1970’s. The Story The first thing I need to explain is what Fume Blanc is. The Sauvignon Blanc grape originated in France, and there are two types of…
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