Cheap Wine Reviews

Sienna Glen Chardonnay 2016

The Sienna Glen Chardonnay 2016 is a $6.99 ALDI exclusive sourced from vineyards in more than one California grape growing AVA and produced for ALDI by a winery located in Hopland, Ca. If you Google “Hopland Ca wineries” you can figure out who made the Sienna Glen. The back label says some of the wine saw…

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California Roots Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

The California Roots Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 is a $5 Target exclusive sourced from vineyards located in more than one California grape growing AVA. California Roots is made for Target by Trinchero Family Estates whose wines include, Charles & Charles, Menage a Trois, Joel Gott, Folie a Duex, The Show, and 3 Thieves (along with many others),…

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Gambler’s Flash Paso Robles Red Table Wine

The Gambler’s Flash Paso Robles Red Table Wine is a non-vintage $6.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive sourced from grapes grown in the Paso Robles AVA inside the Central Coast AVA of California. The back label says this is a proprietary blend which is a polite way of saying, “we ain’t telling what’s in the mix.” In Europe…

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The Guild of Fermentation Fanatics Coonawarra Shiraz 2016

The Guild of Fermentation Fanatics Coonawarra Shiraz 2016 is a $8.99 ALDI import wine sourced from the Coonawarra region of the Limestone Coast district in southern central South Australia. The Guild of Fermentation Fanatics are the winemakers for Kingston Wine Estates of Australia who banded together to produce their own wine brand. This Shiraz (Shiraz and…

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Hahn GSM Central Coast 2016

The Hahn GSM Central Coast 2016 is a blend of 71% Grenache (mainly from vineyards in the Arroyo Secco AVA), 22% Syrah (mainly from vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA), and 7% Mourvedre sourced from vineyards in the San Benito AVA, the Contra Costa AVA, and the Paso Robles AVA, all inside the Central Coast…

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Lagaria Pinot Grigio 2015

The Lagaria Pinot Grigio 2015 is sourced from vineyards in the Val Lagarina (Lagarina Valley) in the Venezie district of northwest Italy. You may have noticed that many of the Italian Pinot Grigio on store shelves come from the Alto Adige area of Venezie, the Adige is a large river that runs thru this region and…

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Velvet Moon Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

The Velvet Moon Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive sourced from grapes grown in more than one California grape growing AVA. The Velvet Moon Cabernet is part of a line of wines with “Moon” in the title made for TJ’s by a leading Lodi, Ca. winery. They feature well-known grape varietals and sell…

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Chariot Gypsy Red 2014

The Chariot Gypsy Red 2014 is a $4.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive sourced from vineyards in more than one California grape growing AVA. The blend for this wine changes from year to year and TJ’s mentions Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah along with other “secret” grapes. The Chariot Gypsy Red has sold for $4.99 at Trader…

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ALDI Exquisite Collection Mendoza Malbec 2016

The ALDI Exquisite Collection Mendoza Malbec 2016 is a $6.99 ALDI exclusive sourced from vineyards in the Mendoza region located in the foothills of the Andes in central western Argentina. Mendoza is responsible for 75% of the wine being produced in Argentina. When you see Mendoza as the source location on the front wine label, that…

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Korbel Russian River Valley Natural 2013

The Korbel Russian River Valley Natural 2013 is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay with 75% of the grapes grown in Korbel estate vineyards in the Russian River AVA inside the Sonoma County AVA in Northern California.  This is a vintage dated wine, most Bubbly in this price range (around $16) are non-vintage wines, using wine…

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Michael David Sixth Sense Syrah 2015

The Michael David Sixth Sense Syrah 2015 is Syrah with a little bit of Petite Sirah added, grown in vineyards in the Lodi AVA, which is south and east of Napa Valley. The Michael David in the title are the Phillips brothers, they are the 5th generation of Phillips to work these lands (the 6th generation…

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Famille Perrin Cotes du Rhone Villages 2015

The Famille Perrin Cotes du Rhone Villages 2015 is a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah grown in “Villages” designated vineyards in the southern Rhone region of France, south of Switzerland and west of the Italian border. In the Cotes du Rhone AOC in terms of perceived quality, the lowest designation is simply Cotes du Rhone…

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William Wright Artist Series Red Wine Blend 2015

The William Wright Artist Series Red Wine Blend 2015 is I believe a $9.99 ALDI exclusive, produced from 65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Zinfandel, and 2% Syrah grown in vineyards in the Monterey AVA below San Francisco and inside the Central Coast AVA. William Wright wines are produced by Scheid Winery, Monterey, Ca. who produce…

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Trader Joe’s Reserve North Coast Brut Rose’

The Trader Joe’s Reserve North Coast Brut Rose’ is a $9.99 limited edition Trader’ Joe’s exclusive produced from a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier grown in vineyards in the North Coast AVA which includes Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, and Lake County, all of which are north of San Francisco in Northern California. The TJ’s Reserve…

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Scarlet Path Lodi Zinfandel 2014

The Scarlet Path Lodi Zinfandel 2014 is a $7.99 ALDI exclusive. Lodi is south and east of Napa County with most of the vineyards planted in the Delta region which is a series of river valleys coming from the San Francisco Bay and ending at the Sierra  Nevada foothills. This area is 100 miles inland and…

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Fluteau Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne

The Fluteau Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne is 100% Pinot Noir grown in a single Estate vineyard in the Côte des Bar  district of Aube in the southernmost section of Champagne which is located in northeast France. This Bubbly is known as a Grower/Producer Champagne which indicates that the family that owned the vineyard and grew the…

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Apothic Sparkling Winemaker’s Blend

The Apothic Sparkling Winemaker’s Blend is a limited release, non-vintage Sparkling wine sourced from vineyards in California. Apothic is one of E & J Gallo (largest family owned winery in the US) multitude of wine labels. The Apothic Sparkling, $12 in Chicago and for some reason $23 on Amazon wine, this is I believe the first…

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Espelt Old Vines Garnacha 2015

The Espelt Old Vines Garnacha 2015 is sourced from Estate, family owned, 95 year old, certified organic Garnacha vineyards (Grenache and Garnacha are the same grape, one is the French word the other is the Spanish term) located in the steep hillsides of the Emporda DO in the far Northeast corner of Spain, next to the French…

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CWF Jaco’s Warning! Frieza and His 1000 Troops Approach

Frieza plans his revenge against Goku and Earth, but when he learns how strong Goku has become, he begins training. After four months, he’s finally ready to attack, and only the warning of his arrival from a new ally can prepare our heroes!

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Novellum Chardonnay 2016

The Novellum Chardonnay 2016 is one of Eric Solomon’s European Cellars Selection family of wines, produced by Domaine Lafage in the Côtes Catalanes district of the Roussillon growing region along the Mediterranean Ocean near the French border with Spain. Mentioning the importer is especially important with wines from France, Italy, and Spain, because the leading importers, in…

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Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Yountville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

The Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Yountville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Lot 74 is a $14.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive, Yountville is one of the 16 sub-AVA’s inside Napa Valley. The typical Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon is a cellar worthy wine that sells for $50 and up, so is this a $50 wine that somehow is priced at…

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Ernest Rapeneau Brut Champagne Trader Joe’s

The Ernest Rapeneau Brut Champagne is a $10.99 Trader Joe’s import Bubbly (this is a half bottle, 375 ml, standard bottles are 750 ml), this is a blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay grown in vineyards thru-out the Champagne AOC. Ernest Rapeneau is a 2nd generation, family owned Champagne House founded in…

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Clos du Bois Lightly Effervescent Chardonnay 2016

The Clos du Bois Lightly Effervescent Chardonnay 2016 is sourced from vineyards in more than one California grape growing AVA. The “Lightly Effervescent” in the title indicates this Chardonnay has some bubbles, it’s not a full-on Sparkling wine/Bubbly, bit it does bubble up your glass (they recommend a regular White wine glass, no fancy stems are…

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Barrel Road Bourbon Barrel Red Blend 2015

The Barrel Road Bourbon Barrel Red Blend 2015, they keep which grapes in the blend to themselves, the label says California which means no one AVA comprised 75% of the grapes, but the grapes came from vineyards in the Central Coast AVA, the Sonoma County AVA, Lake County AVA, and the Yolo County AVA (the end…

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Bervini 1955 Prosecco Millesimato 2016 Extra Dry

The Bervini 1955 Prosecco Millesimato 2016 Extra Dry is produced from Glera grapes estate grown in the Prosecco DOC region inside the Veneto Friuli Grave district of far northeast Italy. Bervini 1955 is a wine estate run by 3 generations of the Bergamo family who founded the winery in…1955. The Millesimato in the title indicates that this is…

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