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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Send us Fan Mail Trader Joe’s Grower’s Reserve Organic Red 2024 I am always amazed at how cheap wine can be in 2026. CWF started in 2008, and 6 Buck wines were a horror show. Today, going cheap is painless. Value-priced wine drinkers rejoice! Check us out at http://www.cheapwinefinder.com or email us at [email protected] SPEAKER_00…
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The Trader Joe’s Grower’s Reserve Organic Red 2024 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It is produced for Trader Joe’s by ASV Wines. The Story ASV Wines seems to be the current supplier of Trader Joe’s Grower’s Reserve line of organic wine. They are a producer located in the Monterey AVA and make wine with…
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Send us Fan Mail 19 Crimes Cali Red-Snoop & Tupac This wine is Snoop Dogg’s tribute to Tupac. It is an easy-drinking California Red blend. On March 10th, 19 Crimes will release Snoop’s tribute to Tupac. This review was released on March 9th. The wine is a smooth, tasty California Red Blend. But fans will…
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The 19 Crimes Cali Red-Snoop & Tupac, full name 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted, is a wine I found for $11.99. The bottle has a scan code (available March 10) for Snoops’s interactive tribute to Tupac. The Story The 19 Crimes Cali Red-Snoop & Tupac is a limited edition wine. The official release is March…
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The Bread & Butter Chardonnay 2024 is a wine I found on sale at a local wine store for $7, but is more likely to be found selling between $12 and $15. The Story Bread & Butter Chardonnay is a brand from WX Brands whose wines include Chronic Cellars and Trapiche (Argentina). Bread & Butter…
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The Big Churn Chardonnay 2024 is a Trader Joe’s exclusive, available for $6.99. It is produced for Trader Joe’s by Fior di Sole, a Napa-based wine company. The Story Fior di Sole has been producing the Big Churn Chardonnay since at least the 2015 vintage, and it has kept the $6.99 price tag the whole…
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The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Paso Robles Meritage 2023 is a $12.99 TJ’s exclusive. This wine was produced for Trader Joe’s by Bozzano & Company. The Story Bozzano & Co has produced multiple wines for Trader Joe’s and is a large maker of custom wines. Trader Joe’s also released the Trader Joe’s Reserve (no grand)…
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Send us Fan Mail Josh Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 This is a special edition wine; the current Josh Cabernet Sauvignon is a California wine. Lodi is a unique AVA in California, not a coastal or a mountain AVA bur a Mediterranean AVA that has more in common with Italy than California. Well, if Italy got…
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The Josh Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is $10.89 at Costco. The .89 price indicates this is a special discount wine from the manufacturer, and this wine once typically sold for between $15 and $20. The Story The Josh line of wines is part of Joseph Carr Wines (started in 2007) as a tribute to his…
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Send us Fan Mail Napa Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 This is a Trader Joe's wine from a long-time supplier, DNA Cellars. That stands for Dennis and Andrea, who have been in the California wine industry for decades. The California wine industry has taken a downturn, and there is an excess of quality wine available. DNA…
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The Rural Mendocino Pinot Noir 2023 is a wine available at Costco for $13.99. It is an excellent price, as most internet retailers charge between $29 and $25. The Story Rural Mendocino Pinot Noir is a label from Masüt Vineyard and Winery, which is operated by the Fetzer Brothers in the Eagle Pass AVA near…
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The Flora and Stone Cabernet Sauvignon is a $6.99 Aldi wine. It is a non-vintage wine made by some division of Fetzer Wines, Mendocino California. The Story Fetzer makes affordable wines and is a certified B Corporation. Here is a quote from the Fetzer website, As a Certified B Corp, we are committed to caring…
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The Aldi Scarlet Path Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel 2023 sells for $6.79, which is the cheapest it has been, and we have reviewed every vintage since 2020. It is produced for Aldi by a large sustainably farmed family-owned winery from Monterey, California. The Story There is no legal definition of “Old Vines.” It is generally…
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The Harken Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2024 is a wine I found at Trader Joe’s for $12.99, which may be slightly higher than other wine sellers. Harken is a brand from O’Neill Wines. The Story The main point of interest for the Harken Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2024 is the barrel fermentation. Both the initial fermentation and…
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The Trader Joe’s Diamond Reserve Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a $19.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The back label informs us that this wine was cellared and bottled by Isolated Cellars of Napa, California. The Story Cellared and bottled by means just that. They didn’t have a hand in the farming of the grapes or the…
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Send us Fan Mail Aldi's Mark Hill Pinot Noir 2023 This is a $7.89 California Pinot Noir. It is a little spicy for me, but a cheese plate or some munchees will balance it out. A very sippable, very inexpensive Pinot Noir if you prepare properly. Check us out at http://www.cheapwinefinder.com or email us at…
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The Aldi’s Mark Hill Pinot Noir 2023 is a $7.89 exclusive to Aldi. This is a wine made from some entity of Trinchero Family Wine and Spirits. The Story The 2023 vintage has a new label; the previous vintages had labels reminiscent of Mark West Pinot Noir. The Mark West Pinot Noir (E&J Gallo) had…
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The Momentum Legacy Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a $14.99 wine sold at Trader Joe’s. It was bottled by Momentum Wines in Napa, California. The Story Momentum Wines is part of the Fior di Sole winery, which is located along the Silverado Trail east of Route 29 in Napa Valley. It is interesting that the…
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Send us Fan Mail Mumm Sparkling Brut Prestige (2025) GH Mumm has been in Champagne for almost 200 years, and Mumm has been in California for over 50 years. That kind of Sparkling wine know-how is hard to find. Mumm's style is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with the Pinot slightly in the…
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The Mumm Sparkling Brut Prestige (2025) is a wine I found on sale, selling for $8.99. GH Mumm has been a French Champagne House since 1827 and has had a California outpost since the 1970s. The Story Mumm has been in Napa and Sonoma for 50 years. Their Estate vineyard is located in Carneros, where…
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The Stringtown Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2023 is a wine I found selling for $13.99; the typical price is more toward $20. The Story The wine industry had declining sales in 2024 and 2025. I read that 40,000 acres of vines have been pulled up in California. There is a surplus of wine, and prices…
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The Trader Joe’s Reserve North Coast Brut Rosé (2025) is a $9.99 wine available year-round. It is produced by Rack and Riddle for Trader Joe’s. The Story The Trader Joe’s Reserve North Coast Brut Rosé (2025) is a Sparkling wine that has been available at Trader Joe’s for the last couple of years. We reviewed…
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