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…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Paso Robles Meritage 2023 There is a Trader Joe's Reserve Paso Robles Meritage 2023 ($9.99), and I didn't know what the difference was between that and the Grand Reserve. Turns out the Grand Reserve was aged in French oak for 22 months, just like the expensive wines…
Read More
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)…
Read More
The Napa Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 s $9.99 at Trader Joe’s. It is Cellared and Bottled by DnA Cellars, who are long-time suppliers of popular and tasty value Trader Joe’s wines. The Story To Cellar and Bottle a wine means that the barrels and tanks are kept in storage for an unspecified time, and then…
Read More
The Aldi Landkastel Mosel Riesling 2024 is a $6.99 Aldi exclusive. Aldi owns the trademark to the Landkastel name, but a winery named St. Gisbertus is mentioned on the back label. The Story Mosel in Germany is the premier Riesling growing region in the world; some say it is the greatest wine region over Napa,…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Trader Joe's Reserve Meritage Paso Robles 2023 A Bordeaux blend with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, and Malbec. All sourced from vineyards in the Paso Robles AVA. It has some oak conditioning with flavors of chocolate, vanilla, and spice on display. A wine with dark fruit, but balanced….
Read More
The Trader Joe’s Reserve Meritage Paso Robles 2023 is a $9.99 wine from Trader Joe’s. The back label indicates that it was produced and bottled by Barrel 29 Wine Company, which had previously been a label of McPrice Myers Winery, also located in Paso Robles. The Story The Barrel 27 brand was founded in 2002…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail A single sip of Wente Morning Fog Central Coast Chardonnay 2023 tells a bigger story—one about a 140-year family legacy, a game-changing clone, and the craft behind a clean, vanilla-tinged style that wins without the heavy butter. We open the bottle and trace Wente’s roots in Livermore, where the family helped…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Ever wondered if a $12.99 bottle could deliver the experience of a premium regional wine? Our latest deep dive proves that exceptional wine doesn’t always come with an exceptional price tag. The Willamette Valley has earned its reputation as one of the world’s finest Pinot Noir regions, with bottles typically starting…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Ever had a wine that stops you mid-sip and makes you think, “Wait, what’s happening here?” That’s exactly what Seek to Find Central Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2023 did to me. Found at Trader Joe’s for just $7.99, this isn’t your typical budget Sauvignon Blanc – it’s a thoughtful departure from the…
Read More
The Seek to Find Central Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is sold at Trader Joe’s for $7.99. It was made for Trader Joe’s by a branch of Treana wines, which is a brand owned by Hope Family Wines from Paso Robles in California’s Central Coast. The Story Hope Family Wines is an excellent family-owned winery that…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder what happens when a prestigious Napa Valley winery known for $100+ Cabernets creates an affordable white wine? Pine Ridge’s Chenin Blanc Viognier blend shatters expectations at just $11.99, delivering complexity and refinement that punches well above its modest price tag. This delightful anomaly in Pine Ridge’s portfolio combines 80%…
Read More
The Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier 2024 is a wine I found selling for $10.99 at a local wine shop. Pine Ridge Vineyards is a Napa Valley winery in the Stags Leap district. They typically produce Bordeaux-inspired wines, so this White wine is not typical of their wine program. The Story Pine Ridge Vineyards is…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Remember when a single movie line about hating Merlot crashed an entire wine category overnight? The Velvet Devil Merlot stands as a delicious counterargument to that infamous Sideways moment, proving that Columbia Valley Merlot deserves your attention. This $10 wonder from Charles Smith Wines delivers remarkable complexity for its price point….
Read More
The Velvet Devil Merlot 2022 is a wine I found selling for $9.99 at a local wine shop. This wine was vinted and bottled by Charles Smith Wines, but Charles Smith has not owned this brand for years. The Story Charles Smith Wines were massive hits in the 2010s. He made 100-point $100 wines and…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered if you could find a genuinely good bottle of wine for just $10? In this episode, we uncork a surprising discovery from Trader Joe’s – their Reserve Paso Robles Grenache 2023, produced by one of the most respected winemaking families in California’s Central Coast. The Beckett family, founders of…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail What happens when traditional French winemaking techniques meet California innovation at a price point we can all afford? Pure magic in a glass. Ferrari Carano’s North Coast Fumé Blanc 2023 represents the pinnacle of value white wine, scoring 92 points from top critics while remaining accessible at just $10.99. Most casual…
Read More
The Ferrari-Carano North Coast Fume Blanc 2023 is a wine I found for $10.99, and it received 92 points from a major wine critic. The Story Ferrari-Carano was founded in 1981 by Don and Rhonda Carano. It is a beautiful estate in Northern Sonoma, and they produced consistently excellent wines. After Don Carano passed away…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Discovering exceptional wine values is always exciting, especially when they come from unexpected places. The Sunshine Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023 from the Columbia Valley of Oregon represents exactly this kind of delightful surprise – a $14.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive that punches well above its weight class. What makes this Pinot…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Mount Fishtail Surly Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 offers a unique twist on New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc by using Bordeaux clones and French sur lie aging techniques. Available at Costco for $12.69, this family-owned winery produces a wine that’s distinctly different from 99% of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs on the market. •…
Read More
The Mount Fishtail Sur Lie Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is a wine I found for $12.69 at Costco. A price with a decimal point of 0.69 indicates that the manufacturer is offering this product at a special price. A quick check of the web found this wine selling in a range of $13 to $15….
Read More
The Trader Joe’s Diamond Reserve Rutherford Meritage 2022 is an exclusive, $19.99 offering available only at Trader Joe’s. This wine was produced and bottled by (that means they made it) 1542 ACE, which is a label from Miura Vineyards, a project from a Master Sommelier, Emmanuel Kemiji. The Story Miura and 1542 ACE typically deal…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail We taste and review Trader Joe’s Super Happy Sauvignon Blanc 2023, a $9.99 exclusive made by acclaimed Paso Robles winemaker Field Recordings from Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara grapes. • Field Recordings proprietor Andrew Jones specializes in finding forgotten vineyards and transforming them into unique wines• Happy Canyon is the easternmost…
Read More
The Super Happy Sauvignon Blanc 2023 appears to be a Trader Joe’s exclusive, priced at $9.99. This wine is made from grapes grown in the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara. The Story The Super Happy Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is produced by Field Recordings, a well-regarded winery from Paso Robles. Field Recordings is Andrew Jones, who…
Read More
Send us Fan Mail Uncorking a genuine bargain that punches well above its price tag, we delve into the surprising quality of Trader Joe’s exclusive Raorao Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023. At just $5.99, this New Zealand white delivers the vibrant character and complexity you’d expect from bottles twice the price. The moment you pour this…
Read More