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…
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The Trader Joe’s Reserve Paso Robles Grenache 2023 is a $9.99 wine available exclusively at Trader Joe’s stores. This wine was produced and bottled by the Beckett Family of Paso Robles. ” Produced and bottled” indicates that the listed producer fermented and aged a minimum of 75% of the wine. The Story The Beckett Family…
Read MoreSend us Fan Mail Have you ever discovered a wine that completely redefines what you can expect at its price point? That’s exactly what happened when I uncorked the Decoy Chardonnay 2023, a remarkable white wine that offers complexity and craftsmanship typically reserved for bottles costing twice as much. This surprisingly sophisticated Chardonnay showcases the…
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The Decoy Chardonnay 2023 is a wine I found selling for $14.99; Duckhorn has it listed for $20. Decoy is the entry-level wine brand (if a $20 wine can be called entry-level) for Duckhorn Winery. The Story Duckhorn Winery was founded in 1976 and was known for its Merlot. They had ten wine brands, which…
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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…
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The Trader Joe’s Grower’s Reserve Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is a $5.99 exclusive to Trader Joe’s. This certified organic wine is produced by ASV Vines on the Central Coast of California. The Story There is a wine truism: nobody goes through the time, effort, and expense to certify a less-than-top vineyard to organic specification. Young…
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The Motif Monterey Pinot Noir 2023 is a $4.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The Motif line of wines has been at TJ’s for the last 4 or 5 years, in the past they have offered a Red Hills AVA Cabernet Sauvignon, also selling for $4.99. The Story I checked with the California Wine Cola Registry, which…
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Send us Fan Mail Finding exceptional wine values under $10 feels like discovering buried treasure, and the Lazy Bones Paso Robles Cabernet Franc 2023 is exactly that kind of remarkable find. Available exclusively at Trader Joe’s for $7.99, this bottle consistently delivers quality that belies its modest price tag. What makes this wine special starts…
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The Lazy Bones Paso Robles Cabernet Franc 2023 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It is made for Trader Joe’s by the Miller Family Wine Company, who have been producing wine for Trader Joe’s for years. The Story The Miller family has been making wine sold at Trader Joe’s for at least 15 years, in…
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The Pinot Project 2022 is a wine I found at a local wine shop selling for $11.89. This is a project from famed wine importer Michael Skurnik. They focus exclusively on Pinot wine, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio (one from Italy and one from Washington, and a Rosé of Pinot Noir). The Story The Pinot Project…
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The Field Recordings Chenin 2024 is a wine I found at a local wine shop selling for $14.99. This Chenin land was sourced from three vineyards in the Central Coast AVA that were planted in the 1970s. The Story Field Recordings is a project by winemaker Andrew Jones. He was a Feldman who traveled the…
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Call me Domaine Dave. The Folly Of The Beast Pinot Noir 2022 is a Herman Melville/Moby Dick inspired wine sourced from fruit grown in California’s Central Coast AVA. I found it at a local wine store selling for $14.99. The Story Ryan Zotovich is the head winemaker for ABG Wines. He has worked for Palmina,…
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The Trader Joe’s Reserve Arroyo Seco Chardonnay 2023 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. Arroyo Seco AVA is located inside the Monterey AVA, which is inside the Central Coast AVA. The Story As a Trader Reserve wine, there aren’t production notes available, but there are a few paragraphs in the current Fearless Flyer. They mention…
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I found the Joel Gott California Sauvignon Blanc 2023, selling for $12.99. Joel and Sarah Gott founded the company in 1996, and it produces wine from grapes grown in California, Washington, Oregon, and New Zealand. The Joel Gott California Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a wine I found at a local grocery store selling for $12.99….
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The Chandon California Brut Rosé is a Sparkling Wine I found selling for $18.99 at Target. Chandon is the first French Champagne House to start a California outpost (1973). The Story Chandon, California, is the California winery of Moet & Chandon, founded 281 years ago. Both are now part of LVMH, a luxury brand company…
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The Fess Parker Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2023 sells for $14.49 at Costco which is about two bucks cheaper than most internet wine shops. Santa Barbara is at the southern end of the Central Coast AVA, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. The Fess Parker winery was founded in 1988. In the late 1950s and…
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The Slice Skin Contact White Wine 2023 is a $12 Trader Joe’s wine produced for them by Bozzano & Co. headquartered in the San Luis Obispo AVA of California’s Central Coast. This is a White wine blend with 24% Chenin Blanc, 18% Pinot Gris, 12% Colombard, 9% Xarel.lo, 8% Verdelho, 6% Vermentino, 3% Gewurztraminer, 3%…
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The Scarlet Path Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel 2022 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It was made for Aldi by a branch of a large, family-owned, organic winery located in the Monterey AVA of California’s Central Coast. Since this isn’t an organic wine, it seems they purchased the grapes from local Lodu growers. The Scarley…
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Send us Fan Mail Super Happy Happy Canyon AVA Red 2023-TJ's +Field Recording=Buy It! Field Recordings is a winery from San Luis Obispo from the winemaker Andrew Jones. He searches the Central Coast looking for abandoned or little-used vineyards. He has the know-how to revitalize this vineyard and have them produce amazing wine again. Happy…
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The Super Happy Happy Canyon AVA Red 2023 is a ten-buck Trader Joe’s exclusive. This Red is made by Field Recordings, an excellent winery in San Luis Obispo, inside Paso Robles. I searched the internet for information on this bottling and found nothing, leading me to believe it is only available at Trader Joe’s. Field…
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Send us Fan Mail Malene By Chamisal Vineyards Rosé 2023-Costco $12.99 Bargain Chamisal Vineyards has been in the Central Coast AVA for 51 years. Malene is their label for Rosé wines. This is a wine that sells for $15 to $21 elsewhere. This is a classy Rosé, it has depth and style. For more information…
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The Malene By Chamisal Vineyards Rosé 2023 is a wine selling for $12.99 at Costco and a check of the web found it listed for $15 to $22 with most prices on the higher end. Chamisal Vineyards was founded 51 years ago in the Central Coast AVA San Luis Obispo. They own multiple vineyards and…
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Send us Fan Mail Caretaker Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2022- Trader Joe's Excellent Pinot Noir! This is a $9.99 Pinot Noir from a sub-AVA of Santa Barbara County on the Central Coast of California. It is comprised of 3 Pinot Noir clones, Pommard, 2A, and 23. To find out why that is unique and…
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The Caretaker Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2022 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It is produced for them by the Miller Family Wine Company. The Miller Family has farmed in the Central Coast since 1871 and started their winery in 1973. They own the Central Coast Wine Warehouse, a specialty wine producer, that seemed…
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The Kenwood Sonoma Monterey Chardonnay 2019 is a wine that should be found selling for between $10 and $15. This brand from Pernod Ricard recently sold off their value-priced portfolio but kept Kenwood Vineyards. Kenwood Vineyards is a 160-year-old winery located in Sonoma that seems to be well worth visiting when tasting Sonoma. It has…
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