The Cotillion Pinot Noir 2022 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive wine that has been available since at least the 2013 vintage. Plata Wine Partners produces this Pinot Noir for Trader Joe’s under its Ashford Court winery label. The Story Plata Partners (founded in 2025) has 60 vineyards with over 18,000 acres of vines. Grapes…
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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 Kolbie California Brut Sparkling Wine is a $7.99 Aldi exclusive. This Bubbly is produced by the Rack and Riddle facility in Geyserville, California. The Story Rack and Riddle is a custom Sparkling wine producer with locations in Sonoma and Lodi. It is a large operation that can produce all types of Sparkling wines. Rack…
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The Starpointe Yakima Valley Chardonnay 2023 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. This is a wine produced for Trader Joe’s by DNA Vineyards, who have, over the years, produced some of Trader Joe’s best wines. The Story DNA Vineyards is Dennis Patton (40 years experience) and Andrea Silverstein (25 years experience). They have been making…
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The Opaline Pinot Noir Brut Rosé (2025) is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer says that this Bubbly is from the South of France, but gives no more detail than that. The Story This Sparkling Wine is designated a Vin de France, the bottom classification for French wine. This typically means…
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The Kirkland Signature Asolo Prosecco (Bottled Nov 2024) is a $7.69 Costco exclusive. This Kirkland Signature Asolo Prosecco is designated a Prosecco Superiore DOCG. The Story DOC Prosecco is farmed from vineyards in the flat section of the Prosecco region in the Veneto area. The DOCG Prosecco is produced from grapes in the hilly sections…
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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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The Octavian Cellars McKinley Springs Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is a $15.69 Costco wine (.69 could mean a winery special). It is a single-vineyard wine from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of the Columbia Valley in Washington State. The Story The producer of the Cabernet Sauvignon is N W Wine Company from Oregon, which make…
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The Trader Joe’s Reserve Adelaida District Paso Robles Zinfandel 2023 is an exclusive $9.99 wine from the Beckett Family, Paso Robles, California. The back label says that the Beckett Family produced and bottled this Zinfandel, which means they made the wine. Typically, these Trader Joe’s Reserve wines will say “bottled and cellared by,” which usually…
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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 Domaine de la Croix 2021 Irresistible Rosé 2023 is a wine selling for $9.99 at Costco and for as much as $20 elsewhere. The Domaine de la Croix winery and vineyards are located in Provence near San Trope. The Story There are 18 wineries in Provence designated as Cru Classé, a title given to…
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The L’Authentigue Compagnie Beaujolais Villages 2023 is a $8.99 Trader Joe’s French import wine. L’Authentigue Is a French wine company that includes wineries from 12 different French growing regions. The Story The Beaujolais region has 12 appellations and 10 Crus; the main grape is Gamay, with a small amount of Chardonnay also farmed. Beaujolais is…
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The Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Russian River Pinot Noir 2023 is a $12.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. This is a wine that TJ’s has offered in other vintages. Here is a link to the 2020 vintage. The 2020 was produced for Trader Joe’s by MWK Wine Consultants, the 2023 is from DNA Vineyards. The Story DNA…
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