The Stark Raving Cab (that’s right, Cab, not Cabernet Sauvignon) is a non-vintage Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from grapes grown in the Languedoc region of France, with about 15% Grenache blended in. Stark Raving is a Brand put together by Rosenblum Cellars, a leading producer of California Zinfandel. Value priced wines are often non-vintage to keep…
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Most people avoid French Wines because they are…confusing and so, well, French. They don’t label things what they are, and you’re just supposed to know what’s in the bottle because they’ve been growing it there, that way, in that style for forever and that’s that. So, I’m sure you’re wondering, what the heck is Vouvray?…
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The 2010 Barton & Guestier Vouvray is sourced from contracted vineyards in the Vouvray AOC near the village of Tours inside the Loire Valley. The only grape grown in the Vouvray AOC is Chenin Blanc. The nature of Chenin Blanc changes with variations in the growing conditions, in cool growing seasons mostly dry Chenin Blanc’s…
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Theisn’t your usual bottle of French wine. First, Saint Cosme is the negociant side of Chateau Saint Cosme who produce excellent Estate wines, so these are purchased grapes, mainly from the Southern Rhone Valley. And yes, the grapes are pressed in a Basket Press, which is an old style type of mechanical press, you put…
Read MoreThe St. Gisbertus Holiday Chardonnay is a $5.99 Aldi’s import exclusive. This is a non-vintage Chardonnay using IGP (new designation for Vin de Pays wines) D’Oc (the Languedoc) grapes but the wine is bottled in Germany, Aldi’s is a German company. To be honest, I bought this wine for the bottle, the front label serves…
Read MoreThe Jean Marc Lafage côté EST Catalan 2011 is a very nice vin de pays (French country wine) white blend that’s very light yellow in your glass. It has a nose that reminds you of of those sugary orange slices you’d get with your grandma at the candy store! So you prepare yourself to take…
Read MoreThe Chateau Amour Red (Medoc) 2009 , a $7.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive (this bottling was produced specifically for Trader Joe’s) is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot grown in estate vineyards in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, France. Chateau Amour is one of Chateau Panigon labels, Chateau Panigon’s usual Bordeaux…
Read MoreThe HobNob Wicked Red is an unusual blend of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Pinot Noir sourced from vineyards in the Languedoc in the south of France. There are 3 levels of wine in France, the top level is AOC (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone Valley, etc), the 2nd is IGP (used to be known as Vin…
Read MoreThe Louise d’ Estre’e Brut Rose’ Sparkling wine is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. The wine is produced by Marcel Martin, who makes both still and Sparkling wines in the Loire Valley in France. Marcel Martin makes a Brut Rose’ Cremant under his own label (Cremant = Sparkling wine, it can only be called Champagne if…
Read MoreThe Chateau Larose-Trintaudon Haut Medoc 2006 is sourced from an Estate established in 1719 and a vineyard first planted in 1838 (the vines have since been replanted several times due to insect infestation and other reasons) and is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. The wine was aged in oak barrels for…
Read MoreThe Chateau Poyanne Cotes de Bourg Bordeaux 2009 is a Trader Joe’s $5.99 exclusive sourced from Estate grown grapes (The Albert Schweitzer vineyards) in the Côtes de Bourg Appellation about a half hour away from the town of Bordeaux in Southern France. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and while it is…
Read MoreThe LePlan Classic Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2010 is a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah sourced from vineyards in the Southern Rhone Valley. The winery is owned by Dirk Vermeersch an ex-GT race car driver from Belgium. His wines are true to the Rhone Valley, but there are no Domaine this or Chateau…
Read MoreThe 2011 Caves du Fournalet Cotes du Rhone Red is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. Caves du Fournalet is a Negociant-Eleveur with cellars in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape area of the Southern Rhone Valley in France. A Negociant is someone who buys wine from various producers and then sells it under their own label, a Negociant-Eleveur…
Read MoreThe 2009 Paul Jaboulet Parallele 45 Blanc is a White Blend containing 50% Grenache Blanc (one of the main White grapes of the Cotes du Rhone), 20% Marsanne, 20% Viognier and 10% Bourboulenc (a White blending grape from the south of France, gives the wine body and smoky citrus flavors) grown in vineyards in the…
Read MoreThe Pierre Delize Blanc de Blanc Brut is a non vintage Sparkling wine produced in Burgundy, France. It was bottled by Veuve Ambal, a Sparkling wine producer located in Beaune, Burgundy, but this seems to be a private/custom label and is not listed on their website. This Bubbly is a “ Vin Mousseux,” which translates…
Read MoreThe 2010 Les Truffieres Grignan-Les-Adhemar is a blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah sourced from the newly renamed Grignan-Les-Adhemar AOC in the Rhone Valley, France. Grignan-Les-Adhemar is the northern most AOC in the Southern Rhone region. The Rhone Valley is separated into Northern Rhone (mainly Syrah based Red wines) and the Southern Rhone (Grenache based…
Read MoreThe Pinot Evil is a non vintage Pinot Noir produced by the Underdog Wine & Spirits, the makers of Cupcake, Big House, flipflop, Fisheye and many other brands of reasonably priced wine. With this particular bottle, the grapes are sourced from France (check your bottle, other Pinot Evil bottles and boxes in the past, are…
Read MoreThe Sainte-Croix Syrah (50%) Merlot (50%) is a Trader Joe’s $4.99 US exclusive (it is available in Canada for around $12). This wine is produced by Roux Pere & Fils S.A. from grapes grown in the Languedoc region of Southwest France. This Red blend is designated a Vin de Pays D’Oc wine indicating that while this…
Read MoreThe 2009 Cedre Heritage Malbec sourced from Chateau du Cedre Estate vineyards in the Cahors AOC in Southwest France. Chateau du Cedre considers this to be a “brand” wine and not a Chateau Estate wine, meaning it was probably produced especially for markets outside of France. Cahors is the home of the Malbec grape, they…
Read MoreThe 2010 Révélation Chardonnay is a $4.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive sourced from grapes grown in the Languedoc region in the south of France. This wine comes from the Negociant side of Badet, Clement & Cie, who also grow and produce their own wines in Burgundy and the Languedoc. The bottle is labeled “dans nos chais”…
Read MoreMost white Bordeauxs I’ve encountered are typically blends with the dominant grape being Sauvignon Blanc. However, this wine has quite a different mix. It is made up of 60% Semillon, 35% Sauvignon Blanc, and 5% Muscadelle. If you’re thinking “wait, isn’t Semillon usually a dessert wine?”, don’t worry – I had the same reaction. There…
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The 2010 Revelation Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (45%) is a Trader Joe’s $4.99 exclusive sourced from the Languedoc region in southern France. The wine is produced by Badet, Clement & Co., 4th generation winemakers working in Burgundy and the Languedoc. This wine is “Mis en bouteille dan nos caves,” meaning bottled in our cellars, indicating just…
Read MoreSauvignon Blanc has always been hit or miss for me. I often find the grape a bit too acidic to truly enjoy the wine without food. However, this $13.99 bottle form the Entre Deux Mers region of Bordeaux (literally meaning between the seas) changed that for me. It is a blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc,…
Read MoreThe Paul Mas Estates Picoul de Pinet is a single vineyard Estate wine grown near the town of Pinet overlooking a Bay on the Mediterranean in the Languedoc District in the south of France. Picoul is the grape varietal and it is one of the oldest Languedoc grapes (it is also grown in the Rhone Valley),…
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The Gerard Bertrand Cremant de Limoux is a French Sparkling wine consisting of 70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc and 10% Mauzac (Mauzac is the local white grape that goes into all Limoux Bubbly) sourced from vineyards located in the Limoux AOC of the Languedoc in southern France. Limoux is where Sparkling wine was first produced…
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