The Anna De Codorniu Brut Cava is a little different from the usual value priced (I found it for $7.99, but it sells for up to $16 on the web) Cava’s on the market. Cava, traditionally, is a blend of three Spanish grapes, Xarel.lo, Macabeo and Parellada, the Anna De Codorniu is 70% Chardonnay (traditionally…
Read MoreEver needed to bring a white wine to a steakhouse? I was heading to a BYOB dinner at an Argentinean steakhouse with a couple non-red wine drinking friends and was in a predicament: what white wine should I bring? I had never had this $18.99 ($13.99 @ Binny’s) Verdejo before but am glad the store…
Read MoreThe Abancay Mascara Del Sol (translation: Mask of the sun) 70% Tempranillo & 30% Merlot Crianza is sourced from Bodega Abancay Estate vineyards in the Carinena DO of the Aragon Province in Northeast Spain. Crianza is a legal wine term in Spain indicating that the wine was aged for a minimum of 2 years, with at least…
Read MoreThe Honoro Vera Organic Monastrell is produced by Bodegas Juan Gil from organic vineyards in the Jumilla DO in Southeast Spain. Monastrell accounts for 85% of the grapevines planted in Jumilla. Monastrell is known as Mourvedre in France, Mataro in Australia and is the M in GSM. This is designated a “Young” wine, meaning it receives…
Read MoreThe 2008 Castillo de Almansa Reserva is a blend of Monastrell, Tempranillo (known locally as Cencibel) and Garnacha Tintorera (also known as Alicante Bouschet and not the same as Grenache/Garnacha) sourced from the Estate vineyards of Bodegas Piqueras, a family owned winery since 1915, located in the Almansa grape growing DO inside the LaMancha DO…
Read MoreThe 2010 Hermanos Lurton Rueda Verdejo is 85% Verdejo, 10% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Viura (also known as Macabeo, which is one of the 3 grapes traditionally used to make Cava) grown in the Rueda DO inside of Castilla y León region in Spain. They have been growing Verdejo in Rueda since the 11th century and…
Read MoreThe 2010 Alange Syrah is sourced from Estate vineyards located in the Ribera del Guadiana DO of Southwest Spain, about an hour from the Portuguese border. The Ribera del Guadiana region is very hot in the summer with low amounts of rain (just like Chicago this year), causing the grapes to be harvested a full…
Read MoreThe Bitch Bubbly is a non vintage Rose’ Cava or Sparkling wine using Garnacha, Chardonnay and Viura grapes grown in the Aragon grape growing region of Spain. The Bitch brand of wines (there is a still Bitch Garnacha as well as the Bubbly) has a convoluted history. Bitch started out as a wine produced under…
Read MoreThe 2011 Dama de Toro Malvasia is 100% Malvasia sourced from Bodegas Farina Estate vineyards in the Toro DO of the Zamora region of Spain. Bodegas Farina is a family owned winemaking estate founded in 1942 and the vineyards are even older, some of the Malvasia vines are 100 years old. The Toro DO has…
Read MoreThe Absidis Brut Rose’ Cava is sourced from grapes grown on the Finca Emendis/Masia Puigmolto Estate in the Alt Penedes D.O. (this is where most of the Cava grapes are sourced) near Barcelona, Spain. Most Cava’s you see on the store shelves are made from 3 White wine grapes, Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel.lo, but Rose’…
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The 2009 Retorno (translates to repay or return) Garnacha is sourced from old vine vineyards (60+ years old) located in the Calatayud D.O. of the Province of Zaragoza in the Aragon region of Spain. The Retorno is designated as a “young” wine in Spain indicating that it receives little or no oak barrel aging, this…
Read MoreMonastrell is what the Spanish call Mourvedre. I truly didn’t think it could stand up on its own since my previous encounters with Mourvedre were in Rhone blends and a couple mediocre dessert wines. So color me surprised by this $14.99 bold red I picked up at Evolution Wines and Spirits. The skill of the…
Read MoreIf your palate’s fatigued from one dimensional wines or if you just need something odd and funky in your life, give this $9.99 bottle a try. Hailing from Bierzo, Spain, this wine is made up of 100% indigenous Mencia grapes. I had never heard of Mencia before, and the label wasn’t very descriptive. So, I…
Read MoreThe 2010 Spanish Demon Rioja Tempranillo is 100% Tempranillo sourced from the family owned Estate vineyards of Bodegas Vallobera Winery in the Alavesa region of Rioja, Spain. Alavesa is the leading grape growing region of Rioja. The wine is called Spanish Demon and not some formal typical Rioja wine name, because they were looking to…
Read MoreThe Jane Ventura Brut Nature Reserva Cava de La Musica is a non-vintage Sparkling wine consisting of 30% Macabeo, 30% Xarel.lo and 40% Parellada (those are the traditional, indigenous grapes that are usually used in making Cava) grown in the Penedes DO of Catalan, Spain (near Barcelona). This Cava is made with the same method used to…
Read MoreThe 2008 Spanish Quarter (55%) Cabernet Sauvignon (45%) Tempranillo is sourced from Estate vineyards in the Costers del Segre area of the Catalan region in Northeast Spain. This area is primarily known for producing Cava and the vineyards are subject to wide temperature extremes, below freezing in the winter and the high 90’s in summer. A…
Read MoreLovers! In the words of Jim Gaffigan, “Without Valentine’s Day, February would be… well, January!” What should we be drinking with our hotties? Wine, of course – A.K.A. “the ultimate aphrodisiac“. How about Champagne? For Valentines Day it’s a no-brainer. They go hand-in-hand like wine and cheese. Like wine and chocolate. After all, Champagne’s for…
Read MoreThe 2010 Darien Rioja Tempranillo is available (not a TJ’s exclusive) at Trader Joe’s for $5.99. 100% Tempranillo and sourced from Darien’s estate vineyards in Rioja, Spain. This is a young wine, produced with just a little manipulation, the grapes are harvested in fall, crushed and then fermented in stainless steel tanks, left in the…
Read MoreThe 2008 Kila Cava Brut is sourced from several communes (a group of independent grape growers) in the Penedes area (that is where 95% of all Cava’s are produced) in the Catalonia region in northeast Spain. It is a blend of the three traditional grapes used for producing Cava, 35% Macabeo, 40% Xarel.lo and 25% Parellada….
Read MoreThe 2009 Beso de Vino Old Vine Garnacha is sourced from 40 year old vines grown near the village of Aguaron in the Carinena D.O., in northeastern Spain. The grapes are hand picked and the Garnacha is aged in new French oak barrels. Wine has been produced in the Carinena region since at least the…
Read MoreThe Senda 66 Tempranillo is 100% Tempranillo sourced from a single vineyard near the town of Casas de Los Pinos in the La Mancha growing region of Spain. The wine is aged in new French oak barrels for 8 months then stored in the bottle for another 5 months before being released. Robert Parker gave…
Read MoreVolver Tempranillo from La Mancha – Spain’s largest wine region – is a single-vineyard voluptuous woman of a wine that’s aged 14 months in new french oak. Her amazing full body does not quit and will coat your glass in dark purples and blacks while her perfume tantalizes you with black cherry, spice, plum and…
Read MoreThe Jaume Serra Cristalino Extra Dry Cava is sourced from Estate vineyards in the Alt Penedes growing region in Spain. This Sparkling wine uses the traditional Cava grapes, 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada and 15% Xarel.lo. Cava uses the same second fermentation method (that is where the bubbles are added) as Champagne and this Cava is aged for…
Read MoreThe 2010 Comoloco (translates to “like mad”) Monastrell is 100% Monastrell sourced from a single vineyard from Jumilla in Southeastern Spain. Comoloco is made by Bodegas Juan Gil, a noted maker of Monastrell and Monastrell is the main grape of the Jumilla DO. Monastrell is also know as Mourvedre and Mataro and is the M…
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