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 Originals Washington Syrah 2022 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The Originals currently produce it from Walla Walla, Washington, a part of Precept Wine & Spirits. But this wine has a longer history. The Story The Originals Washington Syrah 2022 was at one time part of the Charles Smith Wines House Brand of wine….
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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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The Mark Hill California Pinot Noir 2022 is a wine I found at Aldi selling for $7.99; it looks like an Aldi exclusive. This is a wine wine produced for Aldi by Trinchero Family Wine Estates. The Story The Mark Hill California Pinot Noir 2022 has a label very similar in color and shape to…
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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 Doña Paula Single Vineyard Malbec 2023 is a wine available at Costco for $11.99 and around that price elsewhere. The single vineyard mentioned on the label is the estate Alto vineyard in the Lujan de Cuyo region inside the Mendoza Valley of Argentina. The Story Santa Rita Estates of Chile owns Doña Paula winery….
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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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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 Henri Laffard Grande Reserve Brut Champagne is a $24.99 Bubbly found at Trader Joe’s. It looks to be a Trader Joe’s US exclusive. This is a Grower Champagne, which is a Bubbly from one of the vineyard owners in the Champagne region. Less than 5% of the Champagne wines in the US are Grower…
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The Cambria Katherine’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay 2022 is a wine I found selling at Costco for $15.99. A check of the web saw average internet prices of around $20. Cambria Vineyards is part of the Jackson Family Wines portfolio (think Kendall-Jacjson), and this is Katherine (Katie) Jackson’s winery. This is a single vineyard…
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The William Walker Monterey Pinot Noir is an $8.99 Aldi exclusive. If the name sounds familiar, Aldi has/had a different Monterey Pinot Noir with the brand name of William Wright. The Story The William Wright Monterey Pinot Noir was produced for Aldi by Scheid Family Vineyards, a large family-owned winery based in the Monterey AVA….
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The J Lohr Riverstone Arroyo Seco Chardonnay 2023 is a wine that I found for $12.99, and with a quick check of the internet and wine shops, it is the going rate. This is an estate wine from J Lohr a family owned and operated winery and vineyards located in the Monterey AVA since 1974….
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The 19 Crimes Snoop Dogg Cali Smooth Red 2022 is a limited edition wine I found selling for $13.99. The 19 Crimes brand usually features wines from Australia, but Snoop Dogg (and Martha Stewart) wines are produced from grapes farmed in California. The Story The 19 Crimes Snoop Dogg Cali Smooth Red 2022 bottle does…
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The Korbel California Brut Rosé Champagne is a Sparkling wine I found selling for $11.99. The Champagne in the name is legit. In 2006, when California and Champagne, France, agreed to use of the term “Champagne”. Certain wineries were grandfathered in, so Andre’s, Cook’s, and Korbel retained the right to call their Method Traditional (Like…
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The LaCheteau Chinon 2023 is a $8.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. If you see Chinon on the label, that means this is a Cabernet Franc wine sourced from vineyards surrounding the town of Chinon in France‘s Loire Valley. The Story Vignobles (means vineyards) LaCheteau is the negotiant brand of GCF Group, the leading exporter of French…
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The La Burgondie Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé (2024) is an $11.99 Trader Joe’s wine in cities with a Trader Joe’s wine department. I found this wine selling for $16 to $19 in places not served by Trader Joe’s. La Burgandie makes this French Bubbly. They are a Co-op with over 700 growers and produce…
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