The Magus Dark Garnacha is currently on offer from Costco for $6.99. It does not look to be widely available outside of Costco, but prices fall between $18 and $24. The Story The Magus Dark Garnacha is from Bodegas Valdeorite in the Extremadura DO, inside the greater Ribera del Guadiana DO in North-West Spain, near…
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The Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel 2022 is a wine I found at Trader Joe’s, selling for $13.99. A check of the web saw prices between $14 and $20. The Story Cline Family Cellars was founded in the early 1980s and is still expanding while owned and operated by the Cline Family. Cline started as a…
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The Calos Cahors Malbec 2022 is selling for $8.99 at Costco, and it looks like it is available for around $15 elsewhere. The Story This Malbec is from the south of France, not Argentina. In the 1800s, pests and diseases hit French vineyards and decimated entire vintages. The Malbec grapes from Bordeaux were hit particularly…
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The Josh Reserve Bourbon Barrel Zinfandel 2021 is a wine that lists for $21.99, but I found it on sale for $9.99. The Story The Josh reserve wines are the top-tier wines and are part of the bourbon barrel-aged series. Joseph Carr created the Josh brand in 2006 in honor of his father. I have…
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The Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a wine I found selling for about $15. It is from Kim Crawford, yes, that Kim Crawford. The Story The Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 typically scores 90+ points from wine reviewers. Kim and Erica Crawford, she handles the vineyard, he does the winemaking, sold Kim Crawford wines…
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The Côté Mas Sauvignon Blanc Vermentino 2024 is a wine I found at Trader Joe’s, selling for $11.99. Trader Joe’s price is in the ballpark with prices from other stores. The Story Côté Mas is Jean-Claude Mas of Domaine Paul Mas. The family has had vineyards since the 1890s, but more recently Jean-Claude has brought…
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The Trader Joe’s Brut California Sparkling Wine is an $8.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It is produced by Rack and Riddle who make most of TJ’s California Bubbly. The Story The Trader Joe’s Brut California Sparkling Wine is not a Reserve or Grand Reserve wine, but a plain old Trader Joe’s wine. We already have North…
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The Bear Bros California Chardonnay 2024 is a $7.55 Aldi exclusive. Aldi owns the Trademark on the name and has had different wineries make each Bear Bros vintage. The Story The Bear Bros California Chardonnay 2024 looks like it was produced by a division of Trinchero Family Wines and Sutter Home. Trinchero Family is a…
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The 90+ Cellars DOC Prosecco Lot 50 is a Sparkling wine I found selling for around $10. It is a Bubbly sourced from vineyards near the town of Salgareda in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. The Story 90+ Cellars started its business by purchasing excess wine from established, highly rated wineries. It is common…
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The Ruta 49 Albarino 2024 is selling for $9.99 at Trader Joe’s and between $15 and $20 in areas not served by a Trader Joe’s store. The Story The Ruta 49 Albarino 2024 is a wine produced by Viña Cartín, a family-owned winery in the Rías Baixas wine region in Northwest Spain. This is the…
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The Honey Moon Viognier 2024 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive; it has kept the $5.99 price since at least the 2019 vintage. The Story The Honey Moon Viognier 2024 is produced for Trader Joe’s by some faction of Delicato Family Wines, which also makes Gnarly Head and recently purchased Coppola Wines. They make the…
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The Chasing Rain Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a wine that has been selling for $20, but I found it for $10. It is produced by winemaker Joshua Maloney. The Story The Chasing Rain Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a wine that has sold for between $20 and $25 and was considered a…
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The Cambalala Chenin Blanc 2025 is a $5.99 Aldi wine from the West Cape growing area of South Africa. The Story The Western Cape wine region comprises almost all of South Africa’s wine country. The leading White grape cultivated there is Chenin Blanc. Chenin Blanc is best known as originating in the Loire Valley of…
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The Kirkland Signature Russian River Pinot Noir 2024, a $10.99 Costco exclusive. It is one dollar less expensive than past vintages. The Story This is more of an update than a new review. Here is a link to the CWF description of the 2023 vintage. The Kirkland Signature series of wines is similar to Trader…
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The Dry Creek Vineyards Sonoma Fume Blanc 2023 is a wine I found selling for $12. Dry Creek Vineyards has been family-owned and operated since the early 1970’s. The Story The first thing I need to explain is what Fume Blanc is. The Sauvignon Blanc grape originated in France, and there are two types of…
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The Thesis Russian River Chardonnay 2024 is selling for $9.99 at Costco, but $35 to $50 on the internet. This wine is produced by Fior di Sole, a family-owned Napa winery, though the Russian River is located in Sonoma. The Story The Thesis Russian River Chardonnay 2024 was a surprise. A ten-dollar Chardonnay from Costco…
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The Trader Joe’s Grower’s Reserve Organic Red 2024 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. It is produced for Trader Joe’s by ASV Wines. The Story ASV Wines seems to be the current supplier of Trader Joe’s Grower’s Reserve line of organic wine. They are a producer located in the Monterey AVA and make wine with…
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The Viale Antica Asolo Prosecco DOCG is an $8.99 Italian Bubbly sold at Trader Joe’s. It is an Extra Dry (a little sweet), and Asolo is a tiny top-rated Prosecco appellation. The Story The Prosecco region is huge, and most of the vineyards are DOC-designated. Asolo is a DOCG region with the vineyards situated around…
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The 19 Crimes Cali Red-Snoop & Tupac, full name 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted, is a wine I found for $11.99. The bottle has a scan code (available March 10) for Snoops’s interactive tribute to Tupac. The Story The 19 Crimes Cali Red-Snoop & Tupac is a limited edition wine. The official release is March…
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The Studio by Miraval Rosé 2025 is a wine I found for $12.99, and yes, Brad Pitt is the principal owner of the winery, Château Miraval. The Story Brad Pitt owns 60% of Miraval, and Famille Perrin is involved with the production and distribution of the wine. Miraval is a Provence winery. Studio by Miraval…
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The Bread & Butter Chardonnay 2024 is a wine I found on sale at a local wine store for $7, but is more likely to be found selling between $12 and $15. The Story Bread & Butter Chardonnay is a brand from WX Brands whose wines include Chronic Cellars and Trapiche (Argentina). Bread & Butter…
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The Campo Viejo Cava Brut is a wine I found selling for $7.99, but it should be available around 10 most places. Campo Viejo is one of the brands in the Pernod Richard portfolio. The Story The Campo Viejo winery is located in the Rioja region of Spain, near the border with France. This Cava…
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The Specially Selected Single Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025 is an Aldi $8.69 import exclusive. The single New Zealand wine estate is Lismore Wines. The Story Lismore Wines is a family-owned winery that looks like they export much of their wine to China; they have a webpage written in Chinese. Since this is an estate…
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The Maison Barboulot Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah 2024 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. It is sourced from grapes in southwest France. The Story This is a 50-50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah taken from vineyards located between the Black Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Designated as an IPG or Pays d’Oc wine, which…
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The Big Churn Chardonnay 2024 is a Trader Joe’s exclusive, available for $6.99. It is produced for Trader Joe’s by Fior di Sole, a Napa-based wine company. The Story Fior di Sole has been producing the Big Churn Chardonnay since at least the 2015 vintage, and it has kept the $6.99 price tag the whole…
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