Send us a text Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Carneros Chardonnay 2023- Think Thanksgiving Meal! This is a large and in charge, yet balanced Carneros Chardonnay. As a Grand Reserve wine, it sells for $12.99, yet I think it may be closer to a $25 Chardonnay. The wine market is contracting in 2024 and wine that should sell for more is selling for less. W…

Send us a text Trader Joe's Reserve Carneros Rosé of Pinot Noir 2023-A Whole Lotta Rosé This is a Trader Joe's $9.99 exclusive Pinot Noir Rosé sourced from the Napa side of the Carneros AVA, it is referred to as Los Carneros. It is a quality Rosé wine. For all the information you should listen to the PODCAST which discusses some of the recent trend…

Send us a text 19 Crimes Frankenstein Cabernet Sauvignon-The Freaks Come Out At Night This wine has a cool drawing of Frankenstein on the Label, it is licensed from Universal MONSTERS. There is a Bride Of Frankenstein Red blend and I thought saw a Dracula wine. This is a non-vintage Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from vineyards in SouthEast Australia. …

Send us a text Trader Joe's Reserve Willamette Pinot Gris 2023-Real Good...Try It! Pinoy Grigio and Pinot Gris are the same grape, Grigio is Italian and Gris is French. The Willamette Valley in Oregon has always produced PInot Griis wines. They are different styles from Pinot Grigio wines. For more information look to https://cheapwinefinder.com/ a…

Send us a text Corvelia Paso Robles Zinfandel Lot 22-A Seriously Good $10 Trader Joe's Wine All ten-dollar wines should be awesome, right? Well, more of them are, but a solid ten-buck wine is still a wonder. This $9.99 Trader Joe's Zin tastes great! It is made in the style I prefer, read the review and listen to the Podcast for more information. Ch…

Send us a text Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023-New Zealand Revisited I have been sampling Sauvignon Blanc from every country but New Zealand. I returned to one of the prime examples of value-priced NZ Sav Blanc and I was surprised. This is a lower alcohol (12%), subtle wine, with a softer body and less peaky flavors. It was as tasty as …

Send us a text Inscription Willamette Pinot Noir 2022-Wine Enthusiast #1 Wine Under $20 The listed 100 value-priced wines that the Inscription was Numero Uno! Do I care what Wine Enthusiast Thinks? Not until I tasted the wines. Were they Right? If drinking this wrong, I don't want to be right! The Inscription, from King Estate, bridges the distance…

Send us a text Gruet Brut Sparkling Wine NV-New Mexico's Finest! In 1989 Gilbert Gruet, who owned a Champagne House in France, made Traditional Method Bubbly in New Mexico. By 1999, Gruet sold 1,000,000 bottles of New Mexico Sparkling wine. 25 years down the road, Gilbert has passed on, but his family still runs the show. This is the Brut wine or t…

Send us a text Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2022-Spooky Name-Not Spooky Tasting Yeah, It's October 2024, and time for Halloween Party wines. The Casillero del Diablo (Cellar of the Devil) will work as a party wine, but it isn't. This is a wine from Chile's Central Valley which is a great place for value-priced Bordeaux grapes! The name c…

Send us a text Malene By Chamisal Vineyards Rosé 2023-Costco $12.99 Bargain Chamisal Vineyards has been in the Central Coast AVA for 51 years. Malene is their label for Rosé wines. This is a wine that sells for $15 to $21 elsewhere. This is a classy Rosé, it has depth and style. For more information check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ and of cou…

Send us a text Gnarly Head Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel 2022-Grateful Dead Edition The only thing special edition about this wine is the label, the juice is the same. The Grateful Dead Dancing Skeletons and the cool Grateful Dead Skull Logo make this a wine for Deadheads or folks looking for a Halloween wine! Delicato Family Vineyards, who make Gnarly H…

Send us a text Salty Blonde Sauvignon Blanc-Lo-Cal-Lo-Alcohol- Certified Vegan This is a Sauv Blanc from the Western Cape of South Africa. It has 75 to 80 calories per glass, 9% alcohol, and is certified Vegan. The Salty Blonde name comes from the yellow color of the wine and the vineyard's proximity to the Ocean. For more information check out htt…

Send us a text Rosa Dell'Olmo Langhe Nebbiolo 2021-Trader Joe's $9 Piedmont Bargain This is a Trader Joe's $8.99 from an import Producer who makes excellent Barolo and Barbaresco wines. This Langhe Nebbiolo wine (Nebbiolo is the grape used in Barolo Wines) is more of a value-priced daily drinker than those high-end sensational wines. But is this va…

Send us a text Tenebres GSM 2022-Trader Joe's Best $7 Wine? This is a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend from the Languedoc that sells for $6.99. The 2019 vintage was $5.99. A GSM blend is from the Southern Rhone Valley with Chateauneuf-Du-Pape being the best-known and the most expensive version. This seven-buck wine from the Languedoc ain't bad at a…

Send us a text Aldi Specially Selected Cremant d'Alsace Brut-If u Can Find It-Buy It! I just spent a review on Cheapwinefinder.com and a PODCAST telling everyone about how good this wine is. Here is the link to Cheapwinefinder https://cheapwinefinder.com/ You have the PODCAST here. This an underpriced wine. Do not wait, buy a couple, the HOLIDAYS a…

Send us a text Dashwood Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023- $10 Goodness This is one of those "taste of Marlborough" New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines. Sourced from multiple vineyards in the Marlborough region of Northeast Southe Island in New Zealand. These value-priced wines are popular and very drinkable. The Dashwood hits all the notes that are g…

Send us a text Jawbreaker California Chardonnay-Unoaked Central Valley Chardonnay Plus Skeletons Is a wine from Chateau Diana a winery founded in Sonoma in 1981 that is family-owned and operated. This is a non-vintage wine, but most of their labels are non-vintage, listen to the PODCAST for possible explanation. This is a very tasty un-oaked Chardo…

Send us a text Caretaker Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2022- Trader Joe's Excellent Pinot Noir! This is a $9.99 Pinot Noir from a sub-AVA of Santa Barbara County on the Central Coast of California. It is comprised of 3 Pinot Noir clones, Pommard, 2A, and 23. To find out why that is unique and noteworthy check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ and li…

Send us a text Kirkland Signature Sonoma County Chardonnay 2023-$7.99@Costco-New Vintage This is a $8 Sonoma Chardonnay from Costco. The details are unknown, but the taste is a crowd-pleaser. Value-priced wines often taste different from more expensive wines, but that does not mean they are bad, just different. Value-priced wines sell way more than…

Send us a text Seven Hills Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2023- A Costco Bargain! This Sau Blanc is from a winery that was one of the first wineries established in eastern Columbia Valley (Walla Walla). This isn't a wine from an Estate vineyard but is sourced from top-quality vineyards. A portion of this wine was fermented and aged in French Oak s…

Send us a text Aldi Specially Selected Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2022-Good For U Good To U Willamette Valley is one of America's premier Pinot Noir growing regions, one that can compete with France. Can a store brand Willamette Vallet wine bring the goods? For $12.99, it more than brings the goods! Check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ and list…

Send us a text Moon X Black Pinot Noir 2023-Trader Joe's $6.99 Dupe This wine came out back in 2014, it was intended to be in the style of Meiomi Pinot Noir, Meomi caused a landslide, it turned the wine world upside down. Joe Wagner from the Caymus Family eventually sold it for $333,000,00. It was huge, so duplicate wines came to the market and Tra…

Send us a text Belletti DOC Prosecco-Aldi $10 Bargain Bubbly This is a non-vintage extra-dry Bubbly that rocks. The little extra sweetness adds to the flavor in a very positive way. This bargain bubbly drinks well, why pay more? For more information check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ and listen to the excellent PODCAST. Check us out at www.chea…

Send us a text Pas de Probleme Sauvignon Blanc 2022- Try It You'll Like It! This is a Sauvignon Blanc from a small village in the center of the Languedoc. Maybe it is organic and sustainable farmed maybe it isn't. This is a unique Sauvignon Blanc, not so different that you do not recognize it. Maybe it tastes more expensive than value-priced. For m…

Send us a text Kenwood Sonoma Monterey Chardonnay 2019-Better Than It Should Be! This is a bottling from Kenwood Vineyards a 160-year-old winery that is currently owned by Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard sold off their value-priced wines while keeping Kenwood. Kenwood seems to be transitioning toward high-end wines and this is a value-priced wine. Sti…

Send us a text Trader Joe's Reserve Knights Valley Cabernet Franc 2021- Have U Had A Knights Valley Wine? TJ's is great for sub-AVA wines at very low prices. I learned I love Santa Barbara wine from Trader Joe's Reserve program. Knights Valley AVA is a smaller AVA featuring more boutique wineries so a value-priced wine from here is a revelation. Ca…

Send us a text Octopoda Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2021-Costco Bargain Alert! This is a wine that sells at Costco for $7.99. Its list price is $25 and most internet sellers have it for between $18 and $25. This is a Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir selling for about half or a third of its asking price. That doesn't matter if it does not deliver. But t…

Send us a text Richebois AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages 2023-TJ's $8 Southern Rhône Valley Red If you shop at Trader Joe's you come to expect that a $8 wine is good. That is not reality. The stores that feature very good Brand wines are changing the game! A good Cotes du Rhone Villages should sell for $12 to $15. But smart shoppers know better, there …

Send us a text Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Sonoma County Syrah 2022-You Need A Tasty Syrah in the 2000s Syrah and Australian Shiraz (Syrah by a different name) were the rage. And then the BOOM ended. Syrah is still as awesome as it always was, it just isn't the flavor of the moment. I forgot just how much I loved Syrah/Shiraz wines. This Trader Joe'…

Send us a text Evolution Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2022-Expensive Pinot @ A Value Price This brand is from Sokol Blosser, a family-owned winery from the Dundee Hills of Willamette Valley founded in 1971 which is the beginning of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. This wine tastes expensive value-priced Pinot Noir is made differently (check out the po…

Send us a text Seaglass Central Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2023-USA..USA The Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc had been sourced from Santa Barbara County, but with the 2023 vintage changed to Central Coast AVA. This is a Sauvignon Blanc that brings the flavor of New Zealand without the spikey flavors. Sauvignon Blanc should challenge your taste buds, it is a bol…

Send us a text Castellore DOCG Chianti 2023-$6 Aldi Food Wine In Italy, in Tuscany, Chianti is part of the day's meals. Perfect for pasta in red sauce and with a snack of delicious cheese. When Italians buy a bottle for a meal, it probably is in the $6 range. A DOCG wine is made to the highest Italian wine standards. Don't let the low price scare y…

Send us a text Motif Red Hills Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon 2022-New Vintage Of TJ's Wonder $5 Red This is a $4.99 wine. Lake County is the AVA that is on the Northern border of Napa County! Red Hills is located on the southern side of Clear Lake, the largest lake in California. The soil is from an ancient volcano, and the vineyards are in the he…

Send us a text Kirkland Friuli Grave Pinot Grigio 2023-Costco $5 Summer Sipper Cwf revealed the 2022 vintage last March and was amazed at the quality of a $4.99 Friuli Grave Pinot Grigio. This is the DOC where value-price Pinot Grigio comes from, but the Costco wine more than delivers for the price. There is a reason that Costco with its limited wi…

Send us a text Trader Joe's Reserve Yountville Chardonnay 2023-The Best $10 Yountville Chardonnay? Yountville is a Napa Valley AVA where they never, ever make ten-buck Chardonnay, much less any $10 wine. Trader Joe's is bringing you a Yountville Chardonnay that has 8 months in new and used French oak barrels! Most Yountville Chardonnay starts at $2…

Send us a text Liberté San Luis Obispo County Pinot Noir 2021- Trader Joe's Value, Very Good Pinot This is a Trader Joe's $9.99 SLO County Pinot Noir. CWF has reviewed this Pinoy since 2017 and it has been an excellent value with each vintage! This year we know who made it (read the review), and we are again impressed with the quality. Check out ht…

Send us a text Canoe Ridge Vineyard Expedition Chardonnay 2022- A Costco Bargain! This is a Chardonnay from two vineyards in The Horse Heaven Hilla AVA. Canoe Ridge was named by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, hence the name. This is a 49-cent Costco product which indicates a special one-time price. This is a wine that typically sells for $15 to $1…

Send us a text Piper Sonoma Brut Revisited This is a Bubbly that CWF thought was the hit of the 2023 Christmas Holidays. We wanted to talk about a summer Bubbly and what would be better than our favorite winter Bubbly! The Piper Sonoma Brut Sparkling Wine is a superior Bubbly. For all the information check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ and liste…

Send us a text Ruta 49 Rias Baixas Albarino 2023- A $9.99 Excellent Trader Joe's Spanish Wine This is an Albariño from Rias Baixas in Notrhwest Spain. It sells for $9.99 at Trader Joe's and is an excellent value. Albariño is THE White wine of Spain and Rias Baixas is one of the best places to grow the grapes. Check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ …

Send us a text Peaks & Tides Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2022- A New Look @ An Aldi $12.99 Favorite This is a wine that Aldo offers every vintage. The 2021 vintage received 93 points on a leading wine magazine website. There is a or used to be a Sonoma Coast AVA version of this wine but the Sonoma County was the only wine available at my Aldi. Check o…

Send us a text Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2019-Costco Close-out $7.89 Special This is a wine that sells at Costco for $7.89 and elsewhere for between $10 and $14 The 2019 vintage may be a lost COVID-19 vintage that Costco is doing a close-out on. Penfolds was founded in 1844 and the Koonunga Hills brand in 1979. This is an excellent qua…

Send us a text Le Grand Noir Chardonnay 2022- Costco's Ten-Dollar Summer Sipper This wine is 85% Chardonnay and 15% Viognier from the IGP Languedoc region of SouthWest France. The Viognier changes everything. Viognier is often added to give the wine some ZIP or to add a beautiful fragrance to the wine. Here it adds flavor and texture that is differ…

Send us a text La Galope Gascone Rosé 2023-French Rosey Done Right! This is a Rosé from southwest France that I found for $9.99. It seems to be a Rosé of Merlot and another grape, but we do not which one. It is an excellent Rosé. You do not expect to be wowed by a Goscogne Rosé, but here it is! Check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ and of course, …

Send us a text Trader Joe's Reserve Sonoma County Blanc de Blancs 2021 This is a vintage-dated $9.99 Trader Joe's Bubbly. Blanc de Blancs is white from whites meaning White Sparkling wine from White grapes, in this case Chardonnay. There have been recent Trader Joe's Grand Reserve and Platinum Reserve Sonoma Sparkling wines, that sold for $15 and $…

Send us a text Acacia Carneros Pinot Noir 2020-Costco's $12.99 Steal Acacia was founded in Carneros in 1979 making it one of the founders of Carneros Pinot Noir. It has had several owners over the years but in 2016 Treasury Wine Estaes bought the brand, but not the winery or the vineyards. Acacia has been a brand and not a wine Estate since 2017. F…

Send us a text Claude Manciat Bourgogne Chardonnay 2022-@Costco for $12.69-Burgundian Goodness This is a limited Costco wine from a family-owned winery that started in the 1890s. It has been passed down through the generations and currently has a female winemaker (she owns the place). This is a taste of Burgundy wine as opposed to a village or dist…

Send us a text Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Santa Barbara GSM 2022-Tj's Steps it's Game Up This is a $12.99 Trader Joe's Reserve wine. The difference is that is made by a producer that does not make value-priced wine! Is this a new trend for Trader Joe's? This Rhone blend is made by a high-end boutique winery from the Central Coast, mainly Paso Roble…

Send us a text Trader Joe's Growers Reserve Organic Chardonnay 2023- $6 Of Organic Goodness? The answer is Yes, this is an excellent $5.99 wine. We cut to the chase right away. In Europe in countries that drink wine with their meals 6 buck wine is common and considered real good! Here in the US of A, we do not have a wine heritage and are more like…

Send us a text Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Moulis-En-Modec Bordeaux 2022 This is a Red wine from the smallest of the 8 AOCs in the Medoc District on the LefBank in Bordeaux. This is a growing region dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon vines. This is also a Grand Vine De Bordeaux wine indicates that this is the winery's top wine. Since this is a Trader J…

Send us a text Substance Ro Rosé 2023- My Rosé of the Summer of 2024 Substance Ro is a take on the Periodic Table of Elements, all the elements are pure 100% whatever element they are. The Substance brand tries to be pure, a Rosé isn't a particular grape but this is 100% Syrah. All their varietal wines are 100%, no a little of this added in a littl…