South Carolina Wine Joe

My local Costco, has had this Tinazzi Vino Rosso for a few weeks.  This is one of those wines that Costco spreads around to a few warehouses, so you may not find it everywhere.  The first things you notice are that this is the heaviest glass bottle you will ever lift, it has beautiful embossing in the glass bottle, and someone in Italy has rated this wine at 98 points.  While I may not be experienced with 98 point wines, I am reasonably sure you cannot buy one at Costco for $15.99. Neither the bottle or the winery website list the grapes in the blend or where in Italy that the grapes were grown.  There are some bloggers online that list this information, but I believe this was originally speculation that was accepted as fact by some other writers.  It is hard to compare this wine to others in its category without this information. I really enjoyed drinking this wine.  It is a rich, fruit forward blend of cranberry, black cherry, blueberry and licorice f...

I was in my local LIDL this week, so I detoured over to the wine department.  I had not been in the store for a while and I was surprised to find this new Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.  The wine is part of the LIDL North American Sommelier Collection, so it may not be available in the European LIDL stores.  The Willamette Valley lies east of the Coastal Mountain Range and west of the Cascade Mountains as described in the name of this wine. Cascade West Pinot Noir is produced by Union Wine Company, Tualatin Oregon.  Union Wine Company is the maker of Underwood Wines and Kings Ridge Wines.  Last summer, Union Wine made a series of "LoveJoy" wines sold only at Lidl.  Underwood Oregon Pinot Noir sells at Total Wine for $14.99 and Kings Ridge Willamette Valley Pinot Noir sells for $20.99 (Total Wine is a little overpriced on these wines). The wine is a dark cherry red color in the glass.  The wine begins with bright flavors of raspberry and cherry but f...

Since my trip to Oregon, I cannot get enough Oregon Pinot Noir.  On my last trip to my local wine shop (Wine Xpress, Simpsonville SC), I browsed the great selection of Pinots and chose Argyle Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.  Argyle is often best known for sparkling wine but they also make great Chardonnay, Reisling and of course Pinot Noir. The Argyle Pinot Noir that I purchased is part of their growers series and is the lowest priced of their Pinots.  The wine pours a lighter cherry color than some others I have tried lately, so I was expecting a lighter fruit flavored wine.  That is exactly how the initial sip began with cherry, strawberry and cranberry flavors followed by minor black cherry.  The wine reflects the cool climate and the red soil of the Dundee region, where Argyle is located.  I really appreciate that Oregon wine laws are so strict that the wine you taste reflects the grapes and the winemaker has not included additives to make the wine ta...

Last year, I loved the 2011 Kirkland Signature Ribera del Duero Gran Reserva which I reviewed at  https://scwinejoe.blogspot.com/2017/09/kirkland-signature-ribera-del-duero.html .  The wine has finally reappeared at my local Costco and I quickly grabbed s couple of bottles.. As I noted last year, a "Gran Reserva" Ribera del Duero must be aged 5 years with at least 2 years aged in oak.  The back label notes that this wine was aged in new French oak for 13 months and then in American oak for 25 months.  Finally it was aged for 24 more months after bottling.  You would expect a wine with that amount of handling and aging to be expensive but Costco sells this for $12.99. This is not a heavy wine, but it is very rich in black fruit with chocolate tones, dusty tannins and a very nice finish.  I recommend that you give this a try. SC Wine Joe rating = 91 points

The current Trader Joe's Fearless flyer features Trader Joe's Platinum Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Yountsville in Napa Valley.  I reviewed the 2015 vintage of the wine a year ago and I liked it, but not as much as I expected to.  Since, I generally enjoy the Platinum Reserve wines, I wanted to try the 2016 vintage. The first thing you notice about this wine in the glass is the very dark color.  The color and the aroma alert you that this will be a rich, dark flavored wine.  Indeed there are flavors of blackberries.  There is some smoke and vanilla but those flavors are much more in balance with the fruit than last years wine.  The tannins are also in balance and the finish has some licorice flavor, even reminding me of black jelly beans.  The wine has 14.5% alcohol.  This is a terrific wine which I found far superior to the 2015 wine. SC Wine Joe rating = 91 points

The best wine pairing for the typical Thanksgiving turkey dinner is a lighter, fruit flavored wine.  This will enhance the flavors of the food rather than overpower it.  Some choose Riesling, Pinot Gris or some other white wine but in recent years I have chosen a lighter bodied Pinot Noir.  This year we will accent our dinner with a Rose' of Pinot Noir.  A good choice is the Acrobat Rose' of Pinot Noir which I reviewed in September,( https://scwinejoe.blogspot.com/2018/09/acrobat-rose-of-pinot-noir-oregon-2017.html ). The wine that we will have this year is Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Rose'of Pinot Noir.  This is a dry, medium bodied Rose' with flavors of red cherry and some tropical fruit.  The bright acidity makes this a great pairing for our turkey dinner.  I purchased this wine from the winery ($24) and you will not likely find it at your retail outlet.  You likely can find the Acrobat mentioned above or some other Rose' of Pinot Noir...

Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer for November 2018 is featuring their VINTJS Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, which they are selling for $8.99.  They are anticipating that you might select this Pinot Noir to accompany your Thanksgiving turkey or ham. For the past several months, we have been enjoying several Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs and I have written on this blog about several of them.  I can assure you that none of them cost under $10.  So, I had to bring home a couple of bottles to see if this is a fantastic Trader Joe's bargain (or not). Neither the Fearless Flyer nor the bottle give any useful information to judge the wine.  As with most Trader Joe's wines, we do not know who grew the grapes or made the wine.  The bottle says the wine is vinted by ABJ Wines, Geyserville CA.but that is just a paper company to hide the actual maker of the wine. The first thing you notice is that this is a 2017 vintage, so it is very young.  The second thing you notice...

Costco is now selling their Kirkland Signature Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 for only$8.99.  This may be the first release of this wine since I have no notes about any previous vintage. The bottle names the wine maker as Brandon Rice, who is director of winemaking for Wahluke Wine Company.  The wine was aged for 16 months in French and American oak and is said to have 14.5% alcohol. I taste blueberry, blackberry and a little vanilla.  The wine is generally smooth with some tannins in the decent finish.  There are not many $9 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignons worth buying but this is an excellent choice for a midweek casual dinner.  Costco has another winner. SC Wine Joe rating = 88 points

Bogle Vineyards has always been known for friendly priced wines that deliver quality beyond expectation.  Recently, Wine Enthusiast Magazine named Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel as their #1 best buy for 2018. I have not been buying much Zinfandel lately.  It seemed that every Zinfandel I tried, including my old standby Kirkland Sonoma Old Vine Zin, was too sweet for my taste.  I was beginning to think that I needed to up my allowable price point and then I found the Bogle Old Vine Zin at Costco.  This wine changes everything. Bogle Old Vine Zin was aged for 12 months in 2 year old American oak barrels.  The wine has 14.5% alcohol. The wine is a medium dark color with some cherry tones.  The flavors that I detected were blackberry. black pepper, tobacco and some hints of vanilla.  There are medium tannins and the finish is long.  I really like this wine and I can see why it would be considered a best buy.  This wine is selling for just under...

I made a great find at Costco last week.  Zolo Unoaked Chardonnay 2017 was selling for only $7.99.  I checked Total Wine's website and they are selling it for $15.99.  How can there be so much difference?  Zolo is 100% sustainably farmed, estate grown Chardonnay from the mountains of Mendoza Argentina. Typically, I drink Chardonnay which is aged in neutral oak barrels.  I do not like buttery, oaky Chardonnay, but a little oak is acceptable.  My experience with unoaked Chardonnay is mixed with some being too tart and lemon tasting.  Zolo Unoaked Chardonnay is one that I really liked.  This is a very fruit forward Chardonnay with flavors of citrus, pear, melon, apples and peaches.  If you love Chardonnay, you cannot pass this one up, especially for $7.99. SC Wine Joe does not assign numerical ratings to white wines.  James Suckling rated the wine at 93 points.

Every year, Costco brings out the Kirkland Signature Cotes du Rhone Villages.  This is one of my favorites, selling for only $6.99.  I have also observed other customers buying it by the case. Since I have written about four previous vintages of this wine and the wine has been consistent over the years, there is little new to add.  I only wish to alert readers of this blog that the 2017 vintage Cotes du Rhone is now at Costco.  A blog about a previous vintage can be found at  https://scwinejoe.blogspot.com/2016/09/kirkland-cotes-du-rhone-villages-2015.html. SC Wine Joe rating = 89 points

Two years ago, I wrote about the Amalgama Red Blend 2013, which I liked and rated at 88 points.  Not everyone agreed with me.  One reader commented that it was the worst wine he had ever tasted and another blogger rated it much lower than I rated it.  Nevertheless, I bought several bottles of the wine and enjoyed every one.  Now, Costco has a large supply of the Amalgama Red Table Wine 2015 priced at $8.99.  Since I am noticing a high number of pageviews on my blog about the 2013 Amalgama, there must be some interest in this wine.  Amalgama Red is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Syrah.  There is a pleasant aroma of dark fruit in the glass.  However, the flavor is somewhat tart and the finish is harsh and spicy.  I just do not enjoy this 2015 Amalgama as much as I described two years ago.  I do not expect to buy more this time. SC Wine Joe rating = 87 points

Costco has a tremendous price on Franciscan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  Total Wine sells this wine for $21.97, but Costco is selling it for $14.99.  If you appreciate good, moderately priced Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is time to head to Costco.  I hope your local Costco has it in stock! The 2015 vintage was a great year for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  There was less than normal rainfall which stressed the grapes, improved the quality and reduced the quantity of grapes harvested.  Wine Enthusiast rated the 2015 vintage year at 95 points, which is superb. Franciscan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of grapes grown in the Rutherford, Oakville and Oak Knoll AVA's.  The wine is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec.  After fermentation and blending, the wine was aged 20 months in French Oak and has an alcohol content of 13.5%. This is a rich, full bodied wine with flavors of blackberry, dark cher...

Acrobat Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir have long been favorites at our house, but we had never tried Acrobat Rose' of Pinot Noir.  This Rose' is widely available but I just passed it by.  Now, I am preparing a presentation on the "Wines of Oregon" and that is an excuse for trying every Oregon wine in the store.  This is one wine I wish I had tried sooner. King Estates created the Acrobat series of wines to pair with casual meals.  The wines have been highly rated and reasonably priced, so it is not surprising that they have been best sellers.  However, earlier this year, King Estates made a business decision to sell the brand to the Foley Family of Wines.  The Foley Family of wines consists of 23 brands, including well known labels such as Sabastiani, Guenoc, Chalk Hill Estate, Chalone Vineyard and Oregon winery Four Graces.  I cannot predict how this will ultimately change Acrobat Wines, but this 2017 Acrobat Rose' was produced by King Estates and I have...

Several months ago, I reviewed Canoe Ridge Explorer Red Blend which I really liked.  I actually saved a bottle which we will open soon and see if it is even better with a few months additional in the bottle.  Last week, I found the Canoe Ridge Expedition Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 from Horse Heaven Hills Washington at my local wine shop.  I had to give it a try! The 2015 Expedition Cabernet Sauvignon is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Syrah from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in the Columbia Valley.  The wine was aged 9 months in 100% American Oak and has an alcohol content of 14.3%. This wine pours a deep red/purple color.  We tasted dark cherry, plum, blackberry, cola, smoke, licorice and a hint of herbal flavors.  The oak is in balance with the dark fruit flavors.  The finish is long. There is wide disagreement on ratings for this wine.  Wine Enthusiast rated it at only 86 points while Wine and Spirits rated it as 92 points and a best buy.  I...

Costco regularly stocks Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon and I have been a regular buyer of that terrific low priced wine.  A few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find Bonterra Merlot at my Costco warehouse for $10.79 and, of course, I brought some home. The various organic grape lots in this wine were aged separately and blended to create the final Merlot wine which includes small amounts of Petite Sirah and Malbec.  Aging occured in a combination of French and American oak for 12 months and the wine is said to have 13.7% alcohol. We found this Merlot to have smooth and fresh blackberry, plum flavors.   The  tannins are soft and the fruit flavors continued into the medium long finish.  There is a lot to like and nothing to dislike in this wine.  Wine Enthusiast rated this at 91 points.  While that rating may be a little high, you will not find a tastier Merlot for $10.79.  If your Costco has this wine, you will want to grab a few bottles be...

It has been 9 days since our trip to Oregon, where we were blown away with the quality and diversity of Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley.  Since our arrival home, we have tried a couple of Oregon Pinot Noir wines available locally in the under $20 category but they have been disappointing and we do not plan to buy them again.  Clearly, we cannot afford to buy high quality, small production $50 wines as our everyday wines. It was at this point, that I remembered reading on another blog about Firesteed Willamette Valley Pinot Noir being highly rated and available at Costco for$10.49.  I set out on a field trip to Costco but it was not there.  I think I remember previously seeing it at Trader Joe's but I went directly to Total Wine and purchased it for $12.29 - more than Costco but still a very good price. Firesteed Pinot Noir is mostly aged in stainless steel tamks with a small percentage of oak aged wine added to  the final blend.  This results in a...

I purchased Eola Hills Pinot Gris Oregon 2015 at my local wine shop, Wine Xpress, for $15.99 but it is also available at Total Wine for the same price.  We actually did not taste this wine on our recent visit to the Eola Hills winery because we concentrated our tasting on red wines.  Although this wine is labeled as from the Oregon AVA, it actually is 100% estate grown grapes from the Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley AVA.  Although this wine is slightly more expensive than some other Oregon Pinot Gris, it is actually very fairly priced for an estate wine from the smaller AVA. The first thing I noticed when I poured this wine was the floral, perfumed aroma.  Even more impressive was the floral, herbal tea like flavor which accompanied the usual pear and apple.  I found the wine to be light, crisp and not too tart. This wine is a wonderful summertime accompaniment for light seafood and salads. SC Wine Joe does not assign numerical rating...

We just returned from a trip to Oregon that included visits to wineries in the Willamette Valley which stretches from Portland to Eugene, Oregon.  The hillsides rising from the fertile valley are uniquely suited in climate and soils to the growing of Pinot Noir grapes.  Many of the Pinot Noir wines are world class and the highest rated in North America.  We were amazed at the diversity of Pinot Noir flavors found in these wines. Readers of this blog may have noticed that we enjoyed and reviewed several Oregon wines prior to our trip and should not be surprised with posts about more Oregon wines in the near future.  The following is a summary of the wineries we visited: REX HILL The first vines were planted at the Estate Vineyard in 1982 which along with their Jacob-Hart Vineyard is located in the Chehalem Mountain sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley AVA.  In 2007, Rex Hill was sold to the founders of A to Z Wineworks.   Today, A to Z produces large p...

A few weeks ago, LIDL had a 40% off sale on some European wines.  One of the wines I selected was this Vina Corba Granacha from Spain which normally sells for $6.99.  Lately, I have had so many wines to try and I just got around to this one. Campo de Borga is a wine region within Aragon in northeastern Spain.  The area has Atlantic influences in the winter and Mediterranean influences in the summer.   The soil and climate is suitable for growing Granach. Vina Corba Granacha Imperial is 100% Granacha from vines that are at least 30 years old.  The wine is aged for 6 months in American oak.  The winery that produces this wine produces Don Ramon Campo de Borja Granach Imperial Roble.  The labels of both wines are identical except for the name and the wine appears to be the same.  Perhaps, the Don Ramon name could not be used by LIDL. The wine is medium bodied with flavors of ripe cherry and blackberry.  The finish is a little rough ar...

A few months ago, I was dreaming about owning my own winery.  Of course, at this stage of my life, I am not willing to take that risk nor do I want to do the work.  But I did some research and found that I could buy stock in the publicly traded Willamette Valley Vineyards (WVVI) in Turner, Oregon.  After doing our due dilligence, my wife and I purchased some shares of common stock and we are now proud owners of a very small portion of a winery and vineyards. I found a bottle of Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir at Green's Beverage store in Greenville.  The unique feature of this wine is that uncrushed grape clusters are fermented.  This is said to enhance the fresh fruit flavors of the wine.  I will testify that this is a delicious, juicy fruit forward wine with flavors of cherry, blackberry, raspberry and a touch of earthiness.  The finish on the wine is soft and long lasting.  I love this wine! I paid $19.56 for this wine ...

Total Wine and More mailed me a coupon for 25% off a $100 purchase.  The great thing about this coupon was that it did not apply only to "winery direct" wines but could be used on any wine except those whose price ended in $.97.   When I get a coupon like this, I always use it on name brand wines that are not priced with the $.97 ending.  The trick to maximize the coupon is to exceed the $100 amount by as little as possible and I did really well by selecting wines that totaled $101.49.  One of the wines I selected was King Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2015.  This wine is priced at $22.49 but with my coupon, I paid $16.92. The King Estate Winery is at the south end of the Willamette Valley AVA, southwest of Eugene Oregon.  Their estate vineyards are managed using bio-dynamic methods.  The grapes for this Pinot Noir are from the estate vineyards blended with grapes from other Willamette Valley growers who use sustainable practices. Some O...

Our local Costco is selling 689 Cellars Killer Drop Red Wine for $18.99.  This blog focuses on wines selling for under $20 and the Costco price is at the high end of that range.  I had never seen this wine before buying it and my research found that it has only limited distribution and the average price is around $30. The wine is a blend of Grenache, Petit Sirah, Syrah and Zinfandel incorporating grapes from Napa Valley, Sonoma, Sierra Foothills, Lodi and Mendocino.  It was aged 10 months in French Oak (25% new) and has an alcohol content of 14.5%. This is a rich, soft, full bodied wine with flavors of blueberry, dark cherry, cola and spice.  There are oak flavors but not a lot of tannins.  The oak and spice remain in your mouth for a long finish.  This is a fantastic wine which I really enjoyed.  Wine Enthusiast rated the wine at 91 points and I agree with their review.  I hope your Costco has this wine. SC Wine Joe rating = 91 points ...

Dave Phinney, founder of Locations Wines, wants to make the best possible wine from a country or region.  To do this, he removes restrictions that limit his freedom to achieve his goal.  This is especially true in European countries such as Italy, where rules restrict blending across appellations.  If you do not follow the appellation restrictions, you can only market your blend as "table wine" and you cannot show the vintage year.  Phinney avoids vintage year by labeling his Italian blend as I-1, I-2, etc.   Locations Wine was sold by Dave Phinney in June 2018 to E & J Gallo.  The press release states that Phinney will continue as the winemaker and leader for this brand.  Consolidation of wine brand ownerships into a few major corporations continues and that may not be a good thing, but  Gallo's clout may make this wine more widely available. Locations I-4 is a blend of Negroamaro and Nero d'Avola from Puglia in Southern Italy and Ba...

Lidl is having one of their 40% off wine sales, this time featuring wines from Italy, Spain and France.  I was out of town and only able to buy a few bottles yesterday.  As I write this, today (July 18) is the last day for the sale.  This bottle of Barbera D'Asti regularly sells for $5.99 and I bought it for $3.59, not much more than the price of two buck chuck. Asti is a province in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy.  The principal red grape variety is Barbera which has been grown there since the 17th century.  In fact, Barbera is the third most planted red grape variety in Italy. When you pour this wine, you will immediately note the deep color of the wine.  However, this is a medium bodied wine with flavors of cherry, strawberry, raspberry and a little blueberry.  The wine has a higher acidity and modest tannins.  Unless you were expecting a heavier bodied wine, this is a flavorful and enjoyable wine.  It would be hard to beat thi...

Elkin Creek Vineyard has been one of my favorite Yadkin Valley wineries.  I have mentioned the winery in two previous posts about the Yadkin Valley, most recently on May 6, 2018.  One of the unique things about this winery is that one of the owners is a skilled baker.  Bread is usually available and on Sundays he bakes pizza.  The pizza is sold only by the large pizza size and since this is a very popular item, your pizza dough ball must be reserved ahead.  You can arrive anytime on Sunday and order your toppings and enjoy your pizza and some wine. We recently had a road trip to Philadelphia and knew we would be in the Elkin North Carolina area around lunch time on a Sunday.  This was perfect timing for pizza and we advance ordered our pizza dough ball.  One large pizza was perfect for 2 people and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We accompanied our pizza with Elkin Creek Dornfelder wine.  Dornfelder grapes were originally bred in the Rhine region of...

When I think of Joel Gott wines, I think of California.  However, Gott has been making Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley of Oregon for several years. Joel Gott sources Pinot Gris grapes from several sub-appellations in the Willamette Valley, including Dundee Hills, Yamhill-Carlton  and Chehalem Mountains.  Each sub-appellation has its own micro-climate and soil conditions.  The 100% Pinot Gris juice from each of these sub-appelations is aged in 100% stainless steel and then blended to achieve the desired flavors. The wine in the glass has a slight peach color with tropical aromas.  The best words to describe the wine are fresh and crisp.  The wine is definitely fruit forward with flavors of peach, pineapple, melon and grapefruit.  You may also detect some minerality in the finish.  The wine has 13.2% alcohol and is a great summertime wine for poolside sipping.  I definitely plan to buy some more. In my area, both Trad...

One year ago, Lidl opened the first North American stores.  On my initial visit, I purchased the 2012 Northbound Railway Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley.  I was exuberant when I tasted the wine, calling it a $30 wine selling for $15. Time passes and last week Lidl advertised Northbound Railway Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon on sale for $10.49.  Since I drive past the store nearly every day, I told Wine Jane I needed to get bananas and stopped for bananas and wine.  After bringing the wine home, I noticed some unusual facts when comparing the bottle to the wine I reviewed last year:      1.  The wine I bought last year was a 2012 vintage.  One year later, the wine was a 2015                         vintage.  What happened to 2013 and 2014?      2.  This wine has 13.5% alcohol and the 2012 had 15%.  That is a signific...

It has been three years since I last blogged about the Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, Sonoma County.  Since I have recently been enjoying "Untamed Vine Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon" from Lidl, this is a great time to revisit the Kirkland wine and make a comparison. Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley is a deep violet color in the glass.  It is a fruit forward Cabernet with flavors of blackberry, black cherry and plum with a distinct undertone of mocha.  The tannins are dusty and not harsh with a long lasting finish. From my notes, I believe that I enjoyed this wine even more than the past vintages. We decided to do a side by side taste comparison of the Kirkland Alexander Valley Cabernet and the Untamed Vine Alexander Valley Cabernet.  I knew which glass was which wine, but my research assistant, SC Wine Jane, did not.  We both agreed that we could barely tell any difference between the wines.  I think ...

 I never know what to expect from Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Napa County.  Looking back over my previous reviews, I found that I did not like the 2011 version, liked the 2012, was unimpressed with the 2013 and liked the 2014.  Although I would rate the 2014 version and the current 2015 version equally at 90 points, my review of the 2014 version does not match my impressions of the 2015.  I described the previous vintage having flavors of blackberry, plum and a little vanilla.  This year, I taste more black cherry, blackberry, no vanilla and a little cola.  Nevertheless, this is a smooth, rich blend with a pleasant long lasting finish.  The wine has 14.9% alcohol and delivers more than you would expect from a wine costing $12.99. SC Wine Joe rating = 90 points

Back in 2016, I wrote about Cherry Blossom Pinot Noir from Trader Joe's.  At a price of $4.99, I found it an exceptional value.  I shared the wine in a tasting I led at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Furman University and several people told me that they liked it better than the more expensive wines I presented. Now, Trader Joe's has introduced a Cherry Blossom Rose' also priced at $4.99.  You may remember that Cherry Blossom wines are produced by the Bronco Wine Company, the same company behind Charles Shaw (Two Buck Chuck) wines. Cherry Blossom Rose' is a very drinkable wine.  The color is a little darker than most Rose' wines and an aroma of sweet fruit bursts from the glass.  The flavors detected are cherry and strawberry.  This is a fun, enjoyable poolside or patio wine.  It is a little too sweet to be a serious food wine but not overly sweet like a blush wine from our youth.  Just like the Cherry Blossom Pinot Noir, this is the...

I have reviewed Kirkland Signature Sonoma County Old Vine Zinfandel every year since I started this blog.  It is always a dependable favorite for under $10 and is usually introduced into the warehouses in the first quarter of the year.  I have been looking for the wine for months since I read online reviews of the wine that indicated it was available elsewhere.  For some unknown reason I could not find it at the Greenville SC store.  Finally, I found a small display of the wine last week.  Who can explain the workings of Costco? In prior years, I was quite happy with this wine.  I rated it 90 points every year but one.  Fortunately, I bought two bottles of the 2015 version, because the first bottle that I opened was not very flavorful.  It did not seem to have been ruined by air reaching the wine but the fruit flavors were dull.  Who knows what can happen during transportation and storage of  the wine. The second bottle had the bright ...

It had been a few years since we last visited Burntshirt Vineyards and Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards.  Yesterday, we decided to make a day trip to both tasting rooms preceded by lunch at "A Day in the Country".  Both tasting rooms and the restaurant are just east of Hendersonville, NC. Burntshirt Vineyards is a vineyard and a winery.  The beautiful outdoor porch and patio area features a long view over the vineyards with mountain ridges in the background.  The facilities and the outdoor landscaping are well maintained.  The tasting consisted of choosing 5 wines out of the 18 available for $10.  My favorite was the Cabernet Franc, a medium bodied red with flavors of cherry and dark cherry.  The wine was aged 18 months in French and American oak.  Wine Jane liked the "Sunset Sippin" semi sweet blend of Traminette and Petite Manseng.  She also favored the Meritage left bank (more Merlot) Bordeaux style blend. Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards ...

I recently purchased Casa Santos Lima Colossal Reserva 2015 at Costco for $7.99.  As prominently shown on the bottle, Wine Spectator rated this wine at 90 points and included the wine on their 2017 list of top 100 wines (#60).  Buying such a prestigious wine for $8 was a no-brainer. Colossal Reserva is from the Lisboa wine region of Portugal, north and west of the City of Lisbon.  The region is long and thin near the Atlantic coast and the eastern portions are protected by hills providing warmer temperatures suited for red wine grapes. The wine is a blend of 30% Touriga Nacional, 30% Syrah, 30% Tinta Roriz and 10% Alacante Bouschet aged in both French and American oak.  The wine has 14% Alcohol. Colossal pours a dark ruby red color with aromas of red and black fruit.  The flavor is rich black fruit with an herbal tone.  The finish is a little spicy and peppery with medium tannins.  While this is a very good but unusual wine, I would not place it ...

I did not plan to write about another Lidl Summer Wine Fair selection tonight.  I bought 6 wines on the first day of the wine fair to take advantage of the "mix and match 30% off six or more bottles" and I have written about 4 of the wines.  I was not impressed with the fifth selection (Corte Allodola Pinot Grigio).  I have now tasted the sixth wine, Untamed Vine Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, and this wine is such a good buy that I feel obligated to write about it before the 30% off sale ends about 24 hours from now. The Untamed Vine Cabernet Sauvignon is from the Alexander Valley region in Sonoma County.  This region extends northward from Healdsburg to the Mendocino County line and from the Russian River  to the Mayacamas Mountains.  We visited this area a few years ago stopping at tasting rooms for Simi and Rodney Strong wineries.  Alexander Valley is noted for rich, voluptuous Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  The soils can impart ...

The fourth wine from the Lidl Summer Wine Fair is Blazing Earth Rutherford Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015.  This wine sells for $19.99 and is part of Lidl's regular Sommelier Selection line.  I never previously tried this wine, but buying it during the first week sale gave me a chance to try it for $13.99. The Rutherford AVA is centered on the town of Rutherford in the middle of the Napa Valley.  It is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon. As with most Lidl wines, there is not much useful information on the label.  We know that the wine has 14.5% alcohol and was made in a sustainable winery.  The wine pours a rich dark ruby red with dark berry aromas.  Flavors noted include dark cherry and some spice.  There are some dusty tannins that are not overpowering.  This is a very enjoyable wine and a very nice buy for $14.  I might buy it for $20 but I would not rush to the store. I have tried to taste as many of the Lidl Summer Wine Fair se...

The third wine I tried from the Lidl spring wine fair is Cavatappi Sangiovese Columbia Valley.  This wine is produced by Precept Wine in Walla Walla, Washington.  Precept is the maker of Canoe Ridge, Waterbrook and Pendulum Wines which I previously enjoyed and wrote about. This Cavatappi is 100% Sangiovese aged for 5 months in neutral oak.  The wine pours a lighter shade of red than I expected with a sweet floral aroma.  For a red wine, this is light bodied with raspberry, strawberry, and black cherry flavors.  The finish came with unexpected tannins.  I was not that enthusiastic about this wine and there are better choices in the Lidl sale.  The wine is $8.99 and I paid $6.29 in their sale that ends May 23, 2018. SC Wine Joe rating = 86 points

Visigodo Rueda Verdejo is the second wine I tried from the Lidl summer wine fair.  This Spanish white wine is from the Rueda wine region on the Duoro River, 90 miles northwest of Madrid.  This region is west of Rioja and is known for white wines made predominately from the Verdejo grape. Yesterday, I wrote about the Love Joy white blend from Oregon.  If you poured me a glass of Visigodo Rueda Verdejo and told me that it was from a second bottle of Love Joy white blend, I would have totally believed you.  Visigodo Rueda Verdejo is a refreshing, easy drinking, dry, crisp summer wine that begins with citrus flavors.  If there is any difference from the Love Joy white blend it is that the finish is less grapefruit with more tannins.  The difference is very small.  The great thing about this wine is that it is only $4.99 at Lidl (half the price of Love Joy white) and with the 30% discount this week, I paid $3.50.  This has to be the best bargain of t...

LIDL has begun their summer wine fair.  Lidl's Master of Wine, Adam Lapierre selected 31 summer wines for this event and for the first week, May 17 thru May 23 you can mix and match 6 or more bottles for 30% off the regular price.  Some of the 31 wines are regular stock and some have been brought in for this event. As part of this event, Lidl is introducing Love Joy wines from Oregon.  This line of wines is unique to Lidl and will be available for a limited time.  The brightly colored labels, front and back, have limited useful information.  The only things we know are that the wines are produced by Union Wine Company in Tualatin, Oregon from unknown grape varietals harvested somewhere in Oregon in 2017 and the wine has 12.5% alcohol.  Online, I learned that Union Wine Company is located south of Portland and is best known for producing Underwood wines in bottles and cans.  The Love Joy wine collection includes white, Pinot Noir and rose' which all s...

I have not seen Kirkland Signature Toscana at Costco in previous years so I assume it is a new offering this year.   Apparently, it has been in some Costco warehouses for a few weeks but it just arrived in Greenville.  Sometimes Costco works in mysterious ways. This wine is a 80% Sangiovese with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot.  It is classified as a "Super Tuscan" because it is predominantly the Italian grape Sangiovese blended with small amounts of French varietals.  I purchased two bottles and I liked the second better than the first.  Sometimes there can be a difference between bottles but more often, two wine days are different so I will be giving my impressions of the second bottle. This is a medium bodied wine with flavors of dark cherry and raspberry.  The tannins are smooth and the finish is crisp and long lasting.  Although this can be an informal wine, there is good quality here for the $13.99 price and I will buy more. ...

We just returned from a trip to the Yadkin Valley, North Carolina wine country.  Since, the Yadkin Valley is only 150 miles from home, we have visited the area several times in the past.  This trip was less enjoyable for several reasons, including that some of the wineries had sold out of their best wines with new vintages not yet released.  The wines we did drink were not as good as we remembered in the past.  Here are our reflections on the wineries we visited: West Bend Vineyards West Bend was one of the early vineyards in North Carolina and produced some excellent wines.  The winery closed a few years ago and reopened in October 2016 under new owners Walt and Sonya Breathwit.  The new owners razed the old inadequate tasting room and winery and built a new state of the art facility.  The vines were neglected during the closure and the new owners are working hard to restore the vineyard.  Some of their current wines are made with grapes from ...

Bogle Phantom is a popular red blend from California.  The wine is a blend of 42% Petite Sirah, 34% Zinfandel, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot aged 24 months in one and two year old American oak.  The alcohol content is 14.5% by volume. The wine name and the bottle label evoke feelings of mystery and suspense lurking in the shadows.  The wine pours a dark ruby color with aromas of raisins and spice.  There are many concentrated flavors layered into this wine.  I detected black cherry, blackberry, cherry cola, vanilla and some baking spice with dusty tannins.  This wine was quite different from the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominated red blends we have been drinking lately and we really enjoyed the Phantom! The Greenville Costco is currently selling the Phantom for $14.99 and Total Wine and More sells it for $16.99.  Otherwise you will probably pay about $20 in a grocery.  We have stocked up a few bottles while it is available at ...

Yesterday, April 22, 2018 was Earth Day.  To celebrate, we opened a bottle of Frey Field Blend Mendocino Biodynamic red wine.  At the headwaters of the Russian River in Mendocino County, Frey has created a unique vineyard.  A biodynamic environment is created by planting organic wheat betweeen the rows of grapes and by pasturing sheep, goats and chickens in the vineyard.  Native plants attract beneficial insects and no pesticides are used.  In the winemaking, organic grapes are used with no preservatives, no added sulfites and no gmo yeast.   If you are prone to headaches when drinking wine, this wine could solve your problem. Frey Field Blend is a Rhone style red wine.  They do not state the blend but we can assume it is some combination of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.  I noticed an aroma of cherry coke and cocoa.  Crisp flavors of dark cherry, blackberry and some earthiness followed.  The tannins are mild and the finish is aci...

When I saw Robert Mondavi Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon, I wondered if this was a gimmick to sell wine or if it was a way to add flavor to low quality wine.  After all, it was only $9.99 at Costco, so it could be a wine that ends up in our next pasta sauce. Aging wine in used bourbon barrels began in 2014 as a way to boost flavor and richness.  Bourbon barrels are heavily charred and usually used only once for aging bourbon so they are readily available.  You would certainly expect them to add different aromas and flavors to wine. Robert Mondavi makes this wine from grapes grown in coastal vineyards of Monterey County.  Only a portion of the wine is aged in bourbon barrels obtained from a Kentucky distillery.  When you open the bottle, you immediately notice a bourbon influenced aroma.  The wine is fruity with toasty oak and vanilla tones and I could definitely taste a bourbon flavor. Yes, I think the bourbon barrel aging is a gimmick and it ...