South Carolina Wine Joe

We love Willamete Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir.  We order their estate, reserve, and specialty wines directly from the winery and enjoy them on special occasions.  On Thanksgiving, we enjoyed the widely available Whole Cluster Pinot Noir.  On Christmas day, we paired the 2016 Estate Pinot Noir (see my previous review here ) with our Turkey and Dressing and on Christmas Eve we paired the 2017 Founders Reserve Pinot Noir with Lasagna. Willamette Valley Vineyards 2017 Founders Reserve Pinot Noir is a relatively small production wine with only 222 barrels produced.  It is not widely available but can be purchased from the winery for $40.  There are flavors of cranberry, Raspberry and toasted oak.  I find the wine to have a creamy texture.  This is a fantastic special occasion wine.  SC Wine Joe rating = 92 points. There are many great wineries in Oregon to visit and Willamette Valley Vineyards is one of the best.  If you visit, please tell We...

It is less than 2 weeks until New Years Eve and it may be time to select a sparkling wine for your celebration.  If you are looking for an enjoyable but low priced wine, Proseco is a good alternative.  A friend of this blog brought Allini Conegliano Valdobbiadene from Lidl to my attention.  I purchased a bottle and realized that it was very similar to the Cecilia Benetta Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiandene from Trader Joe's I reviewed a couple of years ago.  See my review HERE .  Both wines are priced at $9.99 and are quite enjoyable. The Allini Prosecco is labeled as "extra dry" and that is a correct description.  The taste leans toward minerality without sweet fruity flavors.  The bubbles of carbon dioxide are small and the aftertaste is pleasant.  Either this wine or the Trader Joe's wine make for a nice party wine. SC Wine Joe does not assign numerical ratings to white wines.

It has been two years since I last wrote about a version of this wine.  Back then, it was labeled as Napa Valley Meritage.  I do not know the reason for the name change, but this is still a blend of Bordeaux grapes.  This 2016 version is a blend of Merlot (67%), Cabernet Sauvignon (24%), Petit Verdot (4%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Malbec (2%) with the alcohol content listed as 14.5%.  This blend has more Merlot and less Cabernet Sauvignon than any of the four vintages I previously have reviewed. As in the past, this is a rich, smooth wine with flavors of black cherry and plum with a long lasting spicy finish.  At first, I did not notice the oak in the finish and really enjoyed the wine.  By the time that we finished the bottle, I became more aware of the oak.  Therefore, I really recommend that you drink this with food.  This wine is only $10.99 and is an exceptional wine for that price. SC Wine Joe rating = 89 points

Earlier this year, Trader Joe's released a series of terrific Patinum Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons from the sub-AVA's of Napa Valley incuding Atlas Peak and Howell Mountain and from Knights Valley in Sonoma County.  The current Fearless Flyer is featuring another wine in this series, Trader Joe's Platinum Reserve Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2017.  When my Fearless Flyer arrived, I took a trip to the local Trader Joe's to snag a bottle. I am not sure why this wine is labeled Rutherford Napa County and not Rutherford Napa Valley.  The Fearless Flyer indicates it is from Rutherford, Napa Valley and that it is 100% Cabernet that was aged in oak barrels (50% American, 50% French) for 6 months.  That is not a long aging time, so you expect this to be a fruit forward, easy drinking wine.  The alcohol content is stated as 14.6%. Some of the previous Platinum Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons mentioned above had, in my opinion, an over abundance of vanilla flavors.  ...

Firesteed Pinot Noir Willamette Valley used to be my favorite low priced Pinot Noir.  You could buy it for around $12 and it was very good.  In fact, on this blog I rated the 2014 vintage at 90 points and I remember the 2015 vintage being just as good.  Then there was a change in ownership of the brand and the 2017 vintage did not meet my expectations.  I rated the 2017 vintage as 87 points, although some other online blogs rated it higher.  Today, Costco is selling the 2017 vintage, but the new 2018 vintage has been released to other vendors. I found the 2018 Firesteed Pinot Noir at Trader Joe's for $11.99 and decided to see if the wine has regained its past quality.  I am happy to report that is the case.  Do not expect tannins or oak influences.  The wine is fermented and mostly aged in stainless steel.  However, there is a lot of fruit forward, cherry/ raspberry flavor with some black cherry at the end.  It is a very enjoyable, eve...

We have visited Burntshirt Vineyards in Hendersonville, North Carolina several times and always enjoyed the wines and the view of the vineyards.  Two years ago, Burntshirt opened their Tasting Room and Bistro at the entrance to Chimney Rock park, near Lake Lure, NC. but we had not visited it until last week.  This is a beautiful facility with a fantastic view of Chimney Rock from the front deck.  We did a tasting to select our wine for lunch. We both enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich accompanied by their seasonal Holiday Red which is a blend of Chambourcin and Cabernet Franc ($24).  Chambourcin is  a French American hybrid grape that grows especially well in North Carolina and it has a very distinctive flavor and aroma that I really like.  I found this wine to be very flavorful with a hint of sweetness.  The wine was released in October, but as of this writing is no longer on the winery website.  I really recommend it but you will have to contact t...

Every once in a while, a wine from a tasting surprises you and is far better than you expected.   That was the case with Shelton Vineyards Two-Five-Nine Petit Verdot.  We have visited Shelton Vineyards several times, but lately only during spring and fall special events.  The tastings offered during those events were noisy, hurried and at least once done with plastic cups.  Those tastings did not include their reserve wines, labeled under the Two-Five-Nine branding and we came away underwhelmed. This time, we visited at an uncrowded morning hour and our server included a few reserve wines in the tasting.  Not only were the estate wines more enjoyable, but the reserve wines were outstanding. Many wineries in the Yadkin Valley grow Petit Verdot to blend with their Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The climate in eastern U.S. growing regions, is just not the same as California and other regions famous for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  The wines ar...

Barboursville Vineyards is one of my favorite wineries in Virginia.  It was the first to successfully grow European wine grapes in Virginia, when the Zonin family from Italy purchased the property in the1970's and brought Gabriele Rausse to America to establish the vineyards.  Today, Barboursville is one of the largest wineries in Virginia. Viognier has been so successfully grown in Virginia that it was designated the state grape.  Barboursville ferments the wine in stainless steel and ages it on the lees for 11 months in stainless steel.  This process results in a softer, less crisp wine.  I found flavors of minerality, tropical fruit and honey.  The AVA is listed as Virginia, so not all of the grapes are from the Monticello AVA.  My local wine shop sells this for $19.99.  I know this may not be the best Viognier from Virginia, but it is very good and it is the only Virginia Viognier available in my area.  I enjoyed it and will buy more. ...

The Yadkin Valley AVA in North Carolina is 150 miles from our home and it contains approximately 45 wineries and vineyards.  We usually go for a two day visit, once or twice a year and this time, I was on a mission.  I am presenting a talk and tasting in February 2020 for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Furman University on "Wines of the Eastern United States" and I want to include one wine from the Yadkin Valley. We visited six wineries and these were the wines we liked at each: Shadow Springs Vineyard  2014 Meritage $28 Piccione Vineyards  Sangiovese 2015 Hanover Park Vineyard  Cabernet Franc 2013  $28 Elkin Creek Vineyard  Classico 2016 Adagio Vineyards  Cabernet Franc Reserve 2016  $24 Shelton Vineyards  Two-Five-Nine Petit Verdot Reserve $25 Spoiler Alert for Furman OLLI members!  The wine we purchased for our tasting is the Shelton Vineyards Reserve Petit Verdot. We had a great time with ...

Matetic EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc is from the Cassablanca Valley in Chile.  When you think of Chilean wine, you may first think of Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux red blends but Chile is a large country with varied climates.  The grapes for this Sauvignon Blanc are from the windswept vineyard of Valle Hermoso, only 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean. This wine pours a pale yellow color in the glass.  There are aromas of citris and lime and flavors of Tangerine and Grapefruit.  This is a crisp acidic wine with minerality on the finish.  It is not as grassy as a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc but there is a touch of that here.  The fruit flavors are not as muted as in some California Sauvignon Blancs and this reminded me of what Kim Crawford was before it was made into a mass appeal, grocery store wine.  We enjoyed this wine with crab cakes and it paired well. Costco is selling this for $9.99 and it is a steal at that price.  I have already gone back...

I have been tasting more Cabernet Franc lately and enjoying it more than I expected.  Since Cabernet Franc can be grown in a wide variety of climates, the wines are quite varied in color, body and flavor.  Cabernet Franc is native to the Bordeaux region and along with Sauvignon Blanc is the parent of Cabernet Sauvignon.  Although Cabernet Franc is used for blending in Bordeaux, it is the star in many other regions such as the eastern US, parts of California and parts of South America. The wine manager of my local shop has been introducing me to the red wines from Chinon in the Loire Valley of France which are 90 to 100 percent Cabernet Franc.  The Loire Valley is a cool wine region where white wines dominate, except for the middle Loire including Chinon.  Since the climate is cool, the Cabernet Franc wines are lighter bodied and fruit forward. M. Plouzeau Chinon Rive Gauche is made from organically farmed grapes from 30 year old vines.  The aging proce...

Costco has produced their Kirkland Signature Toscana wine for several years.  The last time I reviewed it was for the 2014 vintage (see here for my post).   The bottle for the 2016 vintage does not tell the blend, but it is likely similar to the 2014 vintage which was predominately Sangiovese with lesser amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This is still a medium bodied wine with flavors of dark cherry and raspberry, but the 2016 is a little more complex with some flavors of darker berries and a touch of chocolate.  The tannns are still smooth and the wine has a nice finish. Kirkland Signature Toscana 2016 just arrived at the Greenville Costco and it remains a good value for $13.99. SC Wine Joe rating = 89 points

Red Mountain is a small AVA in Benton County near Richland Washington.  It is part of the larger Yakima Valley AVA which is part of the Columbia Valley AVA.  Red Mountain contains only about 600 acres under grape cultivation, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.  There are warm daytime temperatures, cool nights and a desert climate. Some of the most highly rated wines in the State of Washington are from this small AVA. Descendants Liegeois Dupont Red Mountain 2014 is 100% Syrah from Les Gosses Vineyard, a 16.7 acre vineyard.  The wine is 100% barrel aged for 19 months in 72% American oak and 28% French oak.  41% of the oak is new. On the nose, I detected dark berry aromas with vanilla and some cinnamon.  On the palate, I noted blueberry, vanilla, more cinnamon than I expected with some spice and dusty tannins into the finish.  This is a rich, delicious wine and I did not want the bottle to be empty.  This wo...

A reader alerted me to this wine and a couple of days later, it was featured in the Fall 2019 Fearless Flyer.  This time, the Fearless Flyer emphasized the uniqueness of the Atlas Peak region in Napa Valley and how it's wines command prices of $24 and up.  They did not try to convince us that some top winery had excess wine and Trader Joe's scooped it up and passed the tremendous savings on to their customers.  They probably have worn that story out, but lackluster demand for wine coupled with growing supply is, in fact, leading to excess supplies of wine. Atlas Peak sits on a high elevation range northeast of the City of Napa.  The elevation makes it cooler than the valley floor, but it is less impacted by the cool fog present elsewhere in Napa Valley.  Bordeaux vaietals are grown in the 1500 acres of vineyards along with Sangiovese, Syrah and Zinfandel. Trader Joe's Platinum Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Atlas Peak is very smooth and soft for Cabernet Sauvign...

Cabernet Franc is a grape native to France.  In Bordeaux, it is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  In the region of Chinon in the Loire Valley, Cabernet Franc is the major stand alone red wine.  It seems that Cabernet Franc is easily grown in most regions of the United States, from California and Washington to New York and Virginia.  In Argentina, Cabernet Franc has become a rising star in recent years. Cabernet Franc is usually a medium bodied wine with high acidity, which makes it ideal for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is known for a bell pepper like flavor that usually diminishes after decanting. Jefferson Vineyards is partially on the site of Virginia's first wine company founded by Philip Mazzei and Thomas Jefferson in 1774.  The vinifera vines were not successful and the effort ended with the Revolutionary War.  In 1986, the property owners hired Gabriele Rausse from Barboursville Winery and new vines were planted.  In...

I have not been drinking heavy red wine lately since we have been eating lighter meals during the hot South Carolina summer.  Two days ago, we decided to grill a rib steak which gave me a great opportunity to open the bottle of Ardal Reserva Ribera del Duero that has been waiting in my wine cooler. The first thing I noticed on the bottle when I spotted it at Costco was a sticker that said Wine Spectator rated the wine at 94 points.  The second thing I noticed was that this was a 2010 vintage.  The wine is 80% Tempranillo and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged 24 months in French oak.  Costco priced the wine at $19.99 which seemed to be very reasonable considering the vintage and the rating. I sipped a little wine when I opened the bottle and decided that the wine needed to aerate awhile.  I drank some at 30 minutes, but it was much better after 60 minutes.  There is a pleasant aroma of dark cherry.  The initial flavor is dark cherry which leads in...

I have noted in previous posts that last year, King Estate sold the Acrobat line of wines to Foley Family Wines.  I do not know how this will ultimately work out, but for now, the Acrobat Wines available in stores predate the sale and have been produced by King Estate.  Acrobat Pinot Noir Oregon 2016 sells for $15 at my local wine shop and at Total Wine.  Acrobat has been able to maintain this price by sourcing grapes from wine regions throughout Oregon and not just from the Willamette Valley.  However, they have been able to maintain relations with quality growers and to produce a high quality wine for the price. The wine exudes aromas of cherry, strawberry and raspberry.  While those flavors are present, there is a surprising amount of dark berry flavors.  This is not an overly dry wine and the tannins are moderate.  It is a very enjoyable wine suited for casual occasions and there are not many Pinot Noirs this good for this price. SC Wine Joe ...

It has been a few months since I have found a Trader Joe's wine that I really liked.  I can usually count on the Trader Joe's Grand Reserve wines to be top quality for the money, but lately a couple of those did not impress me.  Since Cabernet Sauvignon from one of the sub AVA's of Napa Valley are almost always very good, I purchased this Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville in the Napa Valley.  I am very glad that I did! This is a rich full bodied wine with flavors of blackberry and plum.  The oak is subdued and the tannins are fine and unobtrusive.  The wine is definitely meant to pair with red meat or red pasta but you can certainly drink it ahead of the meal.  We paired it with a red pasta and chicken and it worked really well. The wine has 13.8% alcohol and like all Trader Joe's Grand Reserve wines sells for $12.99. SC Wine Joe rating = 91 points

It has been many months since I posted about a LIDL wine.   I wanted a dry, crisp white wine to pair with my seafood pasta and was tired of the choices in my wine cooler.  Since I was already going to LIDL for a specific item, I decided to look for something new and unexpected in the wine department.  One of my selections was Laurana Verdiccio Dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 2017. "Verdiccio Dei Castelli di Jesi" is a wine region in Central Italy near the Adriatic sea.  The oldest grape growing portion of the region is the "Classico" region.  "Verdiccio" is the only grape grown.  The climate and the soils have a great influence on the flavors of the wine. This is definitely a dry wine with crisp acidity.  I noted flavors of citrus, peach. lemon and a fair amount of minerality making it an enjoyable pairing with my seafood pasta.  The wine has 13.5% alcohol and costs $8.99 at LIDL.  This is an excellent price for one of the be...

The Finger Lakes region is the most important wine grape region in the State of New York and the most important vinifera grape is Riesling.  Seneca Lake is the largest of the Finger Lakes and it has the most vineyards and wineries. Forge Cellars is a boutique winery which concentrates on Riesling and Pinot Noir wines from the southeast slopes of Seneca Lake.  85% of the grapes in their Classique Dry Riesling are from an eight mile stretch of Seneca Lake, thus reflecting the terroir of this specific stretch of the Lake.  The Riesling grapes are whole cluster pressed and aged in neutral oak (57%) and stainless steel (43%).  I really enjoy dry Riesling.  It is more versatile as a wine to enjoy with food than sweeter Rieslings. Most Rieslings are aged in 100% stainless steel and I found the very slight oak influence in this wine to really add to my enjoyment.  This is a very fine representative of Finger Lakes Riesling. The full retail price of this wine...

If you are a white wine drinker, you should become familiar with Vermentino.  It is a light bodied wine made from grapes mostly grown in Italy, especially Sardinia and parts of Tuscany.  It is usually made in a style similar to Sauvignon Blanc, but with more complexity.  Since Vermentino is not well known, it is often value priced. Prelius Vermentino is made from Organic Vermentino grapes from the Maremma region in the westernmost part of Tuscany.  There are high daytime temperatures and cool nights with sea breezes.  This wine is made in a light, floral and zesty style.  The aroma is floral with flavors of tropical fruit and pineapple.  This is a great accompaniment for any kind of seafood as well as some Asian cuisine.  I really like this and plan to purchase more. The online prices for this wine start at $15 and I bought it at Costco for $12.99. SC Wine Joe does not assign numerical ratings for white wine.

Trader Joe's has had their Grand Reserve Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands 2017 on the shelves for a while.  In fact, it was the subject of a past Fearless Flyer article, but I have been passing it up since I have a wine cooler full of Oregon Pinot.  A recent blog that I read praised this wine and I decided to give it a try. The Santa Lucia Highlands is a portion of Monterey County on the Central Coast of California.  Cool nighttime temperatures and sunny days make it an ideal location for Pinot Noir.  Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands is 100% Pinot Noir fermented and aged 5 months in 50% American oak and 50% French oak.  The alcohol is said to be 14.5%. In September of 2017, I wrote about the 2016 vintage of this wine.  I liked the wine and gave it 90 points but I am less enthusiastic about the current vintage.  I get a good dark cherry aroma and initially detect flavors of red berries and blueberries.  The finish is ...

Summer is especially suited to drinking Rose' wine and here in South Carolina, we have a lot of warm summer weather.  I recently noticed Louis Jadot Rose' at Costco for $9.99 and brought home a bottle. The House of Jadot has been producing wine in Burgundy since 1859 and today is one of the largest exporters of wine from Burgandy to the United States.  Many of their wines are highly appreciated by wine enthusiasts. This Jadot Rose' is 100% Gamay grapes from Burgundy.  Gamay is best known in the U.S. as the grape in Beaujolais Nouveau but today we are becoming more familiar with Gamay as a premium grape.  It is now even grown in cooler North American climates such as the Willamette Valley. Louis Jadot Rose' is a pale, see through pink color.  There are aromas of flowers and peaches.  This is a dry, fruity wine with flavors of light berries.  There are a lot of choices for Rose' today, but this is well worth your consideration.  We really like...

I have been enjoying Sinergia from Costco for several weeks.  I initially selected it because it was rated 92 points by Wine Enthusiast, it is made with organic grapes and Costco was selling this wine  for $9.99.  Although we are eating lighter fare and drinking white wines and Pinot Noir during the summer, we have gone through 3 or 4 bottles of this Cabernet. The grapes for Sinergia are from Valencia on the east coast of Spain.  Valencia is better known for oranges than for wine, but there is a thriving wine industry.  Monastrell is the most widely grown grape but many other varieties are also grown.  Casa Los Frailes has a history dating back 300 years and specializes in Monastrell and other Spanish grapes.  The winery's website does not indicated any recent vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon. Sinergia is a fruit forward, easy drinking Cabernet Sauvignon.  There are flavors of blackberry and hints of chocolate with mild tannins.  Several we...

In my never ending search for great Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley Oregon priced under $20, I found Point North Pinot Noir 2015 at my local wine shop.  Point North was produced by Sean Minor, a Napa County based wine maker.  Sean Minor primarily produces wines from California but began wine making with King Estates in Oregon.  In this Pinot Noir he is pointing north to his Oregon roots. This wine pours a medium dark garnet color with aromas of raspberry.  On the palate. there are flavors of raspberry and cherry finishing to black cherry and spice.  This wine has more body than usual for a Pinot Noir in this price range making it suitable for pairing with salmon or barbecue. Point North is not a widely distributed wine.  The retail price of this wine is $22 and my local wine shop prices it at $19.  Wine Enthusiast reviewed the wine and rated it at 87 points and I strongly disagree with that assessment. SC Wine Joe rating = 89 points

Dreaming Tree Wines is a collaboration between musician Dave Matthews and New Zealand wine maker Sean McKenzie.  Dave Matthews is not new to the wine business and we previously visited his Blenheim Winery near Charlottsville, Va. which we greatly enjoyed.  The goal of Dreaming Tree is to make good approachable wines at an affordable price. Dreaming Tree Crush 2016 is produced from grapes grown in the California North Coast (67%) and the Central Coast (15%).  The blend for this wine is 54% Merlot, 18% Zinfandel. 18% Petite Sirah, 4% Tannat and 6% other grapes. The alcohol content is listed at 13.5%. This wine has jammy fruit flavors which will appeal to many wine drinkers.  I initially liked it a lot, but as I drank it, I became more and more aware of its sweetness.  My final conclusion is that the wine is purposely made slightly sweet to appeal to a specific group of wine drinkers that does not include me.  I paid $10.79 for this at Costco which is ro...

It has been a long time since Total Wine has sent me a coupon that is not limited to their "winery direct" wines, but last month I received such a coupon.  I am sure it was intended for a new neighbor with an address similar to mine (welcome to the neighborhood) but I was not going to give it back.  When I went to the store to use the coupon, I wanted to try one new Oregon Pinot Noir and after scouring the shelves, I selected Left Coast Pinot Noir Willamette Valley.  Left Coast Cellars and Vineyard is a 490 Acre Estate in Rickreall Oregon, west of Salem which utilizes certified sustainable practices.  Cali's Cuvee combines all blocks and all Pinot Noir clones from the vineyard.  The wine is aged in French oak and has 13.5% alcohol. The wine begins with bright red fruit, especially raspberry, flavors and finishes with sour cherry.  We paired this with steelhead trout and it was excellent.  My preference would be less sour on the finish. Total Wine...

We love to celebrate special occasions with sparkling wine.  The "tiny bubbles" come from the wine's carbon dioxide content which can result from one of three processes:      1.  The Traditional Method, also known as Methode Champenoise, occurs where fresh yeast is added to the wine in the bottle causing a secondary fermentation in the bottle.  We know that yeast plus sugar creates alcohol and carbon dioxide.  This method creates very tiny bubbles and is the one used in Champagne.      2,  The Charmat Method involves fresh yeast and sugar added into wine held in pressurized steel tanks.  This method is used in Prosecco.      3.  Carbon Dioxide injection is used in soda pop and the cheapest sparkling wines. Sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France may only be made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes using the Methode Champenoise process.  Most of us drink Champagne to celebrate our mo...

We just returned from a trip to the Hudson River Valley where we visited several wineries.  Growing wine grapes in a cold climate with a short growing season is difficult in this part of New York.  Most vineyards grow only hybrid grapes developed to withstand the cold climate and most wineries depend heavily on grapes imported from the Long Island and Finger Lakes AVA's.  One exception is Millbrook Vineyards and Winery which was the first farm to successfully grow and vinify vinifera grape varieties in the Hudson River Valley. John Dyson was the New York State Commissioner of Agriculture in 1975 when he met Dr Konstantin Frank, who was pioneering the growth of vinifera grapes in the Finger Lakes.  Dr. Frank encouraged Dyson to try his methods to the Hudson River Valley.  In 1979, Dyson and his wife bought an abandoned 130 acre dairy farm near Millbrook, N.Y. which he eventually converted into vineyards and a winery.  The first commercial wine was released...

Costco currently has reduced prices on several wines.  In my Greenville warehouse, this includes Westmount Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2015 selling for $10.99.  Finding a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir for this price is rare.  Since the 2016 vintage of this wine has been available for a while, Costco apparently was able to buy the 2015 vintage Pinot Noir for a low price.  Westmount sold the wine online at full retail of $25 and wine.com sells the wine for $20.99. Westmount is a brand started by Northwest Wine Company with the first wines released in early 2017.  Northwest is best known for producing custom Oregon wines sold under many private store and restaurant labels.  The Westmount wines have achieved critical success with the 2015 Pinot Noir being rated at 91 points by James Suckling and the 2016 Pinot Noir rated as 92 points by Wine Enthusiast. Westmount Pinot Noir 2015 is 100% Pinot Noir aged 8 months in French oak.  The wine is a medium cher...

We have been enjoying Elk Cove Vineyards Estate Pinot Blanc Willamette Valley 2017 for several weeks.  We are very fortunate that our Costco has stocked this wine and I expect that it is not available at every warehouse.  We are also fortunate that Costco has priced this at $13.99 since the winery sold it for $19 on their website.  This wine was highly rated by wine magazines and was actually # 5 on Wine Enthusiast's list of top 100 wines for 2018. Pinot Blanc is a white wine grape that is a genetic mutation of Pinot Noir.  Pinot Blanc production has been growing in Oregon but it still trails Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. On the nose, I detected apple, peach and ginger aromas.  On the palate, there is some minerality which accompanies  apple, peach and honeysuckle flavors.  This dry wine is a great accompaniment to white fish such as grouper or mahi and we plan to continue adding to our supply of this wine.  I recommend that white wine drinkers g...

I have to admit that one Oregon Pinot Gris tastes about the same as every other Pinot Gris to me.  I really like Oregon Pinot Gris but to me, they all are similar.  Last week, I found Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Gris Willamette Valley 2017 at Costco.  Because of the reputation of Ponzi Vineyards for top of the line wines, I quickly added a bottle to my haul. Dick and Nancy Ponzi were pioneers in the Oregon wine industry.  They moved to Oregon in the late 1960's and founded Ponzi Vineyards in 1970.  Today, second generation Anna Maria Ponzi and Luisa Ponzi are producing great wines from their 130 acres of certified sustainable vineyards.  Aromas of fresh fruit and flower blossoms burst from the glass.  There are flavors of crisp citrus followed by a slightly sweet finish.  This is an enjoyable summer wine and in spite of previous declarations, I think this may be my new favorite.. Ponzi sells this for $19 at the winery and Costco has it for $11.99....

The latest Platinum Reserve wine from Trader Joe's is Cabernet Sauvignon from the Howell Mountain region of the larger Napa Valley AVA.  As with all Trader Joe's Platinum Reserve wines, this sells for $14.99 and only 1250 cases were produced. Howell Mountain is in the northeast portion of Napa Valley at elevations well above the valley floor.  In this area, the evening temperatures are warmer and the daytime cooler than the valley floor.  Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape. 2017 was a challenging year for growing grapes in the Napa Valley.  There was a drought and then it was very hot in September, followed by wildfires in October.  Smoke taint was a concern but the smoke was not as bad in the Howell Mountains as in some other parts of Napa Valley and many of the grapes were already harvested prior to the fires.  The 2017 vintage is being rated as a good to very good for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon but not as good as the outstanding 2012 thru 2...

I have had two wine refrigerators for several years and the older one was a NewAir 21 bottle cooler.  It served me well and I really liked it, but it was no longer functioning properly.  So, it was great timing when the folks at NewAir asked me if I was interested in reviewing their AWR-190SB  wine cooler. When my new wine cooler was delivered, I was amazed how heavy the package was.  I unpacked it near the front door, put it on a rug and slid it into my dinette area..  I picked up the old wine cooler and carried it to the garage.  The difference in weight was amazing.  Clearly, the new AWR-190SB cooler was made with heavier duty parts. The AWR-190SB cooler has a stainless steel front door which matches my other appliances.   I am using it as a stand alone cooler but it can also be used as a built-in unit. One of the nicest features of the cooler is the pullout wood shelving which makes accessing your wine so easy.  My older co...

Costco now is selling the Kirkland Signature Cotes de Provence Rose' 2018.  Many of us look for this wine every spring and stock up before it is sold out.  I last wrote about the wine two years ago and everything I said then is still applicable.   (Read my review of the 2016 vintage Rose' here )  In addition, some well read blogs also have also posted about this wine in the past two weeks and I concur in their positive reviews.  So, my primary purpose today is to alert the reader that the wine is now available. The blend for this wine is 45% Grenache, 25% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, 10% Carignan, 5% Tibouren and 5% Ugni Blanc.    The wine is salmon colored with floral aromas.  This is a dry wine with crisp flavors of strawberry and citrus.  We have enjoyed the wine with both salmon and baked cod and it was delicious. This sells for only $8.79 and goes fast, so stock up. SC Wine Joe rating = 90 points  

It seemed like Trader Joe's was overdue for a release of a Grand Reserve red wine, so I was really pleased to see the Grand Reserve Meritage Sonoma County in the current Fearless Flyer.  I was even more pleased to pick up a bottle and see that it was from the 2013 vintage. The Fearless Flyer tells us that this Bordeaux style wine is a blend of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon aged 26 months in French Oak.  The bottle says the alcohol content is 14.3%. This wine is definitely a Merlot dominated blend with minimal Cabernet Sauvignon.  There are flavors of blackberry and plum with softer tannins and a little tartness on the finish.   This is not the best Trader Joe's Grand Reserve wine but it is definitely worth the $12.99 price. SC Wine Joe rating = 89 points

Last weekend, we returned to the Yadkin Valley to do some wine tasting.  The Yadkin Valley is west of Winston Salem and south of Mt. Airy, NC and it is a three hour drive from our home.  This year, the wines we tasted were superior to those we tasted a year ago and we had a great time.  The following are the wineries we most enjoyed this year: Laurel Gray Vineyards We knew that we would be arriving to the Yadkin Valley around noon.  Since there are few convenient restaurants, we decided to bring a picnic to the Laurel Gray Vineyards.  This was a good choice because Laurel Gray is the first winery along I-77 when you reach the Yadkin Valley and it has a large covered patio with a view of vineyards and a lake.  Wine Jane had a glass of Viognier and I had a glass of Scarlet Mountain, a red blend. Midnight Magdalena Vineyards Midnight Magdalena is one of the newer vineyards in the area.  We were greeted by the owner who filled us in on all of ...

Oregon Pinot Noir, especially from the Willamette Valley, is expensive.  There are several reasons for this:       1.  It is labor intensive to grow the Pinot Noir grape.       2.  Oregon levies a tax on wine production and the proceeds are used by the state for research in               grape growing and wine making.       3.  Oregon laws are more strict than other states regarding wine production.       4.  Quality always costs more. The problem is that most of us do not want to spend over $20 a bottle, every time we desire a glass of Pinot Noir.  Here are two under $20 Oregon Pinots that I recently tried that make good weekday choices. Petiole Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2017 In recent years, I have been hesitant to buy Trader Joe's wines, except for the Grand Reserve and Platinum Reserve offerings.  A few months ago, I purchased 2 bottles ...

I bought a bottle of Artezin Old Vine Zinfandel at Costco three months ago.  I cannot explain why I had not opened it.  It just seemed like there was always something else in the wine refrigerator that I just could not wait to drink.  I can say that my recent experiences with Zinfandel were disappointing, with many wines that were too sweet for my taste.  In any case, last night, Zinfandel seemed like a good pairing for my burger. Artezin is 84% Zinfandel, 14% Petit Sirah and 2% Carignan.  The wine is 100% barrel aged, mostly in French oak and has 14.5% alcohol.  Since some old vine Zinfandel wines have a higher alcohol content, I was a little concerned that the wine could be a little sweet. Surprisingly, the wine has aromas of both red and black fruit.  I tasted a little raspberry along with blackberry. pepper and spice.  I was pleased that this is a dry wine with medium tannins.  Everything seems in balance and the finish lingers a very...

Wine Jane and I recently attended an event in Dahlonega, Georgia which gave us an opportunity to do some wine tasting.  We only had time and stamina to visit two wineries and we chose Frogtown Cellars and the adjacent Three Sisters Vineyard. FROGTOWN CELLARS We knew we would be arriving at lunch time and we selected Frogtown Cellars because the menu of their restaurant appealed to us.  In fact, our lunch was delicious and I recommend including this in a trip to this part of Georgia. Following lunch, we moved to the tasting area.  Apparently, it was pickup weekend for their wine club members and the bar area was extremely crowded and noisy for a Friday afternoon.  The two servers were too busy for any discussion, so they repeated their memorized script for each wine and quickly moved down the line to the next customer. Frogtown Cellars is one of the largest wineries in the area with 43 acres of planted vines.  All of the wines are 100% Estate grown and ma...

Canoe Ridge Vineyard is one of my favorite wine brands from the Columbia Valley.   I have previously liked their Explorer Red Blend, the Cherry Street Red Blend, Expedition Chardonnay and Expedition Cabernet Sauvignon.  I found the 2014 Canoe Ridge Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at Costco for $16.99, which is well below Total Wine's price of $29.99. Canoe Ridge Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Horse Heaven Hills region.  The wine is aged for 20 months in French oak (45% new) and has 14.3% Alcohol. The wine has aromas of black cherry and vanilla.  Besides the vanilla and black cherry, I noted flavors of blackberries and spice.  The wine starts fairly soft but finishes with ample tannins.  We paired this with a grilled strip steak and it was enjoyable.  Wine Spectator rates this wine at 90 points and I agree. SC Wine Joe rating = 90 points