South Carolina Wine Joe

On February 24, SC Wine Joe presented a Friday Bonus Class at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Furman University.  The class discussed the marketing strategies of the largest wine retailers in the Greenville SC market as well as how to select a bottle of wine using information included on the front and back of the bottle.  Finally, four red wines were tasted.

Trader Joe's Grand Reserve wines are typically domestic US wines.  I was very surprised to find a Grand Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon from the Colchagua Valley of Chile and I hope there will be more imported Grand Reserve wines in the future. The Colchagua Valley and the Maipo Valley are the two important wine regions in Chile.  The Colchagua Valley is the southwestern half of the Rapel Valley and it is the source of some of Chile's finest red wines.  The dry Mediterranean climate here has warm days cooled by ocean breezes, especially suited to growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Syrah. This Trader Joe's Cabernet Sauvignon has rich flavors of dark fruit with some cocoa and cedar.  I suspect the cedar may come from some carmenere blended into the wine.  The wine has a long finish with pleasant tannins.  I thought the wine was better when I opened the bottle on the second day.  The wine has 14.5% alcohol and sells for...

When I am in Trader Joe's, I always check for their Grand Reserve wines.  This week, I found a Merlot from Oakville in Napa Valley.  This choice was promising since it was from a narrowly defined area (Oakville), in a superior AVA for Merlot (Napa Valley), from an outstanding vintage (2014) and has a higher listed alcohol content (15%).  I am happy to report that this wine lived up to my expectations. The obvious first thing to notice about this wine is the deep purple color in the glass.  When you swirl the wine, it clings to the glass and slowly forms legs verifying the higher alcohol content.  The nose promises darker fruit and I noted flavors of blackberry, plum, licorice and cocoa. The tannins are in balance and the finish is long lasting. This is an outstanding wine and I would pair it with a steak.  Trader Joe's sells all of the Grand Reserve wines for $12.99 and the quality of this wine exceeds that price. SC W...

In my previous post, I was disappointed with the Cotes du Rhone Villages that I selected at Trader Joe's.  A few days later I found Lavau Cotes du Rhone Villages at Costco for $8.99 and I was optimistic that I had found a better wine. This wine is a blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah.  The typical Cotes du Rhone will usually have some amount of Mouvedre, but there is none in this wine.  The alcohol content is 13.5%.  This wine is somewhat acidic with flavors of blackberry and spice.  The finish is average.  While this is better than the Trader Joe's wine, it did not reward my optimism.  I will look for another Cotes du Rhone to drink until Costco brings back the Kirkland Cotes du Rhone Villages. SC Wine Joe rating = 87 points

I am a big fan of Cotes du Rhone wines from France.  On my last visit to Trader Joe's, I specifically looked at their selection of Cotes du Rhone wines and selected the Valreas Cotes du Rhone Villages.  I read the labels and selected this because it was from one of the 18 Villages and had 14% alcohol. I know you can find reviews online which praise this wine, but I do not agree.  The best I can say is that this wine is definitely drinkable and only costs $5.99.  Beyond that, I can say that the wine is acidic, dry and somewhat spicy.  I think that I have been spoiled by the delicious Kirkland Signature Cotes du Rhone ( see my blog from September 2016 ) and this is not nearly as good. SC Wine Joe rating = 86 points

The North Coast appelation encompasses all of the counties in California north of the San Francisco Bay.  This includes the wine growing regions of Napa and Sonoma as well as 4 other counties.  Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast is primarily from Mendocino County with some Sonoma County Merlot and a small amount of Cabernet Franc. This wine is dark purple in color and full bodied.  I noted flavors of dark cherry, blackberry and cola.  The oak and tannins are present but not overpowering and I think the most impressive feature of this wine is the long lasting finish.  This is a terrific wine that you should try.  Costco now has the wine for $13.99 and Total Wines sells it for $14.99, but with a coupon you should be able to buy it for less than the Costco price. SC Wine Joe rating = 90 points

A Robert Parker rated 93 points Spanish wine for $9.59 at Costco - I am a buyer!  I am a buyer for more than one. This wine from Yecla in Spain is made from old vine Monastrell (70%), Syrah (20%) and Granacha Tintorera (10%) with 14% alcohol.  The wine is aged 3 months in small french oak casks.  The wine is medium to full bodied with flavors of dark berries and slight minerality. This is a great wine with tons of flavor bursting throughout the mouth.  It would pair nicely with a roast or barbequed baby back ribs.  I really enjoyed this wine!  It is a great bargain and I will buy more if it is still available on my next trip to the Greenville Costco. SC Wine Joe rating = 91 points                                          Feel free to copy image To pinterest