The Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay 2016 is 98% Chardonnay and 2% Gewürztraminer grown in Wente Estates vineyards in the Livermore Valley AVA just inland from the San Francisco Bay inside the larger Central Coast AVA of California. Wente Vineyards has a very interesting story, they are the oldest continuously (since 1883) operated family owned vineyards and winery in the US and … [Read more...]
Trader Joe’s Reserve Meritage Napa Valley Lot #176 2015
The Trader Joe's Reserve Meritage Napa Valley Lot #176 2015 is a $9.99 Trader Joe's exclusive, it's a Red blend with Merlot as the main grape, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec sourced from vineyards in the Napa Valley of Northern California. The word Meritage is a combination of merit and heritage and it refers to Bordeaux-style wines … [Read more...]
Claire Patelin Cotes de Gascogne Sauvignon Blanc 2017
The Claire Patelin Cotes de Gascogne Sauvignon Blanc 2017 is a $5.99 Trader Joe's import exclusive sourced from vineyards in the Cotes de Gascogne area of southwest France. The Cotes de Gascogne shares a boundary with the Armagnac AOP which has been a premier Brandy region for 700 years. The Cotes de Gascogne is primarily a White wine producer and is designated IGP which is a … [Read more...]
Colossal Reserva Red 2015
The Colossal Reserva Red 2015 is a blend of 30% Touriga Nacional (probably the #1 Red grape of Portugal), 30% Syrah, 30% Tinta Roriz (known as Tempranillo in Spain), and 10% Alicante Bouschet sourced from Casa Santos Lima estate vineyards in the Lisboa wine region of Portugal. The Colossal Reserva is something of a rare wine, it received 90 points for the 2015 vintage (91 for … [Read more...]
Mionetto Rose’ Extra Dry
The Mionetto Rose' Extra Dry is a proprietary blend of red grapes sourced from vineyards in both the Veneto and Trentino grape growing regions in northern Italy. Mionetto (founded in 1887) is well-known as a producer of Prosecco, but the Rose' Extra Dry is not a Prosecco. A Prosecco is a very specific thing, it is a Sparkling wine (Spumante in Italian) made from the Glera grape … [Read more...]