The Satis Dei Syrah-Garnacha 2016 is an $8.99 Trader Joe's import wine, though I think it is available in other parts of the world from different retailers. The Satis Dei is 55% Syrah and 45% Garnacha and is a Tierra de Castilla designated wine (the same as a IGP or Vin de Pays wine) in the Castilla/La Mancha region of central Spain (just south of Madrid). Tierra de Castilla is … [Read more...]
Dellara Cava Brut
The Dellara Cava Brut is a $6.99 ALDI Sparkling wine from somewhere in Spain. I say somewhere in Spain, since you would normally see (about 90% of the time) the Penedes DO or Catalonia (near Barcelona) on the label, but the Dellara simply says "Product of Spain". It had the Cava stamp on the top of the bottle, so it is the real deal, but it is probably produced at a village … [Read more...]
Casteller Cava Brut
The Casteller Cava Brut is 40% Macabeo, 40% Xarel-lo, and 20% Parellada (the 3 traditional indigenous Catalonian grapes used in producing Cava) sourced from the Celler Vilafranca vineyards and winery, the largest vineyard owner in the Penedes area of the Catalunya region of Spain (near Barcelona). Brut indicates that this is a dry or not sweet Sparkling wine and this Bubbly was … [Read more...]
Happy : Hour Red Blend 2016
The Happy : Hour Red Blend 2016 was a pleasant surprise! Ah remember the summer of 2016 when all the kids (and way too many adults) were out everywhere, running into walls because they were staring at their phones playing Pokémon Go? That record-setting app, credited for popularizing AR (augmented reality) technology, made it look like you were collecting & battling … [Read more...]
Luzada Albarino 2017
The Luzada Albarino 2017 is a $7.99 Trader Joe's import exclusive (though it seems to available in other countries), it is estate grown and bottled in the Val do Saines DO (a DO in Spain is the same as an AVA in California, a specific boundary) located in Rias Baixas in the northwest corner of Spain, just above the border with Portugal. That is a very legit pedigree for a … [Read more...]