VinoForLess.com

There are entire blogs devoted to Trader Joe’s bargain wines, but we couldn’t resist writing about this exotic pickup from TJ’s.
Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc
Napa Valley
Robert Mondavi Winery
$10.99 at Trader Joe’s
This gem has scents of citrus and melon. We happened to be snacking on white peach, honeydew nectarine, soft Gouda and dark chocolate at the time [...]

A new tasting room favorite of mine is the Cinnabar Winery tasting room in Saratoga Village. Having tasted their Mercury Rising a number of times, it struck me that it’s not mentioned on VinoForLess. Here we have it.
2005 Mercury Rising
Cinnabar Vineyard & Winery
Where to Buy: Cinnabar Vineyard & Winery Tasting Room on Big Basin Way, [...]

Tonight, we were treated to a wonderful Zin from Picchetti Winery.
2004 Zinfandel
Bellicitti Vineyard, Saratoga
Where to Buy: Picchetti Winery, Cupertino CA
Price: $29.95 / Club members $25.46
We started with some $2.99 Trader Joe wine, and OMG we’ve stepped it up! To the nose this lovely Zin has notes of anise, tobacco and licorice. On the palate essence [...]

My lovely wife picked up a couple of why-not’s from Trader Joe’s recently.
Vinas Chilenas Reserva Merlot 2006
Vinas Chilenas Reserva Cabernet Savignon 2006
Products of Chile
Price: $2.99
Where to Buy: Trader Joe’s
I must start by saying that the Cab was palatable on day three, having been vacuum pumped each day. The Trader Joe’s Holiday version of the [...]

Saturday, wine tasting at J. Lohr lead my wife and I to Lemmon Percussion where a young drummer told us about a new wine store called Wine Affairs. Serendipity had it that Saturday was Grand Opening at Wine Affairs, complete with a sparkling tasting. Here’s the run down.
Canella Burt Rose NV - Italiano [...]

I spent Saturday with friends in Sonoma, visiting three great wineries. Cline Cellars was one of these wineries, where my party arrived at 5:45. We knew we’d have a short 15 minutes or so to taste. Typically, tasting rooms are gracious enough to let you finish a tasting menu, even if it’s [...]

OMG, it’s been too long since my last post! I’ve been sitting on this one for weeks.
As a belated birthday gift, I received a subscription to Wine & Spirits magazine. (My friends know me too well.) As fate would have it, my first issue, June 2007 features 100 top values of the [...]

Sami and I just celebrated 13 years of marriage, and as part of a low-key celebration this year, we stayed at a bed and breakfast in Nevada City. Our adventures took us to an afternoon of wine tasting in downtown Grass Valley. Among our stops were Burch Hall Winery. If you ever [...]

I’m always extolling the virtues of the Santa Cruz wine region, particularly because it’s in my backyard. In my humble opinion, too many Santa Clara county locals make the long haul to Napa for overpriced and sometimes overly pretentious wine tasting. I have a feeling that the majority of Santa Cruz county folk [...]

The thing I most love about Trader Joe’s is the hunt for treasure in the wine isle. I found a real treasure there last weekend and the irony is that I went to Trader Joe’s specifically because I saw this wine advertised in their mailer. It’s called Jakes Fault and it’s a 2005 [...]