Posts Tagged ‘2015’
03/05/2018
March 5, 2018
This will bring a smile to your face. Perhaps not a Mona Lisa smile, but a smile nonetheless.
Today’s wine comes from a wine cooperative in the town of Vinci in the Chianti region of Tuscany.
While this is a nice wine with no bad characteristics, there are equally good wines at Trader Joe’s from Tuscany for the same or lower price. Now, a dollar or two or three isn’t much to quibble about. But if that’s a consideration, then look further on the shelves. Otherwise, if you haven’t tried this wine yet, here’s your chance to help the local economy and help support small local businesses as well as enjoy a very nice Chianti.
And if you’re not near a Trader Joe’s, there’s a “wine finder” on their website which will help locate another store near you that sells their wine. How nice! And why can’t other wine companies do the same? Price $9.99.
Tags:2015, chianti, davinci, italy, price, red wine, review, reviews, tj, tj's, trader joe's, vinci, wine cooperative
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 2 Comments »
10/03/2017
October 03, 2017
There’s no doubt about it this is on the strong side of the wine continuum. It’s also a little harsh on the mouth and throat. The wine is mildly fruity with a bold taste. The harshness mellows out some as it sits in the glass allowing some decent earthy tannins to peek through.
The combination of this and a tomatoey lasagna did not work well. Paired with a second pasta dish, this did not work equally well. Finally, paired with a spicy bean curry, this balanced and stood up to the curry nicely.
For the price this is a decent wine if you like strong wines, don’t have a sensitive throat and are on a budget. In fact, it generally gets good reviews in other places on the web, with a few people even stocking up when it’s available. Price $6.99.
And, for the curious, David Frost is a South African professional golfer who as a kid used to pick grapes in the family vineyards to buy golf balls.
Tags:2015, david frost, price, red wine, review, reviews, shiraz blend, south africa, tj, tj's, trader joe's, wine
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | Leave a Comment »
05/12/2017
May 12, 2017
There’s a very nice, strong aroma coming from the glass on first pour which portends a full-bodied wine. The wine is fruity and dry at the same time in the mouth. There are no real negatives. Although for the very critical among us, there are hints of things to complain about. This is a blend of mostly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, according to the internet.
Generally this wine is a love or hate affair when reviewed on the web. About 2/3 of reviewers like this and think it’s a great value wine. The 1/3 of reviews which hate this may be due to some “bad” bottles. Although my guess is those bad reviews are prompted by personal preferences. Most of the reviews were for earlier vintages. There were very few 2015 vintage reviews.
While this is not a great wine, and would anyone really expect a great wine at this price, if you’re not afraid to challenge yourself by adding some complexity to a wine, this is an inexpensive way to do that. And you just might like it. I did. Price $5.99.
Tags:2015, bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, chateau poyanne, merlot, price, red wine, review, reviews, tj, tj's, trader joe's, wine
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 3 Comments »
03/27/2017
March 27, 2017
This Cab hails from Yecla, Spain. Briefly it’s an earthy, strong Cab that’s not very smooth bordering on rough. Along with the earthy mouth feel is a little heat on the tongue and back of the throat. Although I haven’t had any recently, this reminds me of a good two buck Chuck. In the glass the wine is a watery medium-dark red. This wine can easily overpower some foods. Other than the style, which some people may not like, there aren’t really any overpowering negatives. This is drinkable and not bad for a $5 wine as long as you like your wine and women (or men) strong and rough. One final thing, the wine is labeled as Kosher. Price $4.99.
Tags:2015, cabernet sauvignon, inexpensive wines, kosher, red wine, review, Spain, table wine, Terrenal, trader joe's, wine review
Posted in food, Trader Joe's, Wine | Leave a Comment »
01/31/2017
January 31, 2017
Unpretentious, that’s what a good table wine is. This is a wine which sits on the dinner table, gets passed around, doesn’t get in the way of the food, and doesn’t get in the way of the conversation. When the bottle’s empty someone grabs another bottle off the kitchen counter and the cycle repeats.
The wine has a mild earthy taste with just enough roughness around the edge to get your attention for a moment. There’s not much aroma to go along with a medium red color that makes the wine look watery. There’s not much bad about the wine. In fact it’s a nice wine. It’s just not the star of the show like some wines want to be. Good and unpretentious, that’s what a table wine should be. And for a price of $4.49 a bottle it’s easy to fill up that kitchen counter.
Tags:2015, argentina, la finca, mendoza, price, red wine, review, reviews, tempranillo, tj, tj's, trader joe's, wine
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 2 Comments »
01/25/2017
January 25, 2017
Aside from the most difficult screw cap I’ve ever encountered, this was a “sweet” wine. Well not sweet in the sweet taste sense, rather sweet as in very nice. The wine actually was slightly sweet to match the faint fruity apple flavor. The wine had a medium acidity as measured by my stomach and throat, but not enough to require medication. For me, this is one wine where a little bit of chill brings out the best qualities.
The wine comes from the Vouvray region of the Loire Valley in France. Although the bottle doesn’t specify the grape, that region is famous for the Chenin Blanc grape. That grape is likely the source of the juice that ultimately became this wine.
The wine generally gets above average reviews on the web, with some thinking it too sweet for their tastes. For me, a person who generally avoids white wines, I really liked this one. Price $7.99.
Tags:2015, chenin blanc, france, lacheteau, price, review, reviews, tj, tj's, trader joe's, vouvray, white wine, wine
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 6 Comments »
11/19/2016
November 18, 2016
This one is different. Read on.
There’s very little aroma when first uncorked. On first pour, the wine is ruby-red and much lighter than a typical red wine. The first sip reveals a mild semi-sweet fruity wine as the bottle claims. There’s nothing intricate in the taste and at the same time nothing bad in the taste.
This wine is all about your expectations. If you’re looking for something to savor and spend the night discussing the intricacies of Merlots and where this stands in that continuum, this wine is not for you. If you’re looking for something to have at home with dinner, or just want something to sip, relax with, and not have to in any way think about what’s in the glass, this will serve that purpose. With some mild red-sauced pasta, the wine worked well.
The key difference here, if you haven’t picked up on it, is the word semi-sweet. This is a style of wine not usually found on the shelves outside of Hungary where this wine is made. The sweetness of the wine is noticeable but not sickeningly sweet like some really horrible wines. This is a nice good quality wine with a different flavor profile. Price $5.99
Tags:2015, Balatonboglari, garamvari, hungary, merlot, price, review, reviews, St. Donatus, tj, tj's, trader joe's, wine
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 17 Comments »
March 5, 2018
Ain't Found A Good Title Blog 