2013 Garnacha de Fuego, Aragon (Spain)

Tried a bottle of this on the recommendation of the salesperson at Total Wine ($10), and went back for a case (with case discount $9).  Garnacha/grenache is such a great grape, can be light and Gamay or Pinot Noir-ish, or bold and sexy like this one.  It's the most widely planted grape.  Nice dark plum jam, a bit of minerality, smooth finish.  Well worth looking for this one!

We had it with a bowl of spicy andouille and gulf shrimp gumbo.

2012 Estancia Pinot Noir, Monterrey County (California)

I picked this off a restaurant list out of town for $32, enjoyed it and thought it deserved a second look.  Total Wine had it for $10.  It's nicer than many at this price point.  Cherry cola flavor, good balance, hint of chalk, supple texture.

We enjoyed it with pork chops with apples and onions, roasted delicata squash, and haricot verts.

2012 Vintjs Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley (OR)

This is my new favorite Pinot Noir from Trader Joe's ($8), so of course it was out of stock when I went back for more!  It's worthwhile to look for it.  BTW, the label name is pronounced "vintages".  It has classic Pinot flavors, that cherry-berry-cola going on.  Not a lot of depth or finish, but for $8, it can be a go-to everyday wine.

We grilled some Gulf shrimp with garlic, parsley and basil, steamed some asparagus, and sauteed a few yellow squash from our local market.

2013 J. L. Quinson Rose, Cotes de Provence (France)

Picked up a couple of bottles of Rose at Trader Joe's, this one was a good value at $7.  Bright, light, perfect for a hot summer day.

Summer days my thoughts also turn to that special summer event, the perfect BLT:  Sourdough toast, Duke's mayo, German Red heirloom tomato, romaine, and Millionaire's bacon (thick sliced bacon baked on a rack and sprinkled with brown sugar and Tony Chachere's seasoning).

2011 Omero Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley (OR)

Birthday dinner at the Admiral in Asheville, NC.  It's always a special occasion for us at the Admiral, amazing food and great service, set in a funky old bar that looks like it was a 50s gas station.  2 things: Make reservations and go early (turns into a dive bar later).  This winery was new for me, but the appellation is an old favorite especially since my time at Oregon Pinot Camp.  The wine hit all the right notes, cherry berry flavors, chalky nose, lovely finish.  Pinot Noir is such a great food wine, able to satisfy a table with various entrees, meat, fish or fowl.

We enjoyed several small plates at the Admiral, this was Tempura Squash blossoms stuffed with Juusto cheese (a Finnish squeaky cheese) atop ratatouille.

This was cauliflower mousse with fried shallots, microgreens, and house made crackers.

2013 Alamos Malbec, Mendoza (Argentina)

Argentina makes some amazing wines, and many are still a very good value, like this Alamos Malbec for $7 from Total Wine.  Deep, dark blackberry and plum, with a touch of spice, and ready to drink, the tannins are smooth even in this 2013 vintage.

Malbec wants meat, and a big juicy burger right off the grill with some oven baked fries satified the meat lovers in my family.

2011 RGMV (white blend) from Central Coast (CA)

Saw this at Trader Joe's for $3.99!!   It's a Roussanne (mispelled on label), Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Viognier blend, a classic combo from the Rhone.  This had a beautiful nose, lush texture, honey, florals and spice, like you're drinking honeysuckle.  It's made by the Central Coast Wine Warehouse.  It wasn't there when I went back, of course, but keep your eyes open!

We had it with chicken wings, steamed haricot verts, and a broccoflower casserole.

2012 Cloud Break Pinot Noir, California

Nice cherry-berry and plum fruit flavors, balance and finish were fine, but little of the classic chalky characteristics of Pinot.   Total Wine $8.  We tried it with caprese and a grilled chicken breast.

2012 Trader Joe's Reserve Zinfandel Lot #84, Paso Robles (California)

Zin loves it hot hot hot and it certainly finds that in Paso Robles, where the 24 hour temperature can swing 50 degrees!  Make Paso the centerpiece of your Central Coast winery tour.  This Zin from Trader Joe's ($10) is yummy:  Big, bold, and ready to take on BBQ.  We had ribs with a spicy-sweet sauce, broccoli slaw, oven fries & a slice of tomato with blue cheese.

2012 Trader Joe's Reserve Pinot Noir, Napa Valley (California)

This Pinot is pleasant and balanced, nice fruit, mild tannins, but...  It does not have what I consider the chalky/dusty characteristic of pinot.  I realize I am looking for a lot for $10 at Trader Joe's.  But no, I won't buy again.  It went nicely with grilled tuna steak & sriracha mayo, sauteed zucchini and a baguette.

2013 Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc, California

I love Sauvignon Blanc in the summertime.  This Geyser Peak, $9 at Trader Joe's, provides a nice change from the grapefruit-centric Sauv blancs of New Zealand.  It's grassy, with some tropical flavors, but to me more melon, pineapple & lemon zest.    It was perfect on a hot evening, with a caprese made with burrata along with a perfect avocado half with blue cheese dressing.

2012 Trader Joe's Reserve GSM, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County (California)

Once a month or so, I pick up a few wines from Trader Joe's we haven't tried before.  Sometimes we love them but never see them again so I hope this one will stick around.  GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) is a classic wine blend, from the southern Rhone region of France.  There the inexpensive ones are called Cotes du Rhone.  Australia provides most of those called GSM.  Nice to see the Rhone varietals take hold in California.  This GSM is a terrific value at $10, fruit forward, good body, moderate tannins, nice finish.

We had it with grilled bone-in  pork chops marinated in a Korean BBQ sauce, sauteed baby Bok Choi and baby vidalias, caprese, and a multigrain demi baguette.

2011 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville - Napa Valley (California)

We wanted to splurge on a big Napa Cab, and this Charles Krug certainly does it.  It has all the classic cab black cherry, cocoa, hints of tobacco & cedar, still plenty of tannin.  The 2011 is still available, and it looks to be $25 - $30.  This one is not a rockstar, but a very good value in a big market.

This ribeye needed a big wine, we also had steamed sugar snaps & a baguette.

2012 Vintjs Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County (California)

Lovely little Sauv Blanc from Sonoma, cooler fruits prevail over the typical grapefruit of tropical southern hemisphere.  Citrus & pear notes, clean & crisp, adds up to a very nice effort.  Trader Joe's $8.  We finally found a tomato worthy of caprese, and had a chicken breast & baked potato on the side.

2009 Turley Old Vine Zinfandel, California

Turley Old Vines is a big elegant zin made from small lots of estate fruit from some prime regions of California.  We visited the winery several years ago in Paso Robles, and have looked out for these Zins ever since.  We also recently had the Old Vine 2011, which is quite nice, and when you can  fine it, runs about $25. 

Had a bite of aged gouda with it to start, then it was spot on with a big juicy ribeye, asparagus, our first corn on the cob of the season, and baby artichokes.

2012 Marques de Cacares Verdejo, Rueda (Spain)

Lovely, crisp peach and tropical flavors, big mouth feel, but not heavy.  Will go with a wide variety of lighter or spicy foods.  Another find from Trader Joe's, $8. 


We had it with shrimp remoulade, steamed baby artichokes, Tomato & Blue cheese salad & Garlic bread.

2012 Cooper Station Pinot Noir, California

Cooper Station is a yummy, inexpensive but classic spicy-cherry cola pinot.  It doesn't fit my search for the best pinots under $10, but I did find it at Total Wine for $12.  No appellation other than California on the bottle, but the address for the winery is in Graton, California, in the Russian River Valley.  Not much on the web about the winery, maybe a second label?

We enjoyed it with grilled lollipop lamb chops, cremini mushroom risotto, and steamed haricots verts.

2012 Five Rivers Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County (California)

New favorite Pinot Noir under $10!  Five Rivers is made by Fetzer according to a google search.  This has the smoky-dusty nose, bright cherry cola flavors, nice mouthfeel and decent finish that I look for in a Pinot.  And it's from Total Wine for $7.99!   The real tipoff that it was going to be a winner is the appellation:  There are some very fine pinots being made in Santa Barbara County.

Now I probably won't be able to find it again...

We had it with grilled shrimp with garlic, parsley & breadcrumbs, braised fennel, haricots verts, and multigrain ciabatta.

2012 Gnarly Head Pinot Noir, California

In the continuing saga of trying all Pinots under $10, this one came up.  We like the Gnarly Head Zin, and this Pinot is a very pleasant, easy drinking, food friendly wine, and at $6.99 at Total Wine, very affordable.  But not very Pinot-ish!

We had it with some grilled Alaskan sockeye (the most sustainable of the fish at our market), sauteed red peppers, bok choy & mushrooms, and a demi-baguette.

2012 Ravenswood Old Vine Vintners Blend Zinfandel, California

 I hadn't had this old favorite for quite a while, and saw it at Total Wine for $6.47.  Still a zesty, bold zin, great cherry-berry flavors, decent finish.  A lot of wine for the price.

We had it with smoked pork, steamed asparagus, & a sauteed zucchini & red pepper mix.

2011 D'Arenberg The Stump Jump Shiraz, McLaren Vale (Australia)

 Friday night burgers need the perfect burger wine!  Here it is:  Stump Jump Shiraz, $9 at Total Wine, Big, zesty, fun - just the ticket with grilled meat.  We had it with cheddar & tomato burgers on ciabatta rolls, with oven baked fries.

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2012 Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Petit Verdot, Rutherford Napa Valley (California)

A Trader Joe's wineseller tipped me off to this usually blended varietal, one of the five grapes making up Bordeaux or Meritage blends.  Very rare indeed to see Petit Verdot bottled on its own,  with just a handful of California producers making it.  I was especially intrigued that this is from the Rutherford appellation.  This has inky, concentrated color, deep dark fruits with touches of molasses and smoke.  Big tannins  - would be fun to try again in a year or two.  And, at this price, its a possibility:  $14.99.  Try getting a Napa Cab with Rutherford dust for twice that!

We had grilled thick-cut ribeyes, sauteed zucchini and onions, an avocado half with blue cheese, and a multigrain ciabatta.

2004 Montes Alpha M, Santa Cruz (Chile)

Montes Alpha M is a Bordeaux blend (80% Cabernet with Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot).  It's big, supple, with juicy dark plum flavors along with hints of vanilla.  This 2004 had beautiful color and still tasted youthful.  It's a great example of the best Chile has to offer and Wine Spectator rated it a 94. We received this as a gift, but from the internet it looks like the cost would be $75 - $90.

Grilled ribeye went well, along with some peas and baby vidalias sauteed in butter, and an artisan whole grain baguette.

2011 Penfolds "Winemaker's Selection" Shiraz Cabernet, Southeastern Australia

When I saw this at Trader Joe's for the whimsical price of $3.99, I figured it couldn't hurt to try it out.  Penfolds is one of Australia top wineries, and they make some great wines ranging from expensive down to everyday.  So, for the $3.99 you get a pleasant, dark fruit, easy-going "burger wine".  I've certainly had worse for twice the price.  We had grilled smoked sausage with grainy mustard and potato salad.

2012 Michel Leon Gewurtztraminer, Alsace (France)

I've always had a thing for gewurtztraminer.  It has such exotic flavors, lychee & gooseberry.  I much prefer a dry style, rare in German wines.  Alsace produces dry ones, and you'll find them from California and Oregon, too.  This Alsatian one is fun, big mouthfeel, refreshing acidity.  Perfect with spicy food & sushi.  (Trader Joe's, $9.99)

Alsace is a favorite place to us, we've visited twice.  Some of the villages are story-book cute, and huge storks atop the village gate or town hall!  Last year we stayed at a hotel in Turckheim, Les Deux Clefs, built in the 15th Century.  Great food, sometimes more French, sometimes more German.

We had the Gewurtz with spicy New Orleans style Barbecued Shrimp, with a baguette to sop up the sauce.