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The Eola Hills Classic Pinot Noir 2017 is sourced from 7 vineyards in the Willamette Valley

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The Santa Carolina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from vineyards in the Miraflores and Los Lingues estates in the Colchagua Valley in Chile. The Colchagua Valley is located between the Coastal Mountains and the Andes.This is a wine I found at Costco selling for $7.49 a quick check of the internet found it selling online for $9.99 to $12.99. James Suckling who is probably the world's premier wine critic gave the Santa Carolina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 93 points. That is a very lofty score for a sub ten buck Red wine.Santa Carolina was founded in 1875 and Carolina is Carolina Íñiguez who along with her husband Luis Pereira started the winery. Santa Carolina is one of the oldest and largest wineries in Chile. The winery is listed on the Bronco Wines website (Two Buck Chuck) website, they do not seem to have an ownership claim, maybe they are the US distribution.The Colchagua Valley is an ideal place to grow grapes. It has the warm days and the much cooler nights followed by morning fog that grapevines crave. The earthquake of 2010 basically destroyed the Santa Carolina winery and they were forced to rebuild (completed in 2012). Santa Carolina took the setback to reinvigorate the winery and the full lines of wines.The vineyards are Estate vineyards which means the winery owns and operates them. Santa Carolina owns several estates being an estate winery in this instance is not as exclusive as estate vineyards in upscale wines. But it does indicate that the winery had complete control over the farming and the picking of the grapes.Plus the winery has extensive experience with the grapes year after year. Contracted vineyards can be every bit as skilled in the vineyard as estate, but the wineries do not always have the years of knowledge with those particular grapes This Cabernet Sauvignon was fermented in stainless steel vats then aged "in contact" with French oak for 8 months then bottle aged for an additional 4 months. Being aged in contact with French oak does not necessarily mean oak barrels were used.An expensive Cabernet Sauvignon that was not aged in oak barrels probably would not sell well, but with value-priced Cabs, considerations need to be made. An oak barrel, especially French oak can cost one thousand dollars or more and a wine selling for $7.49 just does not have the production budget to accommodate that expense.Oak flavoring is an expected sensation for Cabernet Sauvignon wine and often techniques other than barrels (such as oak stave added to the tank) are of higher quality than the type of barrels that would fit the budget. So for inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon if it tastes good, if it is a satisfying experience, then the winemaker did a good job. If barrels were used or not used isn't of the utmost importance. The alcohol content is 13.5%,Santa Carolina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2018The color is garnet red with black highlights. The nose is red berries and spice, cigar box, grilled meat, lightly herbal, hints of smoke strawberry, and chocolate. This is a very good Cabernet Sauvignon nose for such an inexpensive wine.This is a very well-balanced Cabernet, there are sleek ripe fruit and some interesting rougher sensations. It tastes of raspberry, strawberry, black pepper, and spice. The mid-palate shows orange zest, plum, Nestles chocolate powder, and soft exotic spice.The tannins stay out of the way, it is rare with value-priced wine that the tannins are even worth mentioning. The acidity allows all the flavors and sensations to unfold.The SummaryI like the Santa Carolina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, it sort of splits the difference between French Cabernet and California. It is sleek and lean but has tasty ripe fruit.This wine is a steal at $7.49 a bottle. It drinks WAY over its price tag.

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The StoryThe Two Angels Petite Sirah 2017 is a wine I found at Costco for $9.99 sourced from vineyards in the Red Hills sub-AVA of the Lake County AVA north of Napa in Northern California.This is a fairly new wine brand, the 2017 vintage is their third vintage for this label. Red Hills AVA is an interesting growing region. It is located on the southwest corner of Clear Lake with most of the vineyards planted above 2,000 feet in the Mayacamas Mountains.You have high-altitude growing with intense sunlight, volcanic soils, and a variety of micro-climates caused by the elevation and the lake. Lake County is north of Napa and many wine drinkers forget that it's there, But Lake County is an important growing region and producer for value-priced, quality wine.I always maintain that you can successfully choose a wine by its label and the Two Angels Petite Sirah 2017 is a prime example. The label is a drawing from the year 1591 depicting 2 drunken angels. There is a link above from the producer explaining the label.The 2017 vintage is the current vintage which gives this relatively inexpensive Red a good bit of bottle age. This Petite Sirah was aged in French oak barrels for 9 Months with 20% of the barrels being new oak.Oak barrel is something of a math problem with this percentage of new oak barrels and this other section using second use barrels and another amount using 3rd use barrels. It is very important to get the flavoring precisely right, along with getting the wine ready for sale in a timely manner.Petite Sirah is a grape created in the late 1800s by a man named Durif. This was a time when France was having a major problem with disease and pests in the vineyards. Petite Sirah was put together to use in place of Syrah grapes which were having repeated tough vintages.By the time the grape had successfully stabilized, the issues with the Syrah grape subsided and the need for Petite Sirah disappeared. It would have been forgotten but it somehow made its way to Australia (where it is known and Durif) and to California where the grape has had a recent renaissance. It is very popular in Red blends and often added to Zinfandel wines. The alcohol content is a stout 14.3%.Two Angles Petite Sirah 2017The color is a deep, dark, opaque purple. The nose is extracted ripe fruit and spice, there is toasted vanilla, black cherry, a smokey, meaty note, light herbs, and plums.This Petite Sirah is both silky smooth and bold, rich, and spicy. It starts with blackberry, licorice, and a healthy slap of Altoids spice. The mid-palate adds peppermint, vanilla cream, sour cherry, chocolate powder, and then some more spice. This is a big, bold, tasty wine.The tannins are sweet, they actually get a little lost with all the flavors popping up in your glass. The acidity does a good job of supporting the multitude of flavors and allowing them to unfold.The SummaryThe Two Angels Petite Sirah 2017 is a party in your glass. I am drinking it on a hot and humid August night and it seems a little out of place for summer drinking. But just wait until the nights cool down and the Two Angels will be right at home.Some times a ten buck wine can have its edges knock-offed, kind of dumbed down to appeal to a wider audience. The Two Angels give you the full experience, this is a wine that does not hold back. It has balance, but it is big and bold.This wine sells for $9.99 at Costco, but it is selling on the internet for around $24. So when I say it does not taste like a ten dollar wine that is because except for Costco the Two Angels Petite Sirah 2017 is an upscale wine.If you don't have a Costco membership give your neighbor a twenty and see if they won't pick up a couple of bottles for you. Promise to share it with them.

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The StoryThe Paso Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is a Trader Joe's $7.99 exclusive sourced from vineyards in the Paso Robles AVA of the Central Coast AVA in California. Paso Robles is about halfway between Los Angeles and San Fransisco.Trader Joe's does not offer up much information on this Cabernet. Most of the Fearless Flyer article refers to the Paso Dragon name. The Paso Drago is Lake Nacimiento which is located up in the hills and if you squint your eyes look something like a flying Dragon.Paso Robles is getting a very good reputation for growing Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Other California AVAs tend to emulate France or Italy and focus on Pinot Noir like Burgundy or Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot such as Bordeaux. But Paso Robles follows no one it does its own thing. While they respect other wine regions they are free to try need techniques and styles.How much innovation and style is going to show up in a $7.99 Bottle of Paso Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 remains to be seen (the glass is poured just have not tried a sip, yet).Cabernet Sauvignon is usually problematic with sub-ten dollar wine. Oak flavor and conditioning is an internal part of the Cabernet flavor profile. A good oak barrel can cost $1,000 and a Cabernet Sauvignon barrel does not hold all that much wine.There is not a lot of budget in a $7.99 wine for wine barrels. Yes, you do see a good many used barrels (oak barrels can be used up to five times before they are considered neutral) and that does help defray the expense. Getting authentic oak barrel flavoring into an inexpensive Cab takes skill and expertise.The Paso Dragon has a heavy, expensive bottle and has its name stamped on the cork. The label is the equal of any retail store wine brand, they did not skimp on the packaging for this wine. I always say you can choose a wine by the label and so far so good. The alcohol content is a reasonable 13.5%.Paso Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is dark black cherry red with an almost clear halo. The nose is extracted blackberry, a little, spice, light herbs, ripe raspberry, orange zest. The Fearless Flyer mentioned toasted marshmallow which I didn't find, but you might want to see if you get it.This is a smooth Cabernet Sauvignon with rich flavors, maybe not too complex, but what is in your glass is tasty. It starts with blackberry, and strong licorice, dusty chocolate powder, and plum. The mid-palate adds a little blueberry, some vanilla, and a late slap of spice.The acidity is hitting my palate a little oddly, getting a fizzy sensation. It isn't pronounced and it does not hinder the wine's enjoyment. I could very well be just me, I do not think that everyone will share this experience. I always feel slightly silly complaining that a $7.99 wine isn't perfect. A few years ago an odd reaction to a cheap wine's acidity would be the least of the problems. I am kind of nitpicking while trying to be accurate.The SummaryThe Paso Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is a solid California Cab and drinks well above its price tag.With each sip my issue with the acidity is diminished and again it did not interfere with may sipping enjoyment.The oak flavoring in this Cab is solid, sometimes inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon has "fake" tasting flavorings. That is not an issue here. I do not know how the oak got into the wine, but which ever method they used worked well.Check out the Podcast below!!

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The StoryThe Trader Joe's Petit Reserve Russian River Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is a $7.99 Trader Joe's exclusive sourced from grapes grown in the Russian River AVA of western Sonoma County. This Sauvignon Blanc is produced for TJ's by Owl Ridge Wine Services.Owl Ridge is a custom crush and private label facility located in the Russian River AVA founded in 2006. They make wines to order for restaurants and stores as well as a line of retail labels. So this is not some surplus eighteen dollars Sauvignon Blanc from a well-known winery, it is a wine designed to sell at its intended price.But that is not a bad thing since Trader Joe's has some built-in price advantages over wines sold in retail wine shops. And Owl Ridge has years of contacts and relationships with Russian River vineyards and wineries. There is a sort of hierarchy for wine pricing and single sub-AVA wines do not often sell for less than ten dollars or maybe a few bucks more.The $7.99 price category is usually reserved for wines sourced from a more general region, such as California or Mendoza (for Argentinean wines) on the front label. Trader Joe's is a great resource for wines from high-end growing regions that sell at bargain prices.Trader Joe's Petit Reserve is a 2019 vintage which indicates that this is a young wine that did not receive a great deal of aging. This is fine with me because that is how I like my Sauvignon Blanc. When young it is a fragrant wine the is bright and alive.There isn't any production information available for this Sauv Blanc, but it is safe to assume it was fermented in stainless steel tanks. It probably had a few months of aging, also in stainless steel. Quick and simple works very well with Sauvignon Blanc. Have the winery do what needs to get done and let the quality of the grapes shine through. The alcohol content is 13.4%.Trader Joe's Petit Reserve Russian River Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is a pale lemon yellow. The nose is kind of reminiscent of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but with some differences. There is melon, tropics; fruit, lemon, green apple, peach, pear, sour grapefruit, slightly grassy, with a solid floral edgeThis wine has a nice slightly syrup-like mouthfeel and a clash of strong and interesting flavors. It tastes of a stew of melon, peach, and lemon, followed by a salty sensation and a slap of minerality. The mid-palate brings guava, Anjou pear, spice, and ends with a soft creamy sensation. The acidity is solid, it is not quite that take another sip acidity I like so much, but it is very well-balanced.The SummarySurprisingly, this $7.99 Russian River Sauv Blanc is not a light and breezy patio cooler. Trader Joe's Petit Reserve has some weight to the body and an array of complicated flavors. This is a wine you need to concentrate on, spend a little time figuring out all the textures, aromas, and flavors on display. This is a wine that drinks above its price tag.

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The StoryThe Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red 2017 is a blend of 33% Syrah, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 3% Mourvèdre, 2% Grenache, 2% Counoise, 2% Sangiovese, and 2% Petit Verdot sourced from vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington State. Counoise is a grape typically found in the Rhone Valley in France and used in Red blends.Tamarack Cellars was founded in 1998 and usually produced more boutique single vineyard wines and the Firehouse Red is their more value-priced Red (I found it for around $15). The back of the label says "produced and bottled by" Tamarack Cellars which means they may not have grown the grapes, but they did everything else.In the age of Wine Corporations and LLC's, it is rare to find a value-priced wine that actually tells you who made the wine. I have great respect for wineries who produce upscale wines, but also produce wine priced for the average wine drinker. Bringing a wine of good value year in and year out is not an easy task.The Firehouse Red seems to be made with a great deal of precision as shown by the exacting nature of the blend percentages. The oak barrel program is also fine-tuned, 40% of the wine was aged in new barrels with the remaining 69% aged in 2nd and 3rd use barrels. An average oak wine barrel is used 4 or 5 times before it is considered neutral and with each use, it gives off a little less oak flavoring.The oak used is a mix of French and American oak, with some Hungarian oak barrels added in. French and Hungarian oak is the same species and adds similar flavoring to the wine. American oak is a different species with wider wood grain and tastes different from French oak.Each of the lots of grapes was aged separately in oak barrels for a year and after that time the blend was created. The alcohol content is 13.8%.Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red 2017 Tasting NotesThe color is basically an opaque black cherry red with a clear halo. The nose is ripe fruit and spice, both black and red berries, candy spice and BBQ sauce with the aroma of burnt ends added in, and Red Twizzlers.This is a wine that is smooth on the palate, but it is not a simple wine, there is a lot of flavors. It tastes of ripe blackberry, slightly tart raspberry, chocolate powder, and a little slightly sharp Dr. Pepper.The mid-palate offers orange zest, smooth blueberry, sour cherry, herbs, and vanilla. I think if you took your time and tried hard enough you can actually taste every grape in the blend. The tannins do not bite and the acidity keeps the flavors unfolding.The SummaryThe Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red 2017 is a delicious and precisely made red blend.Some red wines are a seamless blend you can not tell one grape from the other, but the Firehouse Red seems to justify each grape in the blends inclusion.An interesting selection of grapes and top-quality winemaking makes for a very tasty wine.

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The StoryThe Matsu El Picaro 2019 is a Tempranillo wine sourced from 90-year-old vineyards in the Toro D.O. of Spain. Toro is located near the Northeast corner of Portugal, the northwest of Spain wraps around the Portugal border.Matsu is a Japanese word that means to wait and El Picaro translates to the Rouge. Bodega Matsu is one of the projects from Vintae, which is three generations of winemakers who produce wines from nine separate regions in Spain. The El Picaro is the youngest wine of the 4 wines made under the Matsu name and I believe that is a photo of the youngest son on the label.There is an old adage that wine grapes need to suffer to produce interesting wine. The two most commons ways for the grapes to struggle are poor soil or old vines that naturally struggle due to age. The El Picaro grapes are 90-year-old vines grown in poor soil, the struggle is real.The grapes were fermented in large cement vats/ Cement works well with winemaking since the thickness of the cement keeps the juice contained inside the vat at a constant temperature. Wine grapes like steady temps and the winemakers' ability to control the temperature assist in certain production techniques.Sparkling wines/Bubbly is said to undergo 2 fermentations, but the reality is that most Red wines and sometimes White wines such a Chardonnay are fermented twice. The second fermentation is malolactic fermentation which changes the natural tart acids in the grapes to more rounded tasting acids. With El Picaro, the malolactic fermentation occurs when the wine is transferred from the cement vats to oak barrels.The oak barrels are not there to age the tempranillo and oak conditioning, just to add a little character to the malolactic fermentation. This is intended to be a young wine, bright, juicy, and fruit-forward.The grapes were farmed with bio-dynamic methods that go beyond organic farming. The vineyard decisions are based on the phases of the moon and complimentary plants are grown in the vineyard to attract the insects that feed on pests that plague the vines.I sometimes read articles about the best places to find "cheap" wine is South America or South Africa, along with a few other locations. While those growing regions at one time may have concentrated on value-priced wine, they now are concentrating on more expensive offerings.If you want to find the best location (outside of the West Coast of the USA) learn to like Tempranillo and Garnacha from Spain. There are more 90 plus point wines under $15 in your wine shops Spanish aisle than any other region. The Matsu El Picaro 2019 is an old vine Tempranillo grown with bio-dynamic practices and any interesting wine production style and I found it selling for $9.99. The alcohol content is 14.5%.Matsu El Picaro 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is a very dark black cherry red. The nose is intense, ripe blackberry, licorice, a little cola, soft spice, raspberry, and faint herbs. This is an intense full-flavored wine with sharp spice and persistent acidity.It starts with blackberry, Australian licorice, sharp spice, and blueberry. The mid-palate offers cherry cough syrup, a salty sensation, and dried strawberry bits. This wine is unfiltered and unfined, which removes solids from the wine. Anytime you remove something from the wine you also remove a certain amount of flavor. This wine is full-flavored, I do not think anything has been removed.The SummaryThe Matsu El Picaro is a lot of wine for the money. It is made with a very bold, intense style. Often ten buck wines have the edges smoothed off to appeal to greater audience. The El Picaro makes a singular statement that is refreshing in a value priced wine.

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The StoryThe Peaks and Tides Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2018 is a $9.99 ALDI exclusive sourced from vineyards along the Pacific Coast in Northern California. The Peaks and Tides brand also have a Cabernet Sauvignon and I think I saw a Pinot Noir.The Sonoma Coast runs from above San Francisco all the way to Mendocino County and much of it lies in valleys situated between Coastal Mountain ranges. It also runs east and overlaps with the Russian River AVA.I was at a Sonoma Coast AVA trade show a few years back and I picked up what I guess I would call gossip from some of the winemakers and winery Reps. They thought that large, politically connected wine companies to the east of Sonoma Coast used they clout to expand the boundaries of the AVA to include their holdings.I am not sure why that is a bad thing, but I know that there is a recent application to the California governing board to create a new West Sonoma Coast AVA. The coastal vineyards are mainly Boutique, high-end Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir specialists, but then again the Russian River portion is also a quality Pinot and Chardonnay growing area.This may be a matter of the little guy against big corporate wine and it is not a major concern to Cheapwinefinder wine drinkers. But a little gossip is sort of fun. In getting back to the Peaks and Tides the vineyards in Sonoma Coast are divided into the boutique, smaller but still commercial vineyard size and vineyards owned by larger wine companies.All the vineyards grow high-quality Chardonnay grapes, which is a very good thing for us drinkers of $9.99 store brand Chardonnay. It is a 2018 vintage that shows it went through a more complete production technique. Wines from the 2019 vintage probably underwent a simpler production that allowed the Chardonnay to be released for sale sooner.The packaging for the Peaks and Tides is the equal of retail brand wines in the same price range. The grapes came from a premium growing region, and if you Google "wineries located in (a town named on the back label)" you can make a good guess at which winery or one of their entities produced the wine. The alcohol content is 13.9%.Peaks and Tides Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is a pale wheat yellow. The nose is rich and varied, there is apricot, honey, pineapple, lemon, apple, grapefruit, peach, banana, yes, the nose is not shy. This $9.99 Chardonnay has some very definite oak influence, along with a solid array of flavors.It tastes of green apple, orange-blossom honey, Meyer lemon, lime, and grapefruit (soft). The mid-palate adds a salty "on lees" thing, Anjou pear, spice, and vanilla creme. The acidity is balanced, it allows the flavors to unfold and gets you reaching for another sip.The SummaryPhoto by Sterling Lanier on Unsplash The Peaks and Tides Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2018 is a very good Chardonnay. Somewhere around $10 will get you a solid, enjoyable Chardonnay and the Peaks and Tides is another excellent example of a bargain Chard.I would say that this is a wine made with very good grapes, the wine exhibits a wonderful nose and full flavor. That this wine sells for ten bucks is a treat.

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The StoryThe Aria Pinot Noir Brut Cava is a non-vintage Bubbly from the Penedes region of Catalunya, near Barcelona in Eastern Spain. Aria is part of the Segura Viudas family of Sparkling wines. Segura Viudas is in turn part of the Freixenet group that includes Mionetto Prosecco and Gloria Ferrer wines.Cava is produced with the same production methods used in Champaign wines. The Traditional Method where the second fermentation occurs in each and every bottle. The major difference is the grapes used. In Champagne, the main grapes are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with Cava three local grapes are used, Xarelo-lo, Macabeo, and Parellada. Champagne is also 500 or 600 miles to the north of the Penedes in Spain.The grapes used are typically a difference but not so with the Aria Pinot Noir Brut. Pinot Noir is not a grape usually grown in eastern Spain. The grapes are Estate grown in the higher elevations where the temperatures are cool enough to keep Pinot Noir grapes happy.The second fermentation for this Cava lasts for 18 months, which also happens to be the minimum length for 2nd fermentation in Champagne. The grape used, Pinot Noir and the length of 2nd fermentation sets the Aria Pinot Noir Brut Cava up to be compared with entry-level Champagne. There is a price difference, I found the Aria for $11.99 and "cheap" Champagne typically starts around $35.It isn't fair to directly compare the 2 Sparkling wines, Cava and Champagne have stylistic differences and Champagne is a cool to cold growing region while the Cava region is warm to hot. So while it isn't fair, it will be interesting to compare and enjoy the two similar but different Bubbly wines. The alcohol content is 12%.Aria Pinot Noir Brut Cava Tasting NotesThe color is somewhere between pink and apricot and there are plenty of bubbles. The nose is light and delicate, there is a scent of strawberry, butterscotch sundae, it is faint but there a butterscotch and vanilla thing, ripe cherry, and a soft floral edge.This is a smooth Cava with soft acidity. It tastes of sour (slightly) cherry, a slap of minerality (it has that mineral water sensation), lemon, and nectarine. The mid-palate adds a salty, nutty "on lees" sensation, cranberry, and a slight apple core flavor.Photo by Malin Strandvall on Unsplash Pinot Noir based Champagne is maybe my very favorite of all wines. Well at least for now, my favorites tend to change with the seasons, so I was very interested in tasting the Aria. It does not remind me of Champagne, the flavor profile and the intensity is different. I didn't expect them to be the same the two growing regions do not have much in common and the similar production techniques were not going to bridge the difference.But that does not mean that I did not thoroughly enjoy the Aria Pinot Noir Brut Cava Bubbly. It is a lot of Bubbly for 12 bucks. It over-delivers at its price point while budget Champagne sometimes underwhelms at its price-point. It is all about using the right tool for the job and at under twenty bucks Cava gets the job done.

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