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June 29, 2020 Fetzer Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer 2018
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The StoryThe Fetzer Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer 2018 is sourced from vineyards in the Monterey AVA of California's Central Coast AVA. Shaly Loam is a type of soil associated with farmland since we are not told exactly where the vineyards are mentioning the type of soil without a vineyard location is being very specific and vague at the same time.Fetzer is an interesting wine company, they were started 52 years ago in Mendocino and is now owned by a wine company from Chile. But rather than simply being a brand name they are the North American headquarters and have an independent identity.Their wines are sustainably produced, they have 100s of acres of organic vineyards along with several hundred acres biodynamic vineyards. Biodynamic wines go organic vineyards one better and have wine and vineyard practices tied to the phases of the moon. They are also a certified B Company (along with companies like Ben and Jerry's) that balance profits with purpose and are currently trying to address racism on a corporate level.Gewurztraminer is a grape associated with the Alsace region in France, along with Austria, and Germany. It is usually a moderately sweet wine but has enough acidity to balance its sweet nature. Here is a review of another Monterey Gewurztraminer that may be similar to the Fetzer.This is a wine that is widely available (I think I found it for 6 bucks and I think I saw it at Trader Joe's) and is very well reviewed for an inexpensive wine. The Fetzer was fermented in stainless steel vats and a portion of this Gewurztraminer was aged "on lees". The alcohol content is a mild 12%.Fetzer Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is a pale butter yellow. The nose is sweet and interesting, melon, hard lemon cough drops, honey, peach, tangerine, and tart apple. The nose is not shy on this one. This wine has a firm mouthfeel and while it is sweet, it is nectar sweet, like a ripe juicy plum and not candy sweet.It tastes of a stew of navel orange, lemon/lime, orange blossom honey, followed by a little Altoid's spice. The mid-palate adds peach, apricot, and tart apple. This wine packs a great deal of flavor, the acidity does not get in the way of the flavor profile but does not the edge off of all the sweet flavors on display. The Summary* The Fetzer Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer 2018 is a very solid take on kind of sort of sweet wine. I am not generally a fan of sweet wine, I understand it had its place, but I can skip wine at the dessert course. But I like Fetzer Shaly Loam, this wine tastes great.
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5 min
June 26, 2020 Petit Bourgeois Loire Sauvignon Blanc 2019
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The StoryThe Petit Bourgeois Loire Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is an IGP Valle de Loire wine (the back label calls this a "table wine" which is a designation below IGP). It is the entry-level Sauvignon Blanc from Famille Bourgeois and winemaking family that has been producing wine in the Loire Valley for ten generations. They specialize in the Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé regions of the Loire Valley.The Petite Bourgeois is probably not from those vineyards, Famille Bourgeois farms about 180 acres in the valley, but the back label only says "bottled by Henri Bourgeois". Bottled by means just that, the producer named on the front label bottled the wine and nothing more. The label laws for wine are awful, they confuse things rather than explain things. Since Famille Bourgeois is the actual winery and Henry Bourgeois is the brand name might explain may be the reason why who actually grew the grapes and made the wine are hidden. But still, it is not information that is too much to ask.With that rant out of the way, Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc has been my favorite Sauv Blanc for years. And not the fancy Sancerre wine, though I do like them, just the plain old everyday Sauvignon Blanc, it is amazing, sunshine in a bottle.The problem with Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc is that it isn't the easy wine to find at a competitive price (I found this one for $10.99 on sale). Good New Zealand Sauv Blanc is available at grocery stores and West Coast and Central American Sauvignon Blanc is plentiful and well priced.Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc, which I think is excellent at all its price ranges, is available only at the better wine shops. Even then, it is mostly Sancerre and the prime location wines. For whatever reason the simple immensely enjoyable Loire Sauv Blanc isn't widely available, maybe the French keep it all to themselves.The Petit in the name means young, as in a wine with a very little aging. The wine was fermented in cool temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and then was aged on fine lees for 3 months. Aging on lees means they left the dead yeast and grape residue in the tank. Fine lees indicate they filtered the lees enough to remove larger bits and pieces but the left the small stuff. Aging on lees can give the wine a salty, cashew taste and when the lees are stirred can give the wine a creamy texture. The alcohol content is 13%.Petit Bourgeois Loire Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is pale wheat yellow. The nose is bright and lovely, all fresh fruit and tart citrus drizzled in honey. This Sauv Blanc has excellent acidity, that is something that you can take for granted until you taste a wine that just nails it.It tastes of ripe, not tart apple, grapefruit with a bit of a kick, and soft juicy peach. The mid-palate brings a little of that salty lees thing, a little melon, pear, and lemon chiffon. The acidity will have you reaching for another sip, your palate will demand it.The Summary* The Petit Bourgeois Loire Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is a joy to drink. Loire Valley Sauv Blanc is my favorite so I figured I would like it and it didn't let me down.* The problem is that now I can't simply head to a grocery store to get my Sauvignon Blanc fix. I have to hit the fancy wine shop and fight my way thru all the Sancerre's to find the simple, beautiful inexpensive Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc that I love.
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6 min
June 22, 2020 Cheapwinefinder Talks French Wine
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The PodcastWith this podcast, we at Cheapwinefinder.com discuss getting started drinking French wine. With all the different wine regions and classifications, it can get very confusing. We try to keep it simple, most of the grapes used are familiar to American wine drinkers, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. But the producers and the different regions may be intimidating, so we strip it down to the basics. Just concentrate on what French wines are available at your local wine shop and know which wine importer matches your palate. So check it out!!
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16 min
June 15, 2020 Cheapwinefinder Talks Trader Joe’s & Aldi Wine
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The PodcastCheapwinefinder Talks about Trader Joe's & Aldi Wine. With this podcast, we explain why we often choose wines from Trader Joe's and Aldi. Why we like most of their wines, why they are different from retail wine shops, and what they are so inexpensive. I won't write much more since this a podcast (18 minutes long), so listen up and enjoy!
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19 min
June 11, 2020 Antoine Delaune Beaujolais Villages 2018
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The StoryThe Antoine Delaune Beaujolais Villages 2018 is a $6.99 ALDI import exclusive. ALDI (both ALDI North Trader Joe's in America and ALDI South) is a German company with stores thru out Europe the US and Australia and has over 10,000 stores which give them tremendous buying power.In Europe, Great Britain, and Ireland they are the bang for the buck wine shop. Their wines are consistent award winners and they have contacts with quality European wine producers. With over ten thousand stores ALDI can move a great deal of wine.I have had good luck with ALDI's American wines, but I always keep my eyes open for interesting well-priced European wines. With ALDI's buying power it has a good chance of being pretty good and pretty cheap. And Beaujolais is just the place for for a bargain.Beaujolais is the French wine district just south of Burgundy, to the north of Burgundy is Champagne. Beaujolais has some pretty pricey neighbors and its wine can get overlooked.Beaujolais does the Gamay grape, which is a grape that always reminds me of Pinot Noir. Since it is known for one thing, it is much easier to figure out than most French growing regions.First, there is Beaujolais Nouveau, a portion of the grape harvest is set aside for this extremely young wine. On the 3rd Thursday in November (kind of sounds like our Thanksgiving), the wine is released for sale and the whole region throws a major party. The day of the party is set by law so if the harvest is early or late, it does not matter, the wine gets released ready or not.Then there is just Beaujolais wine, which is a wine from any part of the growing region after that is Beaujolais Villages. That is gravers taken from what is deemed to be the 38 best villages for growing Gamay grapes. Then there are Cru wines that come from the ten best villages.It is fairly simple for wine, which tends to be overly complicated for seemingly no reason. Also since its neighbors to the north get all the press and all the high-rollers Beaujolais is well-priced. All but the highest-end Cru wines can be found for under $25 or $30 dollars with most of the wines being under twenty bucks.This region has had vineyards since the Romans came to stay a long long time ago. So, Beaujolais is a well-respected growing region, that only has to get one thing right (the Gamay grape), has affordable wine, and knows how to throw a party.Antoine Delaune Beaujolais Villages 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is a garnet red, not unlike Pinot Noir, but darker and less see-thru. The nose is raspberry, pepper, and spice, a little herb, a touch of crushed autumn leaves, spearmint, and cherry. This is a well-balanced wine, with a nice mix of smooth and slightly rough flavors.It tastes of sweet black cherry, red cough drops, sharp spice, and soft plum. The mid-palate adds cranberry, strawberry (not too sweet), and a light, soft brush lightly rough tannins. The acidity is fine, it lets the flavors unfold and does not get in the way.The Summary* The Antoine Delaune Beaujolais Villages 2018 is a very solid $6.99 wine, it drinks well, I have no issues with it.* If you are interested in the wines of Beaujolais this is a pretty good place to start your journey.* Sometimes when you go too cheap on a wine it isn't very representative of the other wines of the region.
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10 min
June 07, 2020 Loudenotte Pinot Noir Pays d’Oc 2018
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The StoryLoudenotte Pinot Noir 2018The Loudenotte Pinot Noir Pays d'Oc 2018 is a $6.99 Trader Joe's import exclusive sourced from grapes from the south of France. The Oc in Pays d'Oc refers to Occitania which runs from the border with Spain to the Rhone Valley to the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean.The wines from this region are designated as IGP wines which is a step below the AOC classification. IGP wines are the wines that folks in Europe drink every day. They are usually well made and produced in large enough quantities to keep the price down.This part of France is not well known for Pinot Noir, many of the Red wines are blends. But here is a link to another Trader Joe's Pays d'Oc Pinot Noir that has been a solid value for the last several vintages.The Pays d"Oc region of France has a wine history going back to Ancient Rome. They have found evidence of winemaking that goes back 2,600 years. That they still produce wine here a couple of thousand years later, says a lot but the area.There is no technical information available for the Loudenotte Pinot Noir and the label gives no clues. It says bottled in France, also bottled with care, and product of France, not exactly detailed information. The back label says the grapes came from selected vineyards, but every wine has grapes from vineyards that somebody selected.So, to learn more about this Pinot Noir, we are going to pour and glass and take a sip. At $6.99 we are not taking much f a risk. the alcohol content is 13%.Loudenotte Pinot Noir Pays d'Oc 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is a dark, but still clear garnet red. The nose is black cherry, spice, light herbs, plum, and black licorice. Yes, I know licorice is supposed to be black, but I was raised on red Twizzlers. This is a Pinot with a silky mouthfeel, but a more challenging flavor profile. It tastes of ripe black cherry, black pepper, a slightly rough edge from herbs, and then smooth plum. The mid-palate adds tart cranberry and a good slap of Altoid's spice. The tannins are smooth and the acidity is balanced.The Summary* The Loudenotte Pinot Noir Pays d'Oc 2018 is a decent Pinot Noir, I can't say it is my favorite Pinot, but it is well worth the $6.99 price tag.* There are few sub-seven buck Pinot Noirs this good. Though there are several Pinots in the $10 range that I prefer.* Expecting a world-class Pinot Noir is silly, it's all about exploration and they Loudenotte is worth a stop on your wine journey.
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6 min
June 04, 2020 Kingsley Sparkling Brut Rosé
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The StoryThe Kingsley Sparkling Brut Rose' is a $6.99 Trader Joe's Sparkling wine made in the Traditional Method by Rack and Riddle. That is all I know about this Bubbly, but that might be enough.The first thing to note is that $6.99 for a Traditional Method Sparkling wine is crazy cheap. The Traditional Method is the production technique used in Champagne. After the wine is fermented the first time, it is bottled, not all the way to the top, they leave a little room. Then a measured amount of yeast and sugar is added to each bottle and sometime later, in Champagne a minimum of 18 months, they remove the spent yeast, top off the bottle and add the cork and cage. About every other day for the entire period of the 2nd fermentation the bottles are turned a quarter turn so the dead yeast does not stick to the inside of the bottle.In the old days all this was done by hand, it is mostly automated now, only the most exclusive Champagne wines are made by hand. It is one of the reasons Champagne costs more than Prosecco. Prosecco is made in the Charmat Method which is a quicker and less complicated way to get bubbles into wine.The second point is this Bubbly is made by Rack and Riddle, they are a custom Sparkling Wine House with a couple of facilities in northern California. Quake from Cheapwinefinder toured their Sonoma facility on one of his California wine visits. He reported seeing pallets of cases of Sparkling wines from every conceivable wine brand.There is a very good chance that you have tasted Bubbly made at a Rack and Riddle facility and didn't know it. The point is that they know how to make Bubbly. I don't know the origins of this Bubbly, is it made to order for Trader Joe's? Is it the leftovers from a more expensive Sparkling wine?I don't know, I don't even know what grapes were used in the making of this Brut Rose'. (Just a reminder, Brut means not sweet). You occasionally see Spanish Cava, which is also made in the Traditional Method for under ten bucks. But an American $6.99 Traditional Method Bubbly is rare, Barefoot makes Bubbly is this general price range, but as I recall those wines are made in the less expensive Charmat Method. The alcohol content is 12.5%.Kingsley Sparkling Brut Rose' Tasting NotesThe color is on the apricot side of pink and there are plenty of bubbles. I read somewhere that you can tell the quality of a Sparkling wine by the size of the bubbles. I guess that means the length of time the 2nd fermentation lasts to better the bubbles are incorporated into the wine. My first impression when looking at my glass is these bubbles are on the larger side. But, what exactly is the difference between teeny and tiny?The nose does not give up a lot in terms of aromas, there is a little melon, yeasty bread, some candy spice (red licorice), a hint of cherry. The Kingsley Sparkling Brut Rose' maybe a little short on aroma, but it is not lacking in flavor.It tastes of a lemon/strawberry mix, sort of like Italian ice, followed by tart, sour cherry, a slap of minerality, watermelon, and light yeasty bread. It has that lip-smacking acidity that constantly tempts you to take another sip.The Summary* The Kingsley Sparkling Brut Rose' does not drink like a $6.99 Bubbly.* I don't think it is exactly delicious, but it is not bad at all.* I don't what your expectations are for a sub 7 buck bubbly,
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11 min
May 27, 2020 Bogle Phantom Red Blend 2016
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The StoryThe Bogle Phantom Red Blend 2016 is a blend of 51.5% Petit Sirah and 48.5% Zinfandel sourced from vineyards in several California vineyard regions. Bogle Vineyards was named 2019 Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine.Bogle is located in the Clarksburg AVA which is south and a little east of Napa in the delta region of San Pablo Bay. The San Francisco Bay is on the south side, San Pablo to the north. The Bay is the reason that Carneros is cool enough for Pinot Noir, Napa gets cold ocean breezes and Clarksburg and Lodi can grow grapes even though they are some distance from the Pacific Ocean.Clarksburg had been an AVA that was mainly vineyards who sold their grapes to her wineries with Bogle Vineyards being a notable exception. Bogle 's vineyards and production are run by the 6th generation of the family. They have grown grapes and made wine since 1978.Bogle concentrates on value-priced wines and the Phantom series is their flagship wine (they have a Phantom Chardonnay, too). This is a wine that I found on sale for $15, so the production details will be more involved than regular Bogle labels.The first thing that jumps out about this blend was aged in American oak, a mix first and second use barrels for 28 months. That kind of extended oak barrel aging is relatively rare in this price range and is the reason this is a 2016 vintage when competing Red Blends currently on store shelves are more likely to be 2017 or even 2018.A rough rule of thumb is a wine needs one month of additional bottle aging for every month of oak barrel aging. Twenty-eight months in barrels require time for the wine to balance. Bogle needed to wait 3 to 4 years to release this vintage. Time is money in the wine world and obviously Bogle thinks doing it right, aging the blend for years is what the wine needed and was the right thing to do.They could have aged this blend for a year in oak, plenty of the competition take that route. You can add oak flavoring to wine fairly quickly, but the benefits of long-term oak aging do not have a shortcut. This one detail tells you everything you need to know about the Phantom. Bogle did not have to give this Red extended aging. But they did and you are not paying much of a premium for the extra attention to detail.Petite Sirah and Zinfandel are often blended together, but the usual mix is a smaller percentage of Petite Sirah in a Zinfandel labeled wine. Petite Sirah is used as a blending grape in countless value-priced blends. So with the Phantom Red, Petite Sirah gets a chance to shine. The alcohol content is 14.5%.Bogle Phantom Red Blend 2016 Tasting NotesThe color is an opaque black cherry red, emphasis on the black. The nose is dark and brooding, there is extracted blackberry, a good dose of spice, new leather jacket, cigar box, licorice, ripe plum, herbs, and milk chocolate.This is a smooth Red blend that has some real complexity bubbling below the surface. It tastes of blueberry mixed with black pepper, followed by dark chocolate (almost chocolate milk-like, but not sweet), a sharp splash of spice, and ripe plum.The mid-palate brings non-sweet cola, a little cream, orange zest, and slightly tart cranberry. The overall impression is a silky smooth wine with sweet, and sharp flavors popping out.
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12 min
May 24, 2020 Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay 2018
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In this episode Quake chats clones, guitars, Alexa, and Chardonnay - the Wente Single Vineyard (Riva Ranch) Chardonnay 2018.Wente is the First Family of Chardonnay, and they're doing something pretty cool - a virtual wine tasting app for your Amazon Echo or Google Home device.So why should we tell you all about this wine when Alexa can do it for us? Pour yourself a glass & listen now ...
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12 min
May 21, 2020 High Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2018
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The StoryThe High Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2018 is a single vineyard (Betsy's Vineyard) located in the High Valley sub-AVA of the Lake County AVA which directly north of Napa. High Valley is one of Shannon Ridge's family of wines.Shannon Ridge is owned by Clay Shannon who farms several thousand acres of vineyards. They use 50% of the grapes for their own wines and the other 50% are sold off to other wineries. You have probably experienced Shannon Ridge grapes and not known it.The vineyards are sustainably farmed, they use sheep to control weeds and provide some free and natural fertilizer. Using sheep to help in vineyards is called the Ovis Cycle, here is a link with a quick explanation of the process.The High Valley AVA is centered in Coastal Ranges in northeast Lake County and features and has volcanic ash in the soil. The vineyards are located from 1600 to 3000 feet in elevation. So this is a single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc with a unique terroir.The 2018 vintage was Shannon Ridge's longest vintage in 25 years, giving the grapes all the time they needed to fully develop. Fermentation for this Sauvignon Blanc lasted for a month in stainless steel tanks.The High Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2018 is a wine I found on sale for $11.99 but sells on Shanon Ridge's website for $27. Wine selling on a winery website is often priced higher than retail wine shops since a winery typically gets most of its sales from wine shops and does not want to interfere.I am looking forward to tasting this Sauvignon Blanc, it won't be like a New Zealand SB or one from the Loire Valley in France, or Coastal Chile or Central Coast California. I should be a new flavor of Sauvignon Blanc, not exactly like all the rest, but maybe not so different either. The alcohol content is 13.1%.High Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2018 Tasting Notes The color is a very pale wheat yellow, from some angles it almost looks clear. the nose is both bright and mellow, there is bright crisp lemon/lime, green apple, a pleasing spice scent, melon, unsweetened pineapple juice, and tropical fruit.This Sauv Blanc is again a clash of textures, sweets fresh flavors, and an austere edge. It has that acidity I love in White wine where your palate tells you to take another sip before your brain does.It starts with tangerine mixed with lemon, followed by ripe peach and nectarine. The mid-palate offers soft spice, pineapple (not sweet), some of that nutty, salty "on lees" thing, and sharp, tart lime.The Summary* If you are into Sauvignon Blanc you need to check out the High Valley Sauvignon Blanc.* It has some interesting contrasts, bright and juicy, along with hard-edged and brooding.* Most inexpensive Sauv Blancs do not require your focused attention, they just make you happy when you sip them.* The High Valley demands a bit more of your attention, you can drink it as one of those springtimes in a bottle Sauvignon Blanc. But you will be better served if you contemplate the flavors at least for the first few sips. This wine is worth your attention.
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9 min

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