$4 Sutter Home Zinfandel California Stater Bros.

This wine usually retails for $3.99 around here, but I picked it up on sale for just $2.79, nice! I'll be honest, with Sutter Home, it's really hit-or-miss. They have some real stinkers. But a few decent ones (like the Gewurstraminer) keep me trying out new ones in hopes of a winner.

So this is a 2010 Zinfandel and to be honest it smells a bit past it's prime. A few more sniffs and I pick up some currants, blackberries and a bit of meatiness. Upon sipping it's not quite as over-ripe as I had feared. It's actually quite bright and grassy. It is lacking fruit of any kind... there is maybe a teensy bit of... no, nothing. Not bad if you like a dry, non-fruity wine. It's got a few flaws, but hey, don't we all?

I give this a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

$4 Green Fin 2010 White Wine California Trader Joes Organic

Okay, so I have to admit that the 2009 vintage of this wine was less than stellar. But I decided to try the 2010 vintage just in case. Boy, am I glad I did... the 2010 got the vague-ness of "white wine" spot on. Just the right amount of fruitiness, sweetness, tartness... you name it, it has it. It's right up there with a good pinot grigio. I'm usually not a fan of white "table wine" but this one is a winner. I will be buying several more bottles. Did I mention that this wine is made with organic grapes? Well that's just icing on the cake. Drink up!

I give this wine 4 stars out of 5.

Il Valore $4 2009 Sangiovese Italy Trader Joes

I just love a good Sangiovese and I was excited to try this one- so affordable! The nose was absolutely yummy with the richness of figs, the fruitiness of black currants and hint of dark chocolate and black pepper. But on the first sip, the disappointment set in. It tasted nothing like it smelled... there was an intense bitterness right off the bat, totally lacking fruit and a medium finish of more bitterness. Yikes, this was really bad. Before dumping it, I popped on my wine soiree (aerator) and poured a bit through it. It softened the bitterness quite a bit, but it still overwhelmed the wine. I was ready to give this wine a 2 out of 5 stars, but then I forgot about it on the counter for four days. I figured I would give it one more shot before the drain, and poured a bit in a glass. And you know what, it wasn't half bad. It still wasn't great, but definitely drinkable. So the moral of this story is that if you get a bottle of this, plan ahead to decant and aerate the heck out of it before attempting to drink it.

I give this wine 3 out of 5 stars

Callaway Cellar Selections $4 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon California Stater Bros.

It's a bit over-aged on the nose with a light undertone of dark berries. I was not terribly thrilled with what I was smelling, but I am giving it the benefit of the doubt... I have liked Cellar Selections in the past.

The first sip yields barely-there fruits and a mild green pepper finish. After a few sips I began to pick up subtle cherry notes but overall it's lacking complexity of any kind. About half way through the glass I had some grilled meat, and that did bring out a slight jamminess, but it was too little, too late and I probably would not buy it again.

I give this wine a 3 out of 5 stars.

$4 Jacob's Creek 2007 Shiraz California CVS

This wine is an earthy burgundy color and it smells of port and ripe cherries. The first sip is a little tart and kerosene-ish. It continues to be bitter with very little fruit or flavor. Okay, I'm going to call it. This wine is garbage. Leave it on the shelf for some other guy who doesn't read this blog.

I give this wine a 1 out of 5 stars.

$4 Sutter Home 2007 White Merlot California CVS

In my search for a budget Rose, I picked up a bottle of this in hopes of a light, crisp Rose that would pair well with grilled chicken and summer picnics. The color is that of a melted pink popsicle and it smells of strawberry jolly ranchers and strawberry jam. It is horrendously sweet in a very manufactured way and tastes like a syrupy version of Strawberry Hill mixed with Welches white grape juice. I would stay far, far away from this monstrosity. I could see some pimple-faced teenager sneak-drinking this out of a paper bag in the back of a hand-me-down '91 mini-van. This is the kind of crap that gives cheap wine a bad name. Blech. There is no saving this bottle.

I give this wine a ZERO out of 5 stars. That's a first!

$4 Sutter Home 2009 Zinfandel California Stater Bros.

It smells of cola and chocolate with subtle undertones of cinnamon and spice. It tastes of berries and cocoa with a nuance of maraschino cherries. At first it is very bold with a sharp finish, but after my palate adjusts, it became slightly jammy with a long, lingering mild finish.

I give this wine a 5 out 5 stars.

$4 Archeo 2007 Nero d'Avola Sicily Trader Joes

I absolutely loved the 2005 vintage of this wine, way back before I even had a wine blog. I went and bought a bunch of wine at Trader Joes a couple of weeks back and I was saving this one for last. It has a nice bottle too, so if someone did not frequent Trader Joes, then they might assume this is a more expensive bottle just by the look of it. Anyway, onto the tasting!

At first is smells of smoky, woodsy notes, more specifically, pine. But after letting it breathe after a hefty swirl, subtle cherry notes came through. The first sip is quite delicious, a bit hearty and grassy with subtle layers of eucalyptus and molasses. The finish is long with a touch of fruitiness. The more I tasted it, the more the fruitiness came out, without losing it's character.

Overall, this wine is an excellent price for the complexity and balance. I think if it was in a blind tasting, it would rival much more expensive wines.

I give this wine a 5 out of 5 stars.

$4 Abrazo Del Toro 2008 Garnacha Tempranillo Spain Trader Joes

After a horrible experience with the 2005 Abrazo I was really worried about what I would encounter in this bottle.

The nose is nicely smoky with a bit of meatiness. The first sip yields light blackberries with a bit of herbs and tobacco. The Garnacha softens the Tempranillo, perhaps a bit too much for those who like a bold Tempranillo. Dry, yet fruity, this wine is far cry from the '05 vintage but in a good way. I do think this wine is pretty much at it's peak, so I would drink it up now. No point in saving this bad boy.

I give this hearty wine a 4 out of 5 stars

$4 Purple Moon 2008 Shiraz California Trader Joes

I was so excited to try this Purple Moon Shiraz as the last vintage I tasted, Purple Moon 2004, was stellar. This one is kind of a dull, deep red and smells very grassy. It is slightly bitter, but mellows out after a few sips. It tastes of nutmeg and half-ripe cherries. I decided it was in need of some aeration, so the next glass I poured through my Wine Soiree to clean it up a bit. The aeration helped it quite a lot and it helped bring out some of the subtle cinnamon, blackberry and black cherry notes. It is definitely bold, and complex but it needs the aeration to really open it up. It doesn't live up to the 2004, but is still intriguing.

I give this a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars
But, I give this a 4 out of 5 stars when aerated

Check out my friends thoughts on the same wine at ZinbytheSea

$4 Green Fin 2009 White Table Wine California Trader Joes

This cute 'lil bottle was practically clamoring to get into my cart. So I brought a bottle of "table wine" home. But on the plus side- it's made with organic grapes. The first sniff smells a bit of syrupy Moscato followed by crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Interesting so far. The first sip yields definite sweetness followed by... well, nothing. There is nothing to pick out, it's just a generic white wine... I guess the label was correct.

I give this wine a 3 out of 5 stars.

(I had to throw on an extra star because it's organic.)

$4 Albero White Sparkling Wine Spain Trader Joes

First off, it gets a big thumbs up for being organic. Even though it's sparkling wine, it looks to be just an ordinary white wine, except for the slightly bulbous cork. The nose is somewhat sweet and flowery. And then.... what a let down. It is completely flat. Maybe a slight fizz on the tongue but on the whole, more like a stale champagne than a sparkling wine. The flavor is a bit on the sweet side and tastes more like a Gewurstraminer.

I give this wine a 1 out of 5 stars

$2 Quail Oak Merlot California Vons/Safeway

Bold and berries on the nose, with a light, yet vivid burgundy color. It is refreshing, bold and fruity on the palate with a medium finish. Not bad for two bucks. I would definitely get this again, however the year is not listed on the bottle... so this review might not pertain to this wine 6 months from now.

4 out of 5 stars

$4 Lucky Duck Shiraz Australia Walmart

This one has a strong, bold berry aroma with black cherries and a bit of black coffee. It's pretty tasty. After swirling it around briefly, I took a small swig. There are immediate flavors of sweet red peppers and tart plums. After a few sips I noticed a nectarine taste which complimented all the tartness and berry flavors quite nicely. This shiraz has a nice medium finish and leaves me with a lingering taste of olallieberries. This is a fairly bold, yet ever-so-slightly jammy wine. I would buy it again.

I give this wine a *4 out of 5 stars.

*I might have given this one a 5 stars, but there was an annoying plastic shrink-wrap over the top (is plastic the new foil?) which was a pain to remove. And the bottle did not mention the vintage (year) so there is no telling if 6 months from now, it will be the same.

$4 Glen Ellen 2009 Pinot Grigio California Stater Bros.

This particular bottle boasts "Proprieter's Reserve" and the name "Concannon Vineyard" which doesn't mean much to me unless the wine delivers. Okay, onto the tasting. To start off, the nose is very bland. The small amount of fruitiness I detect is somewhat over ripe. The first sip brings me absolutely nothing. The second sip I really swish around and have to dig for it, but there are a bit of unripe citrus and some pineapple notes. Overall, a really terrible wine. I would recommend if you already have a bottle of it, make some sangria with it or cook with it.

I give this wine 1 star out of 5

$4 Sutter Home Pinot Grigio 2008 California Stater Brothers

I guess this warm weather has driven me to white wine for the time being. On tonight's tasting menu is a Sutter Home Pinot Grigio from Napa Valley. The nose is light and refreshing with pears and lemons and I couldn't wait to taste it. The first sip is a bit harsh and somewhat tart and lacking in fruit. The finish is short and compact. There is not much fruitiness and it's rather bland. About half way through the glass, I began to pick up flavors of sweet melon and the finish improved slightly. But overall I'm not impressed and I don't think I will be buying another bottle of this anytime soon.

I give this one a 2 out of 5 stars

$4 Cabernet Sauvignon Talus 2004 California Trader Joes

The nose is vibrant and peppery with hints of roasted red peppers and green grass. the first taste is definitely grassy with a sweet undertone that I can't put my finger on. It has a strongly metallic finish which is quite unpleasant. The second sip is very herbaceous and a lesser metallic taste and by the third sip my taste buds have adjusted and it becomes bright and grassy. It also has very high tannins and is very astringent. I think this wine could definitely benefit from a day on the counter.

$4 Merlot Redwood Creek California 2005 Albertsons

Very caramely and mapley on the nose. The first sip tastes of heavy cinnamon flavors... the second sip is more cinnamon with a bit of chocolate. This is not a very fruity Merlot, but a rich, warm Merlot. There are fruit and berries there, but it's under the cover of butterscotch, toffee and cinnamon. Not bad for 4 bucks!

I give this rich Merlot a 4 out of 5

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$4 Sangiovese Tuscan Moon 2005 California Trader Joes

The first scent of this wine is earthy and smells of leather, figs and apricots. I can't wait to try it as I am a big fan of Sangiovese. I was surprised by the big apricot flavors that hit my tongue immediately. Black currant and blueberry flavors quickly followed. There are some lingering flavors of strawberry and raspberry and a pretty quick finish. It is very tasty, though it is a bit fruity for a Sangiovese. The flavors are unexpected, but I would buy it again. Definitely a great buy for $4... but don't expect the usual Sangiovese flavors.

I give this tasty wine a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

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$4 Pinot Noir 2006 Lindemans Bin 99 South Eastern Australia Safeway

The fragrance of this wine is smoky and peppery and it has brown tones to it's rich, deep red. I swirled it around for a moment and for those of you who care, it had nice thick legs that took their time dripping back down into the glass. The first taste is a bit bland. The second and third tastes brought out some subtle pinot flavor and.... not much else. I'm a bit disappointed, it smells so much better than it tastes. Still a drinkable wine though.

I give this uneventful wine a 3 out of 5 stars.


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