VinoDuo is Lisa & Gary. Engaged in Sonoma. Honeymooned in Napa. Vacationed in
Temecula (CA), Woodinville (WA), and other off the beaten path wine regions. We’ve married our love of wine with our passion for travel, visiting lesser-known wine regions throughout the United
States. We’ve got strong opinions about the pros and cons of each wine region and this is our forum for airing and sharing them.
Summer Wines Challenge
A late summer lark: buy a passel of cheap wine at Trader Joe's and see if any of them was worth buying again. We made a beeline for the TJ in Cambridge, which is a mecca for wine lovers thanks to its broad and deep collection.
We began with reds.
The Contenders
Firesteed says its has been committed to making premium quality varietal wines at prices people can truly afford. Afford, yes. Drink—please don't! This light, toothless wine had no aroma, no flavor, no anything...they should be ashamed to be from Oregon.
Four Vines — The Winner!
We visited Four Vines winery in Paso Robles earlier this summer and didn't come across the Old Vine Cuvee Zin. We noted at the time that Zin was the winemaker's true love, and the Old Vines Cuvee certainly confirms that. We've tasted Zinfandel this good at a much higher price. While a bit thinner than a great old vines Zin like Kline's, Four Vines' is a lovely ruby color with a great nose of dark roasted cherries.
Nerello Del Bastardo
Once our favorite pizza wine, the 1999 Bastardo has lost its lustre. The fruit is flat and the flavor is waning. We'll say a prayer for the 1999 and check out the 2000 next.
La Loggia Barbera D'alba
Let's call this a member of the Not Ready for Prime Time players. Good fruit, flat tannins, and some promising cherry aroma. Our prescription: lay down for two years and call is 2008.
The verdict: It's possible to find a quality red under $15 but you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the prince.
Now, on to the whites: Sauvignon Blanc and blanc-ish wines to eat with good Thai take-out.
The Contenders
Gary first tasted this Chilean Sauvignon Blanc at the Boston Wine Expo. Knowing Lisa's love of SB and his general disdain of it, he was beguiled by the Araucano's non-grassiness. So much so that he bought a case! Fortunately, Lisa agreed with his decision. This is a crisp SB with a slight creaminess to please the Chard lover. A mineral edge and great cut fruit aroma.
King Shag SB
Young and refreshing but our least favorite of the three contenders. Bottled, basically, yesterday, this has some growing to do. Would be an ok house wine, but don't rush out to buy it for your next party.
Montecillo Blanco Rioja—Lisa's Favorite
We've been slow to embrace Spanish wines and shy away from most Riojas. But our good friend Raul, who hails from Barcelona, raved about the Rioja Blanco, so we gave it a shot. Glad we did. For $5.99 at Trader Joe's this was Lisa's cheap wine of the summer. Made from 100% viura grapes, it's crisp, fruity, with great apple and pear aromas, it's the quintessential warm-weather wine. Bravo!
We began with reds.
The Contenders
- Firesteed 2004 Pinot Noir $12.99
- Four Vines Old Vine Cuvee Zin 2003 $8.99
- La Loggia Barbera D'Alba 2004 $6.99
- Nerello del Bastardo 1999 $6.99
Firesteed says its has been committed to making premium quality varietal wines at prices people can truly afford. Afford, yes. Drink—please don't! This light, toothless wine had no aroma, no flavor, no anything...they should be ashamed to be from Oregon.
Four Vines — The Winner!
We visited Four Vines winery in Paso Robles earlier this summer and didn't come across the Old Vine Cuvee Zin. We noted at the time that Zin was the winemaker's true love, and the Old Vines Cuvee certainly confirms that. We've tasted Zinfandel this good at a much higher price. While a bit thinner than a great old vines Zin like Kline's, Four Vines' is a lovely ruby color with a great nose of dark roasted cherries.
Nerello Del Bastardo
Once our favorite pizza wine, the 1999 Bastardo has lost its lustre. The fruit is flat and the flavor is waning. We'll say a prayer for the 1999 and check out the 2000 next.
La Loggia Barbera D'alba
Let's call this a member of the Not Ready for Prime Time players. Good fruit, flat tannins, and some promising cherry aroma. Our prescription: lay down for two years and call is 2008.
The verdict: It's possible to find a quality red under $15 but you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the prince.
Now, on to the whites: Sauvignon Blanc and blanc-ish wines to eat with good Thai take-out.
The Contenders
- Araucano Sauvignon Blanc 2004 $9.99 (Chile)
- King Shag Sauvignon Blanc 2006(!) $7.99 (NZ)
- Montecillo Blanco Rioja 2004 $5.99 (Spain)
Gary first tasted this Chilean Sauvignon Blanc at the Boston Wine Expo. Knowing Lisa's love of SB and his general disdain of it, he was beguiled by the Araucano's non-grassiness. So much so that he bought a case! Fortunately, Lisa agreed with his decision. This is a crisp SB with a slight creaminess to please the Chard lover. A mineral edge and great cut fruit aroma.
King Shag SB
Young and refreshing but our least favorite of the three contenders. Bottled, basically, yesterday, this has some growing to do. Would be an ok house wine, but don't rush out to buy it for your next party.
Montecillo Blanco Rioja—Lisa's Favorite
We've been slow to embrace Spanish wines and shy away from most Riojas. But our good friend Raul, who hails from Barcelona, raved about the Rioja Blanco, so we gave it a shot. Glad we did. For $5.99 at Trader Joe's this was Lisa's cheap wine of the summer. Made from 100% viura grapes, it's crisp, fruity, with great apple and pear aromas, it's the quintessential warm-weather wine. Bravo!
I'd love to see an updated Trader Joe wine review...I find it so hit or miss there.
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Good suggestion. You have to be very picky at Trade Joe's. We'll do an updated visit soon.
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