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 Whites Sale - Return to Trader Joe's
Posted by Lisa at 5/18/2007 7:12 PM 
Categories: The Cheapo Challenge, White Wine Winners, What to drink what to buy
Categories: The Cheapo Challenge, White Wine Winners, What to drink what to buy
We held our first Trader Joe's challenge in August 2006, sampling reds and whites in a quest for a good cheap summer wine. The results werre mixed, with a few rare gems mixed in with the cubic zirconium. Four Vines' Old Vine Cuvee Zin 2003 ($8.99) was the red champ. We split on the whites: Lisa went for Spain's Montecillo Blanco Rioja 2004 ($5.99) while Gary gave Chile's Araucano Sauvignon Blanc 2004 ($9.99) his thumbs up.
And that was that...until VinoDuo subscriber Mary Anne posted a comment saying, "I'd love to see an updated Trader Joe wine review. I find it so hit or miss there." Egged on, we made a spur of the moment trip back to the Cambridge TJ's for round 2 of the Summer Cheapo Challenge.
We were surprised to find so many mainstream brands like Yellow Tail mixed in with the lesser-known producers. That doesn't bode well for Trader Joe's "indie" image. Since it was one of the first gorgeous spring days in Boston, we stuck to light whites for sipping on the deck.
The Contenders
Clay Station Viognier (Delicato Family Vineyard; Manteca, CA)
Clay Station claims to produce wines that "take you beyond the obvious." They specialize in lesser-known varietals like Vognier, Shiraz, and Malbec and are quite proud of their daring philosophy. Maybe it's the wine snob in us but somehow Viognier and Shiraz just don't seem very "out there" anymore. Anyway, we digress.
The Viognier charmed Gary far more than Lisa, who compares all of that hard-to-grow Rhone varietal against the luscious Yalumba. We both appreciated Clay Station's typical orange and honeysuckle on the nose. Gary found the peach and honey flavors delightful and thought Thai food would be a great accompaniment. Lisa thought the flavor both banal and too sweet.
The Stump Jump (D'Arenberg, McLaren Vale; Australia)
Australia doesn't make too many mistakes in the wine department, but we found one—Stump Jump is a terrible wine. A blend of Riesling (63%,) Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne, and Roussane, this is, in Gary's words, "a failed experiment." You would think with all those wines swirlin around in a single bottle there would be some discernible flavor. But there wasn't. Floral on the nose, Gary said it tasted like "wet ground." Lisa didn't taste a thing. It went down the drain right after the tasting.
White Cliff (Sacred Cliff, Marlborough, New Zealand)
A Sauvignon Blanc that both Lisa and Gary can love. A lovely light straw color, it of course had the grassy, mineral nose so common to Marlborough SB's. Chard lover Gary claimed it was a "fat wine" with a fullness atypical of Sauvignon Blanc's—one of the best I've had." SB lover Lisa raved about the sharp, crisp flavor and lovely citrus finish. She ranked it up there with Matua and Brancott—high praise indeed. The next day, the White Cliff was ready for the recycling bin...not a drop left.
And that was that...until VinoDuo subscriber Mary Anne posted a comment saying, "I'd love to see an updated Trader Joe wine review. I find it so hit or miss there." Egged on, we made a spur of the moment trip back to the Cambridge TJ's for round 2 of the Summer Cheapo Challenge.
We were surprised to find so many mainstream brands like Yellow Tail mixed in with the lesser-known producers. That doesn't bode well for Trader Joe's "indie" image. Since it was one of the first gorgeous spring days in Boston, we stuck to light whites for sipping on the deck.
The Contenders
- Clay Station Viognier 2003 $11.00
- The Stump Jump 2005 (blend) $10.00
- White Cliff Sauvignon Blanc $11.99 (The winner!)
Clay Station Viognier (Delicato Family Vineyard; Manteca, CA)
Clay Station claims to produce wines that "take you beyond the obvious." They specialize in lesser-known varietals like Vognier, Shiraz, and Malbec and are quite proud of their daring philosophy. Maybe it's the wine snob in us but somehow Viognier and Shiraz just don't seem very "out there" anymore. Anyway, we digress.
The Viognier charmed Gary far more than Lisa, who compares all of that hard-to-grow Rhone varietal against the luscious Yalumba. We both appreciated Clay Station's typical orange and honeysuckle on the nose. Gary found the peach and honey flavors delightful and thought Thai food would be a great accompaniment. Lisa thought the flavor both banal and too sweet.
The Stump Jump (D'Arenberg, McLaren Vale; Australia)
Australia doesn't make too many mistakes in the wine department, but we found one—Stump Jump is a terrible wine. A blend of Riesling (63%,) Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne, and Roussane, this is, in Gary's words, "a failed experiment." You would think with all those wines swirlin around in a single bottle there would be some discernible flavor. But there wasn't. Floral on the nose, Gary said it tasted like "wet ground." Lisa didn't taste a thing. It went down the drain right after the tasting.
White Cliff (Sacred Cliff, Marlborough, New Zealand)
A Sauvignon Blanc that both Lisa and Gary can love. A lovely light straw color, it of course had the grassy, mineral nose so common to Marlborough SB's. Chard lover Gary claimed it was a "fat wine" with a fullness atypical of Sauvignon Blanc's—one of the best I've had." SB lover Lisa raved about the sharp, crisp flavor and lovely citrus finish. She ranked it up there with Matua and Brancott—high praise indeed. The next day, the White Cliff was ready for the recycling bin...not a drop left.
Comments