As a professional Chef for the past 35 years, I would be remiss indeed if I did not alert anyone who was curious enough to think about trying or purchasing this wine to keep their money in their pockets. It was, in a word, ‘atrocious’.

I AM finding the 07 cabs from California to be a little thin compared to previous vintages, but the fruit is fantastic.

This one looks like a real winner!

We make wines for lots of grape growers and wineries throughout CA. We love a chance to make a special blend for Trader Joe’s private label program….that is a great store and their custom wine buyer travels all over the world constantly in order to bring their shoppers the darn best deals on wine that are possible. We are lucky enough to pass their rigorous tasting panel and get a product on the shelves sometimes!

We often design the label (as in the case of Rootstock) and then we
usually blend and bottle the wines at Mendocino Wine Co (formerly Parducci Wine Estates) because they are the best custom crush facility around. We also make organic wines and MWC is certified to produce those as well. As you saw on the TTB site, they do custom crush for many, many folks- that’s
the art of negociant wine-making and this practice significantly helps all wine producers cut their costs in order to give consumers better wines at lower prices, but it does not mean that the custom crush facility is related to or blended those other labels just because they were crushed and/or bottled there.

Each wine we make for TJ’s is made at a different time to take advantage of a specific great deal that we’ve found and blended, so your conspiracy theory although intriguing, is incorrect. There is a LOT of zinfandel in Lodi!!

Thanks for tasting our wines and we hope you’ll always find them a great wine for your money (and your table).

Cheers,
Dennis & Andrea (DnA) Patton

I would (and do) gladly fork out the extra 3 clams for the Trader Joe’s Reserve Sonoma County Zin (by Mazzocco Sonoma).

Also of note is the 2008 TJ’s Grower’s Reserve Petite Sirah (@ $5.49 here in MA). This one needs some air time as it is a bit young, and has some initial notes of road tar on the nose, but it is very nice at this price and improves greatly with decanting.

@Under Thanks for the kind words (and to everyone else for your help!). The Down Under Chard, Il Valore and La Granja are all faves (and excellent values) of mine at <$4. Can't think of another one to add to that list! In the $5-$10 range as you are likely aware I rated the Trentatre #1 in my latest Trader Joe’s Top 10 Wine List. The Castle Rock, King Shag and Zonin are on my go to list as well. Haven’t seen the Norton Malbec but would gladly give the Grape Madness champion another shot. As for Michelangelo he could have very well been describing the under $10 price category in wine but trying to prove him wrong is part of the fun! At least for me…

In the wine-dark pool of admittedly better than average plonk sold at Trader Joe’s you can find among the many frogs, toads and sea urchins an occasional starfish, even in the bottom-feeder Charles Shaw offerings.

Under $5, the Shaw “Down Under” Australian chardonnay (so far still good), Il Valore Sangiovese Giovane (a young wine, as printed on the label, but tasty after it airs out for a few days), and the flying pig La Granja Tempranillo actually taste like wine rather than its chemical equivalent. They are all good for cooking or easy drinking as everyday wines.

Between $5-10, the choices expand: the Trentatre Rosso (my favorite TJ bargain Italian red), Rendition Zinfandel (spread on toast), Mission Point and Castle Rock Mendocino Pinot Noir (rare to find good examples of this grape at low prices), Norton Malbec (Argentines rarely produce bad wine) and King Shag Sauvignon Blanc (nature is blessed in New Zealand) have all been repeat choices. The Zonin prosecco and surprising Contadino pinot grigio (but only the vivace) make for pleasant drinks. Most of the rest deserve to be thrown back into the tank or served anonymously.

Michelangelo described the vernaccia of San Gimignano as a wine that “bacia, lecca, morde, picca e punge” (“kisses, licks, bites, heats, and stings”). Not many, if any, TJ wines under $10 rise to those heights, though.