trader joe's top 10



about jason

focused on finding those wines that deliver great value to the wallet and the palate. read more here...

the rating system

rating wines with my wallet. no points, no stars only will I buy it again or not? learn more here...

2008 Hamilton-Steven’s Pinot Noir

Price: $8.99 @ Trader Joe’s What They Said: Per the bottle Deep garnet red with spicy sweet aromas of dark plum, cedar and anise. Rich, complex flavors of cherry pie, spice and bittersweet chocolate finish silky smooth. What I Think: I think I was able to track this one back to Grove Street Winery who [...]

2006 Chateau Chevalier Pinot Noir

Price: $9.99 @ Trader Joe’s What They Said: Barely a whisper of this one on their site. Being a fan of their Cab offering and initially giving this bottle the once over I become suspect. But the facts check out. I had just never noticed that Chateau Chevalier is made by Spring Mountain Vineyard (perhaps [...]

2009: The Year in Review from A to Z

Can’t believe it is already March, unfortunately I’m not all that surprised that I have yet to close out my “2009 Year in Wine” series. I have a few resolutions but want to focus on one here: start spending more time writing about wines (or topics) I enjoy. Upon reflection I realized there were many [...]

2005 Howell Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $14.99 @ Trader Joe’s What They Said: Per Trader Joe’s Ten For The Tasting (pdf) “Come on; get your nose in there. Way in there… the deep crimson hue, the aromas, the body… oh, yes! Handcrafted from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in Napa Valley’s renowned Howell Mountain appellation, this wine has body. Grown [...]

Grape Madness Championship Game: Bodega Norton vs. Chateau Chevalier

And then there were 2 bottles left standing. Tonight one of them goes home a champion, another faced with always remembering how close they came. The competitors are (3) 2007 Bodega Norton Malbec ($8) hailing from Cost Plus World Market vs. (1) 2004 Chateau Chevalier Napa Cabernet ($15) which emerged from the Trader Joe’s bracket. [...]

Grape Madness Round #4: Stephen Vincent vs. Chateau Chevalier

From 32 wines, 4 remain.  Another will be sent home today.  Who will move on?  Today’s show down is between (2) 2006 Stephen Vincent Crimson ($11) hailing from Whole Foods vs. (1) 2004 Chateau Chevalier Napa Cabernet ($15) which calls Trader Joe’s home. Once again if you need a refresher on the rules you can [...]

Grape Madness Round #3: Stephen Vincent vs. Castle Rock

The road to the Final Four for the Whole Foods bracket was a show down between (2) 2006 Stephen Vincent Crimson ($11) vs. (2) 2007 Castle Rock Pinot Noir Monterey County ($12). Once again if you need a refresher on the rules you can find a recap here. The main one to keep in mind [...]

Grape Madness Round #3: Chateau Chevalier vs. Rosenblum

The third round in the Trader Joe’s bracket of the inaugural Grape Madness tourney kicked off with the (1) 2004 Chateau Chevalier Napa Cabernet ($15) vs. (1) 2006 Rosenblum Paso Robles Zin ($16). Once again if you need a refresher on the rules you can find a recap here. The main one to keep in [...]

Grape Madness Round #2: Chateau Chevalier vs. Fetzer

The second round in the Trader Joe’s bracket of the inaugural Grape Madness tourney continues with the (1) 2004 Chateau Chevalier Napa Cabernet ($15) vs. the (3) 2006 Fetzer Valley Oaks Cabernet ($6). Once again if you need a refresher on the rules you can find a recap here. The main one two keep in [...]

Grape Madness Round #1: Chateau Chevalier vs. Trader Joe’s Coastal Cab

The last game in the inaugural Trader Joe’s bracket of Grape Madness was the (1) 2004 Chateau Chevalier Napa Cabernet ($15) vs. the (4) 2006 Trader Joe’s Coastal Cabernet ($4). Once again if you need a refresher on the rules you can find a recap here. The main one two keep in mind here, per [...]