Hot Wine Tips From Trader Joe's!!!

Try the 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape at TJ's for $18.99.  I don't know where you live but here in Ventura, the cheapest...no, the LEAST expensive Chateauneuf is $36 a bottle and range up to well over $50.  This wine is a steal.  It's a bit softer and less earthy than most Chat's, probably because of a greater percentage of Grenache, but that's just my guess.  As you know, most Chat's are a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre.  Get to TJ's and get a few bottles of this French blend and save yourselves lots of dollars!

The other is a Pinot Gris from New Zealand!  I didn't know that NZ was growing Pinot Gris grapes so this was a pleasant surprise, especially at $5.99 a bottle.  Sheesh, did I ever appreciate this wine.  Hints of apple and pear.  We did a wine tasting at our store for the crew and this was the favorite white wine of the day.  I brought home six bottles immediately.

Hope these tips are helpful to you.  

Tom da Wine Guy

Back From China: $25 Buck Chuck

Not long ago, a woman came through the TJ wine section and told me she had just returned from a business trip in Beijing, China.  She and her colleagues had been staying in a four-star hotel and they wanted a bottle of wine to celebrate the end of their trip.  They proceeded to the hotel’s wine shop and to their amazement, the shop was selling Charles Shaw wines for $25 a bottle!!!  They actually bought a bottle just so they could say that they had.  Besides, the Shaw was cheaper than the French wines.
I, being a curious sort, wanted to know how Charles Shaw wines could end up at a hotel in Beijing.  Asking around I was told that Trader Joe’s has contracts with two countries to export Charles Shaw wines.  One of those is China, hence, Charles Shaw wine in a 4-star hotel in Beijing.

There have been many articles recently about the growth in popularity of wine in China.  I did some reading and research and thank Wine Enthusiast for their recent April article on China wines, which was very informative. Wine is a status symbol and represents occupational and business success.  Imports are from France, Australia, Italy, Spain, Chile and the United States (in that order).

Unfortunately, Chinese wine is reportedly, not very good.  Many of the Chinese domestic wines blend in imported bulk wines from Europe and Australia.  The problem for the Chinese wine growers is climate.  In the warmer areas, too much rainfall during the hot growing season translates into heavy fungicide use and the lack of sunshine impacts sugar levels, color, and flavor.

In other wine growing regions, bitterly cold winters mean vines need to be buried beneath a foot or more of soil each fall and uncovered every spring.  Cold, dry winters on one hand, and hot, humid summers on the other, are the “two cardinal constraints” on Chinese wine production.

Mihalis Boutaris, with a resume’ that includes a master of science degree from UC Davis, says “while canopy management and lower yields could be potential ways to deal with these two ‘cardinal constraints,’ I doubt in the long run any result could seriously compete with fine imported wine.”

Well, good readers, I needed confirmation, not speculation attributed to other wine writers.  I left for China and arrived on April 15 in the beautiful city of Shanghai.  As fate would have it, our hotel placed a welcoming bottle of wine in our room.  It was allegedly a bottle of Shiraz from Spain.   Hmmm.  My wife and I tasted it and gagged.  It was truly awful.  This was an example of bulk wine imported from a country and blended with Chinese wine.  Yup, the wine writers were correct.  Awful.  And I flew all the way to China to verify for you, good reader.

That explains $25-buck Chuck wine in China.  It’s better than the domestic Chinese wines.  So, the next time you pour a glass of Charles Shaw for your friends, be sure to tell them that it’s a $25 bottle of wine they’re enjoying.  It’s all about location, location, location.  Just like real estate.  

Tom da Wine Guy

Hot Trader Joe's Wine Tip!!!

Hello readers.  I have a hot new wine tip at Trader Joe's.  It's a "hustle buy" so get to your local TJ as fast as you can.  Look for:  BearBoat 2008 Pinot Gris.  This Sonoma wine is crisp and acidic.  Tangerine flavor and apple.  And get this....$3.99 a bottle!

We had a bottle a couple of nights ago and we loved it so I went back today and bought three more bottles but we're having two of them tonight over dinner with our guests.  I'll need to get more...

Looks like we're going to be getting some new wines in very soon so keep checking here for hot wine tips.

I have spoken.

Tom Da Wine Guy  

A Unique Wine Tasting Experience at CALDWELL Winery

“I only drink to make other people seem interesting.”  -George Jean Nathan-


A friend of mine recommended that we visit a winery in Napa called Caldwell.  She added that the proprietor, John Caldwell, was interesting and entertaining.  Visitation is by appointment only so we made a reservation for Sunday, February 12 at noon.

We were greeted by John Caldwell and in a very short time he proved to certainly be entertaining.  Great sense of humor and easy to talk with.  He showed us into the tasting room located in a wine cave that he had had constructed under a hill.  The temperature and humidity are constant.

John and the three of us sat at a table.  There were various tidbits of food to accompany the wines.  John explained that almost all of his wines are sold at the winery to club members, visitors (lie us) or on-line.  Only one of his wines, Rocket Science, is available outside the winery and those are sold to high end restaurants and hotels.

John's story of how he had to smuggle vines into the US of A.  He wanted vines from France.  He heard of a winemaker in Canada who had French vines and John was able to purchase some and then smuggle them across the border into New York and then get them to California.  The story is charming and convoluted and one worth hearing in person.

Those smuggled French vines are now producing some incredible wines and we were able to sample a few of them.  We started with a Syrah Rose'.  Then a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc, both exceptional.  Next, on to the reds!

First we tasted the Syrah, clone 470, a powerful, inky, Syrah, full of pepper and spice.  Then the Rocket Science, a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tannat, and Petit Verdot.  Loved that Rocket Science!  Last, we tasted the Caldwell "Silver," a proprietary red blend of all five Bordeaux grapes, Cabernet, Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.  This blend was exceptional.

Unfortunately, John's wines are a little more expensive than we usually budget but we bought five bottles, nonetheless, and all are now resting comfortably in the wine cooler.  Two bottles of Syrah, one bottle of Caldwell Silver, and two bottles of Rocket Science.  Im gonna have to open a bottle of Rocket Science the next time we have a dinner that will pair nicely with that blend.

His wine club is called Society of Smugglers. Don't you just love it?

I heartily recommend a visit to Caldwell Winery where you will be thoroughly entertained by John and you will taste some remarkable wines.

Call for an appointment at:  707-255-1294 or email at:  info@caldwellvineyard.com.  They are located at:  169 Kreuzer Lane, Napa, CA  94559.   We definitely needed our GPS to find the cave.

You'll have a ton of fun and taste some mighty fine wines!  Get thee to Caldwell!


Tom da Wine Guy

Livermore Valley Wine Visits

One of my favorite wineries in the Livermore Valley is McGrail Vineyards.  We first visited McGrail three years ago not long after they had opened to the public.  Well, McGrail has come a long way.

Their 2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was named Red Wine Sweepstakes winner at the San Francisco Chronicle 2012 wine competition.  This means that all 65 judges agreed that this was the best red wine of the year.  This is the largest wine competition of American wines in the world with over 5,500 entrants and McGrail is the first Livermore winery to receive this prestigious award.

We scored two bottles of that 2008 Cabernet.  Go to www.mcgrailvineyards.com if you want to order this wine.  I'm sure that they're getting low on their inventory, so hurry!!!

While in Livermore we returned to another favorite winery, actually two, both owned by Steven Mirassou (you probably know that name).  The two are side by side, La Rochelle, featuring Pinot Noirs, and Steven Kent winery featuring Cabernet Sauvignon.  All the wines at both tasting rooms are excellent and reasonably priced.  All wines were $50 or less with one exception, a $60 Cabernet.

Our hosts, Jeff and Jordan were full of information and very helpful with our questions.  And, they were lots of fun which is always an asset.

"Tom da Wine Guy"

Paraduxx Redux: Or...lots of X's

We visited Napa Valley for a couple of days and as many of you who read my posts know, I am a big fan of Paraduxx Winery, one of the Duckhorn wineries.  Paraduxx is the one winery we always visit when in Napa.  Why, you might ask?

Because we love the wines, the people working there, and the ambience.  All the people are wonderful and we meet someone new on each visit who really helps to make our visit special.  This time it was Sterling.  He was very knowledgable and very friendly.  We had fun and laughed a lot like this HAHAHAHAHA!  It was a very fun time.

The Paraduxx Assistant Manager, Angela, is unique and I credit much of what we experience in the tasting room to her influence.  She's warm, has a great smile and will make you feel special.  When you visit, be sure to ask for Angela and tell her that Tom da Wine Guy sent you.  You'll be glad you did.

Oh, we even drank some wine.  You may recall that Paraduxx specializes in red blends but also offers a few white blends.  We tasted one white and five red blends.  The Paraduxx winemaker, David Marchesi does a fabulous job and I like his palette. Truthfully, I don't know if I've ever tasted a wine of theirs that I didn't like.  Obviously, there are some that I find preferable, but they're all very fine wines.

(1)  2010 V Blend:  A blend of 60% Viognier and 40% Chardonnay.  Just a hint of sweetness.

(2)  2007 Paraduxx Napa Red Blend:  72% Zin, 18% Cabernet, 9% Merlot, 1% Cab Franc.  Smooth entry with a long finish and temperate tannins.

(3)  2008 Paraduxx Napa Red Wine Blend:  68% Zin, 24% Cabernet, 7% Merlot, 1% Cab Franc.   Another smooth wine with light tannins.

(4)  2009 Z Blend:  Another red blend with 62% Zin, 31% Cabernet, and 7% Merlot.  Fruit-forward with soft, elegant tannins.

(5)  2009 Howell Mountain Napa Valley:  A red blend of 72% Zinfandel and 28% Cabernet.  An excellent blend with more mouth-feel and slightly heavier tannins.

(6)  2008 Canvasback Napa Valley Red Wine:  A blend of 63% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 1% Carignane, and 1% Cabernet.  At the end of the day, this blend was our favorite but truly, I would have been happy with any of the red blends.  We left with a bottle of the Canvasback to add to our collection of Duckhorn wines in the cooler.

So, get thee to Paraduxx at:   7257 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA  94558.  (707) 945-0890.  

Have a great time there!!!

"Tom da Wine Guy"

Helpful Wine Tips

“Cabernet Sauvignon is like a Black Labrador - it comes up and licks you.  Pinot Noir is more cerebral-it’s like a cat.”   -Attributed to Scott Rich, Moraga Vineyards -


Many Trader Joe's customers ask very good questions while visiting the wine section at our store.  This posting will address some of the more often asks along with my clever, witty replies.  Hope you enjoy.


                                                            Helpful Wine Tips

Storing an opened bottle.  People often ask me how to store an unfinished bottle of wine.  Having never experienced an unfinished bottle of wine, I had to do some research on this predicament so that I could pretend that such an occurrence had happened at least once and that I knew what to do.

White wine is easy.....just stick the cork or screw top back in (or on) the bottle and put it in the refrigerator.  It should last 4-5 days.  The wine air pumps have become popular but I find them unnecessary.  The wine tastes the same to me with either method, at least up to 4-5 days.  Longer than that, a pump may be an advantage.

Red wine has two options; if the wine will be consumed the next day, put the cork or cap back and leave it on your counter overnight.  Not only should it be drinkable the next day, but often, red wine actually improves because of “breathing” due to contact with air and the wine may soften overnight.  If the wine will not be consumed the next day, then put it in the refrigerator.  It will not soften as much as the previous option but it will last 2-3 days, usually.  After that length of time, the wine will slowly oxidize to a point that it becomes undesirable.

Removing a wine label:  Literally, this is a very HOT TIP.  Ever want to remove a label either because it is attractive or because it will help you remember a wine that you really enjoyed?  You don’t need to soak it for hours in the sink before trying to pull or scrape it off which often results in a cute little pile of label confetti.  First, fill the empty bottle with hot tap water and let it sit for two minutes. Next, empty the tap water and refill the bottle with boiling water and let it stand for 3-4 minutes.   Grab a corner of the label and gently pull. The label should easily peel off in one piece for your wine scrapbook.

Wine Serving Temperatures:  The proper temperature for serving wine will show off the particular characteristics of the varietal.  If served too cold, the flavors are hidden.  It’s like eating a frozen pizza while it’s still frozen.  If served too warm, the taste of the alcohol can be overbearing.  When serving red wines, “room temperature” really means “cellar temperature,” which is 55-60 degrees.

Red wines should be served between 60-64 degrees.
Ports - 55-58 degrees.
Rose’ - 55 degrees.
Viognier - 52 degrees.
Chardonnay - 48-50 degrees.
Riesling - 45-48 degrees.
Champagne - 45 degrees.

Okay, okay, how do you distinguish between 52 and 55 degrees without a wine thermometer?  I can’t.   Just chill your reds in the fridge for half an hour or so before serving and chill your whites in the fridge overnight (then let them warm in the glass) or put them in the freezer for an hour before serving.  Don’t over-chill chardonnay, though, as the aroma and taste is really dampened if too cold.  Maybe a wine thermometer is the way to go...

Needless to say, I also get numerous questions about food/wine pairings but I won't get into that as it's complicated and often personal to the wine consumer.


"Tom da Wine Guy"

“An alcoholic is someone you don’t like who drinks as much as you do.” -Anonymous-