Trader Joe wine finds

[rotuts]

Id like to start a new sub-topic:

"Table WIne Finds" at Tj's

why? Ive been known to pull a cork from time to time, and currently feel OK table wines are fine day to day.

please consider or alter these goals to suit your interest in Table Wines.

"Table Wine" = an OK wine, one Id drink again, little to no "Chit-Chat" value ( Oooooo: the flavors of Aged Rhinoceros tusk complement the tobacco and vanilla nicely in this wine )

very fairly priced ( < 10 bucks, < 8 better )

no more than the first 1/2 glass can have put off flavors ( Honey, is this the balsamic vinegar or the TJ's Plonk?)

ie an every day wine for every day good food. this isn't to demonstrate your Super Wine Tasting Palate, which we all here have.

its : try this TWine from TJ's or Take It Back.

if you fined a White that meets the above, please indicate : No Wood or some Wood, or an Oak

Forrest in a glass.

Price.

the first nominee will be this one:

$5.99. We in MA have a 1 $ graft and corruption fee that goes to some sort of scummy nephew of

some sort of scummy state legislator: 2 Buck Chuck it 3 Bucks Here. this is a fact.

the initial 1/2 glass ( NB I decided to make sure Im correct on this with regard to This Bottle ) is a

bit acidic, this goes away eventually.

it actually has a sl 'finish' that lingers.

it tastes of grapes, not raspberry, strawberry, or other non-wine fruit. no vanilla no tobacco.

fortunately I can't detect any rhinoceros at all.

it gets then an "OK" and no further Chat.

Im actually looking forward to finding more OK Plonk from TJ's based on your analysis.

really.

Edited September 10, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[Porthos]

You have picked a topic that interests me. Since I am currently unemployed finding drinkable table wines at TJs for a modest sum sounds wonderful. I am going to cheat a little bit for the wines I will start giving a try and posting about here. My FIL is a long-time member of the Orange County Wine Society and has leased a 120 case wine locker for decades and is a TJs fan so I will ask him for recommendations for me to try. I have long since given up on my own olfactory memory to detect "hints of hummingbird" so this will fit my wine drinking well. Thanks,rotuts, for starting this.

edited to add: I should add that 2-buck chuck Shiraz has been a go-to for a basic table wine for a while. That won't appear here.

Edited September 11, 2013 by Porthos (log)

[rotuts]

why not? you drink it, tell us about it. I bet the last glass / bottle is the best. Ive noticed this on the lower shelf for some time.

[thayes1c]

The Chariot wines are good, but they sell out fast. I like the Benefactor wines, too. You'll know them by the cartoon skeletons. Both are around $6.

[FrogPrincesse]

We just finished a bottle of the Tribunal red wine. It's a Californian red from Sonoma County. It is fruit-forward with plenty of body. Very nice for $9.99. One of the employees at TJ's recommended it to my husband.

[Rafa]

We just finished a bottle of the Tribunal red wine. It's a Californian red from Sonoma County. It is fruit-forward with plenty of body. Very nice for $9.99. One of the employees at TJ's recommended it to my husband.

Seconding this

I should add that 2-buck chuck Shiraz has been a go-to for a basic table wine for a while. That won't appear here.

And this.

I've had some good enough cheap Proseccos from TJ's, but sadly I can't remember any of the labels.

Their Amontillado blend is alright enough for mixed drinks where the sherry isn't a dominant player, though I don't enjoy drinking it on its own. Still a good value at $5.

[rotuts]

this is Tj's ( My ) House White. Lower Shelf. it used to be mid-shelf, but they got rid of a couple of shelves at my Local for some reason and this got demoted to the bottom.

This is one of a series of 4 TJ's from Chile. Two reds Cab and Merlot, and an S.blanc. I dont care for S.Blanc so i cant give you my opinion. The reds in the past were OK, but have gotten a bit sweeter so are off my list. N.B.: this is a 'Reserva' selection. I feel a little sorry for the group that bought the non-reserva selections.

this wine has No Oak. No fuzzy-wuzzy Non-Grape Fruit. It is dry. the taste varies a bit with each 10,000 gallon lot. It has enough "structure" and "back-bone" to handle a cube or two of ice if you happen to be in a rush. It tastes best very very cold.

The second glass is better than the first, etc. but its $ 3.99 in my area, perhaps a buck cheaper in yours. friends use this for "White Sangria" cant be sure why. but it gets the job done at an affordable price.

remember: ice cold. No Oak! (Cant stand Oak. maybe in Sherwood Forrest, but not in Wine OK old grape juice )

the bottle you see has not been opened so I can not comment on the Lot ##. Its maturing as I write in the freezer for later use.

Edited September 21, 2013 by rotuts (log)