Cheap thrills with rosé
I rarely set foot in a Trader Joe's -- the joke around our house is that I think it's a chick thing -- but the Mrs. stops in there from time to time. And she's always looking out for my best interests. Knowing my fondness for wine, lately she's brought home a couple of fine, inexpensive rosés, pretty nice for the end of a hot (or even not-so-hot) summer day.
One is a rosé version of Portugal's slightly fizzy vinho verde, put out under the label Casal Garcia. I think this one ran about $8. The other is a calmer rosé with a goat on the label; it's called La Ferme Julien and it carries a 2008 vintage. I believe it's $6.
At those prices, you can't go wrong if the wine is decent, and these two go beyond that. Salud.
| Posted at 2:44 PM | Permalink |
|
Comments (16)
Thanks for the tip Jack! Will check this out at our local Trader Joe's - since we have at least a month (or more) of 80+ degree weather ahead of us in Reno.
Posted by Dave A. | August 12, 2010 3:46 PM
Thanks for the tip, indeed! I'll be stopping off there on my way home to pick up a bottle (or two...or, you know).
Posted by Wino | August 12, 2010 3:51 PM
Believe it or not, Walgreens has a collection of wines under the "Southern Point" label that have received surprisingly good reviews.
Posted by Max | August 12, 2010 4:24 PM
Perhaps you should lift a glass in memory of Theo:
"Theo Albrecht, Who Helped Build the Aldi Grocery Chain, Dies at 88
By JACK EWING
Published: July 29, 2010
FRANKFURT — Theo Albrecht, who with his brother Karl used lessons learned in the lean years of postwar Germany to build an international grocery empire, died Saturday in Essen, Germany. He was 88.
His death was announced by a representative of the company he owned, Aldi, which also owns the Trader Joe’s chain in the United States.
After being released from Allied prisoner-of-war camps following World War II, Theo and Karl Albrecht took over their parents’ small grocery in the bombed-out city of Essen and, out of necessity, sold only a small number of essential items. When the economy began to boom, competitors expanded their inventories to include thousands of items, but the Albrecht brothers realized they could operate more efficiently by limiting selection and keeping stores fairly small.
.
.
.
At Trader Joe’s, Theo Albrecht applied some Aldi principles to upscale items like California wine, olive oil and goat cheese."
With all of the $$ you save on Portuguese rosés, perhaps you can sample some of the fine OR vintages? Abacela's Rosado, eg:
http://www.wine-girl.net/2008/05/reviews-mr-blac.html
Posted by Gardiner Menefree | August 12, 2010 4:34 PM
Trader Joe's? Walgreen's? Ish.
Support your local merchants and winemakers. Patronize a locally-owned wine shop.
Posted by Rich | August 12, 2010 6:10 PM
I do. Sometimes.
I have a life.
Posted by Jack Bog | August 12, 2010 6:23 PM
Speaking of vinho verde, New Seasons has a wonderful one from Gazsla, again about $8. The only drwback is you really need to finish off the bottle at one sitting. I saved some for later in the evening and yep, the fuzzy wuzzen't fuzzy any more!
Otoh, the alcohol content isn't high so go ahead! Enjoy!
I dislike TJ's. Their 2 buck chuck I called 2 buck upchuck!
Posted by Lawrence | August 12, 2010 6:31 PM
Our two best buys from the TJ's wine aisles are their private label Blanc de Blanc French sparkling (nice and dry, not too sweet and only $4.99) and the Blue Fin Petite Syrah (even better bargain at $3.99).
But we added a new one to our list. We went in earlier this week and stumbled upon a different vinho verde than one you bought. This one is Espiral and is only $4.99 and definitely fits in as a great, cool summer wine.
Posted by hilsy | August 12, 2010 7:16 PM
The Portuguese are wise about many things.
Posted by Jack Bog | August 12, 2010 8:59 PM
I am fond of some TJ wines. Hamilton-Stevens (when I feel like a Goldschmidt crony); Rootstock (when I feel like a Reedie); TJ's Pinot (when I'm cheap cause I'm poor).
All in all - good prices, good wines. Feel bad I can't patronize all the fab wineries here in Oregon all the time....
Posted by Wickets | August 12, 2010 10:10 PM
The Oregons are so darn expensive. We have a bottle of the Abacela Grenache Rosé ready to go, but couldn't afford to have that be our everyday wine.
Posted by Jack Bog | August 12, 2010 10:26 PM
TJ's has been known to have inexpensive bottles of prosecco (Italian fruity, low bubble sparkler) as well. The one where you actually have to use the corkscrew to open it, is better than the others I have tried.
Posted by LucsAdvo | August 13, 2010 6:36 AM
Bargain in the Horse Heaven Hills
Columbia Crest
Four weeks ago when my sweetie and I were doing one of our caravans from Kennewick to Portland or vice versa we decided to use SR 14 rather than I 84, and piced up the maiking of a good picnic lunch and planned to stop at Comulbia Crest in Patterson, WA. Nice ppace for a picnic.
CC was selling a nice rose, predominately a syrrah but a blend, really really good well chilled. $5.00 a bottle, no sales tax with an Oregon ID.
Label calls it a Vinyard No. 10 Rose, 2007, on their Two Vines labe, I put a couple of bottles of this in the ice / water bath in the galvanized tun with the beer cans for a barbeque a couple of weeks ago, and it went faster than the beer.
I need to get more at that price. The 6 I got are gone, its a good hot weather drinker.
Posted by Nonny Mouse | August 13, 2010 3:47 PM
If you are looking at summer wines from WA, Cascade Cliffs makes a nice Symphony wine. Symphony is a hybrid of Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris.
Posted by LucsAdvo | August 14, 2010 6:14 AM
Considerably more about TJs from CNN Money:
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/110437/inside-the-secret-world-of-trader-joes
Posted by Gardiner Menefree | August 24, 2010 8:53 AM
come to Cannon Beach, Jack, and you'll get the Mayoral tour....
Posted by mike morgan | August 26, 2010 9:11 PM