BevMo 5 Cent Sale, Bargains Yes or No & Other Thoughts

Here we are at yet another one of those BevMo 5 Cent sales, buy one bottle at the regular price and get the second bottle for a measly 5 cents. We did a little digging into the sale to see if the wines are a good bargain. First off, you need to be in the … Read more

Sleuthing for Wine Values & Bargains

This year should provide a great opportunity for finding wine values and bargains. The word in the wine biz is that, with huge inventories building, wine distributors are being very selective of clients, and with many wineries on the brink of financial disaster we should see many a bargain wine out there. Good wine deals go quickly and the old adage “You snooze, you lose”could not be more true than when it comes to wine sales. If you want to take advantage of these coming wine deals, you need to become a wine sleuth.

How to Become a Wine Sleuth

Always peruse the wine shelves wherever you shop. Learn your wine prices. Last week Safeway stores had an amazing sale on Domain Chandon sparkling wine for $10 a bottle or $9 if you purchased a half case. I saw that same wine earlier in the week at Lunardi’s grocery store. The cases of Chandon were displayed like it was a huge sale. It was selling for $21.95 a bottle. Remarkable!

Read more

How to Check the Sale Price of Wine

This is the time of the year for wine sales. This year more than any other, wineries are in need of selling a lot of wine and so wine sales should be plentiful. So how do you know if you are really getting a good deal or not on a bottle of wine? For example, … Read more

The Next Growing Region for Pinot Noir?

Once again the Vintage Wine Tasters discover yet another amazing wine bargain. This time, a Pinot Noir wine for $17 from a wine-growing area in California unknown to almost any wine expert or critic. The Vintage Wine Tasters met on this past Wednesday and tasted six highly-touted bargain Pinot Noir wines. We wanted to see if we could find a delicious Pinot Noir for under $25. Any Pinot Noir wine lover knows what a difficult task this is as prices have soared ever since the “Sideways”movie glorified Pinot Noir and knocked poor Merlot for a loop.

Read more

Grocery Outlet — Part Two

I’ve tasted all the wines I purchased at the Grocery Outlet, so I am now ready to make some comments and evaluations about searching for the ultimate wine bargain at these stores. In my first blog post on the Grocery Outlet, I explained how the store buys wine from wineries and distributors and what types of people shop there for wine.

Read more

Grocery Outlet – Treasure Hunting for Wine

Hey all you wine treasure hunters. Have you been to the Grocery Outlet in search of the ultimate wine bargain? There are 133 Grocery Outlet stores across six western states. If you are near one, think about going in and checking out the wine department. You will be rather amazed at the variety of wine … Read more

Some Interesting Bargains this week at Trader Joe’s

In my locality, the Trader Joe’s in Millbrae and San Mateo are carrying four terrific wine bargains. Watch for these wines at your local TJ’s, they may carry them and if not ask why not?

2003 Lorca Pinot Noir, Gary’s Vineyard $14.99
Gary’s Vineyard is located in the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County and is owned and managed by two guys named Gary. They sell Pinot Noir and Syrah grapes to several premium wineries and their grapes are in high demand. Their client wineries include Copain Wines, Kosta Browne, Siduri, and Testarossa. The Lorca label is that of winemaker John Bolta. John is the winemaker for Conundrum Wines and Caymus. My feeling is the Lorca Pinot is equal to or better than many $30 Pinot Noir wines. You will be hard pressed to find a Pinot Noir any better at this price.

Read more