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A sommelier compared 11 wines from Costco, Target, Trader Joe's, and BJ's and the winner was clear

MULTIZ321

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sdbrier

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After having visited Italy and touring many wineries here in the states, I’ve decided that most people don’t discern flavor profiles the way a sommelier can. While I agree there are some fantastic wines, no one has the same tastes. If you find a wine you enjoy and it suits your tastes then it’s a good wine no matter how it’s ranked. My wife can smell and taste many more flavors than I. She just has a good nose for it. I, however still enjoy drinking it along side her. ;) I guess that’s why she is the winemaker.
 

Jodyv

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I really enjoyed that. Thanks...Going to buy wine this afternoon!!
 

Passepartout

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Darn. I wish the overall leader was someplace I'd be going anyway. I hate making a special stop. Oh well, what was I doing anyway.
 

VacationForever

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We would choose Bogle for wines under $10 every time. I agree with @simpsontruckdriver that Chateau St Michelle is excellent for a couple dollars more. For us Kendall-Jackson wine off the shelf is OK but not as good as what you would find at their vineyard. They have some exclusive wines that are not found on supermarket shelves.
 
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rhonda

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I wish this article had a text summary rather than only a video. :(
 

DaveNV

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I used to work for a fragrance manufacturing company, that made the "smell" that went into other products. (The scent in a candle, the aroma of a bar of soap, the fragrance used in hand lotions - that sort of thing.) The Perfumer who created the fragrances was one of the Owners of the company. He taught me that women of any age have a sharper sense of smell than any man, and a woman of child-bearing years has the sharpest sense of smell of all. It's a biological thing, and even though men and other-aged women can train their noses to be discerning, those women of a certain age had the easiest time of it.

His logic was that back in our Caveman prehistory, all a man had to do was smell his prey in broad terms, and stay downwind of it. As the Hunter in the tribe, he was expected to bring back the meat for dinner. His sense of sight and prowess as a hunter were most important.

Women had to be able to determine by smell when certain foods had gone bad, or if an item was dangerous to eat. As the Gatherers in the tribe, women had the greater need for a finely-tuned sense of smell. Those women caring for children were the most discerning of all, as they had to be able to tell when someone was sick, often by smelling the odor or breath of the person.

This video highlights this young woman's precise sense of smell. I don't necessarily agree with her assessments, though, since she was comparing certain product lines from places like Target and Trader Joe's, with the generic "house brand" from Costco. If she had compared some of the upscale lines that Costco sells, she'd probably have had a harder time of it. But overall, her sense of what she preferred was what made her selections what they were. Not a very accurate taste test. Would have been better if it had been a blind test, and of varieties that are similar. Price isn't everything, and whether a wine is considered "good" is highly subjective.

A favorite at our house is the red blend 19 Crimes, from Australia. Very affordable (I think around $10 a bottle) but I have yet to find anybody who has tried it who didn't like it. https://www.19crimes.com

Dave
 
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Big Matt

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All of the wines tasted are made by major winemakers who bottle them with the Target/Cosco/Joe/BJ label. If you really want a good deal, try a lot of the Costco wines. Many are excellent and highly rated at a very low price point. Malbec at $6.99 is excellent.
 

DAman

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All of the wines tasted are made by major winemakers who bottle them with the Target/Cosco/Joe/BJ label. If you really want a good deal, try a lot of the Costco wines. Many are excellent and highly rated at a very low price point. Malbec at $6.99 is excellent.

We’ve found the Kirkland NZ Sauvignon Blanc to be an excellent value for $6.99 as well.

It’s my top value wine and I have expensive taste.

I want to try Kirkland Sangria. I heard it was good. It probably won’t be in the store until spring or summer.
 

pedro47

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A season sommelier would have done a blind taste test to be fair IMHO.

Also, the correct wine glasses used for each test; could change the taste of the wine.
 
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CO skier

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I wish this article had a text summary rather than only a video. :(
Agreed. Did not bother to watch the video but would have read an article.

I've found Kendall-Jackson and Chateau St Michelle wines are very good, regardless of where I buy it. It's nice to know there are wines from America that are as good as - if not better than - European wines!

TS

For years, Kendall-Jackson blended their Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay to taste the same year after year. It was amazing how they could achieve that. While still a consistent wine, it is just not the same quality and flavor as 5 or more years ago. Still a good wine and value, though.

Chateau St. Michelle is an excellent producer across the whole spectrum of wines; something not easily achieved. Their Sweet Reisling is the "Sara Lee" of wines -- nobody doesn't like it.


We would choose Bogle for wines under $10 every time.
Bogle produces a consistent Chardonnay year after year -- even more so now than Kendall-Jackson and at a better price point. And other good varietals, too.
 

CO skier

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For us Kendall-Jackson wine off the shelf is OK but not as good as what you would find at their vineyard. They have some exclusive wines that are not found in supermarket shelves.
This is true for every major producer, because the "fine wines" are produced in relatively small lots from limited quantities of higher quality grapes. I enjoyed Kendall-Jackson supermarket wines for 10 years before visiting their winery. Yes, what a difference in taste, but what a price difference, too. I picked up a bottle of their 2015 Trace Ridge Knights Valley Cab and 2014 Alexander Valley Cab for some special occassions.
 

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Somehow I am not as impressed at home by the wines we buy from the wineries we visit. I guess that the ambiance and mood are part of the mix.
 

CO skier

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Somehow I am not as impressed at home by the wines we buy from the wineries we visit. I guess that the ambiance and mood are part of the mix.
Try decanting the red wines at least a half-hour before pouring into wine glasses. You might be surprised.
 

JohnPaul

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And, if you are in the Sacramento area, you can go to the Bogle winery, bring a picnic, buy their wine and they will give you glasses for a great meal on their lovely property.
 

klpca

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We’ve found the Kirkland NZ Sauvignon Blanc to be an excellent value for $6.99 as well.

It’s my top value wine and I have expensive taste.

I want to try Kirkland Sangria. I heard it was good. It probably won’t be in the store until spring or summer.
It's my favorite too!
 

Talent312

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As a gag gift, I once gave a boxed bottle of K-Marto red.
I think it was Riunite in disguise.
.
 

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we did our own ladies wine tasting with 12 wines. Chateau St Michelle Merlot won, hands down. Their Chardonnay is excellent. Tastes close to a Pouilley Fuse, which is out of my everyday wine budget.
 

joestein

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We would choose Bogle for wines under $10 every time. I agree with @simpsontruckdriver that Chateau St Michelle is excellent for a couple dollars more. For us Kendall-Jackson wine off the shelf is OK but not as good as what you would find at their vineyard. They have some exclusive wines that are not found on supermarket shelves.

I would agree with Bogle, we also buy Ménage à Trois blends. All under $10/bottle.
 

sun starved Gayle

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My husband recently brought home a bottle of Costco cab and I was pleasantly surprised. I quite liked it. I have a tendency to flush after drinking red wine, and I did not with this red.

Anyone else like to shop for wine at Grocery Outlet? There can be some real bargains there. The selection is very hit or miss. There is even a blog about this called https://grossoutwine.wordpress.com (nick name for Grocery Outlet is The Gross Out). Go to the menu and click on "What's new ?" I look at the blog and make some notes before I go, and also use Vivino which is a cool little app where you take a pic of the wine bottle and it gives you an immediate review with typical prices for the wine. We have a Grocery Outlet about a mile away so it is an easy stop for me. It is my new little hobby since time sharing during the pandemic has gone kaput for me.
 
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