Trader Joe’s Wines: Winners and Losers

With Chef Janet Ebright churning out one fabulous dish after another, our Cooking with Class spring dinner and tasting of Trader Joe’s wines was a home run. Not that I wasn’t a bit nervous about it beforehand, because I was.

The quality:price value of the Friexenet Cordon Negro Cava is tough to beat.

The source of my jitters: all the empties plonked down behind the school’s demonstration kitchen, most of which were the TJ wines that didn’t make the cut. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Night after night and with high hopes, my co-tasters and I had tasted through all of them, kissing a lot of frogs. Finding bottles on a budget that would be worthy of Chef Janet’s food and effort, and that would uphold my wine cred, turned out to be tougher than I thought.

Undaunted, we found wine redemption, charging through the TJ aisles to find these five winners you too might want to try or share proudly with friends.

We began with bubbles, of course, giving the value nod to the Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava. Housed in a classy frosted black bottle, this Spanish sparkler – made in the traditional style used in Champagne but with native Spanish grapes – pours with a fine mousse, delivering refreshing citrus and peach flavors with a hint of nuts and flowers. Paired with the mixed charcuterie platter that had everyone abuzz, this lovely bubbly makes a perky partner for other appetizers and light dishes (tempura is especially divine). It flies solo too, a fitting companion for the warm days ahead. For only $8, it will beautify your table any day of the week or, at this price, you might find yourself reaching for it all week long.

This taste of Latour delivers at Trader Joe's.

Next, we uncorked the Maison Louis Latour 2013 Grand Ardèche Chardonnay, a $9 steal that often sells for two or three times as much. Diners who were not fans of Chardonnay were instead asking for another taste of this juice. Medium in body, the Grand Ardèche has lovely balance with citrus and apple fruit, a touch of oak and bracing acidity. Try it in honor of the recently passed Louis Latour, who ran the tenth-generation company from 1958–1998, the sixth Latour named Louis to do so. He saw the promise of the warm Ardèche region south of Beaune, where he expanded the business and built a winemaking facility in 1986. Merci, Monsieur Latour.

The third course was accompanied by two reds: the Château Roudier 2010

Montagne-Saint-Emilion and TJ’s own, the Trader Joe’s Reserve 2013 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, Lot #71.

 These two bottlings brought big smiles to the red wine lovers. 

Whoa, you might wonder at first, good 2010 Right Bank Bordeaux at TJ’s? And what, for $13? Yup. Though lacking the conversation-stopping complexity of pricier Bordeaux, the Château Roudier allows you to experience one of the best Bordeaux vintages in the past 20 years at an everyday price. The wine shows characteristic Saint-Emilion dark, plummy fruit with cassis flavors and a velvety texture. Drink this one now and over the next 1–5 years with a grilled steak or, at this price, your favorite hamburger, pizza or steak sandwich.

The second red for the main course was just as popular as the Château Roudier, if not more – Trader Joe’s Reserve 2013 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, Lot #71, one of TJ’s new tiers of wine. Medium in body, this Zin had plenty of Zinny character without the harshness and raisiny overripe fruit often found in low-priced bottlings.

To finish with a perfect ending, Chef Janet dazzled everyone with a luscious dessert that featured different elements that all go well with Port – walnuts, blue cheese (Gorgonzola, in this case), pears and chocolate.

Try this affordable and thoroughly enjoyable introduction to Port, the Noval Black.

The final tasting treat was the Noval Black Porto, an absolutely lip-smacking Port in the fresh and fruity ruby style. Much like the ‘I don’t like Chardonnay’ drinkers who were clamoring for more of the Grand Ardèche, the non-Port drinkers were dumbstruck to have found a new drinking buddy, especially for only $15, nearly half of the usual retail price. Housed in a slick black box, this wine, like the Cava, makes a terrific gift. Just remember to keep your opened, tightly corked bottle in the frig at home and nurse it to emptiness over the course of a week or two.

An honorable mention must go to one of my TJ favorites that wasn’t in the tasting but easily could have been: the Marques de Caceres 2014 rosé from La Rioja. This fruity Tempranillo-based beauty is a must-buy every vintage. With its screwcap and a $7 price tag, you can savor a taste of springtime all year long.

In the next installment, we’ll discuss TJ’s new tiers of wine and offer a few conclusions. Meanwhile, let us know your favorite TJ wines in the comments section. No slams, please.

Lastly, join us for our last food and wine pairing dinner of the season on Saturday, May 21^st starting at 6 pm. Even though it won’t be Trader Joe’s, you can be assured of going home happy, well-fed and juiced about your evening’s food and wine adventure.

Trader Joe’s Wines: Bargains or Bust?

For five years running, the topic that always seems to come up at our Cooking with Class wine dinners is the wine selection at Trader Joe’s. Guests enjoy dishing about their favorite picks, passionately engaging in rounds of “Have you tried…” and ‘Yes, but have you tried…” Other times, our guests want to know what we wine professionals think about TJ wines or our opinion of their go-to TJ picks.

 Which of these Trader Joe's wines made our cut?

This Saturday, starting promptly at 5:30 p.m., we’re taking on TJ wines at a special Trader Joe’s wine dinner and class. The tasty three-course spring dinner – followed by dessert, of course – will be accompanied by five wines from TJ’s current selection. The Chef Janet Ebright-designed menu features a few TJ specialties you might want to put into heavy rotation at home. Chef Janet will also demonstrate different ways home cooks can get creative with TJ products, including items you may not know or not know how to use in your cooking.

Plus, you’ll learn a few different ways to navigate Trader Joe’s every-changing wine aisles and how to spot the store’s value bottlings, beyond price alone. You’ll also taste a few gems we’ve found, from weekday quaffers to wines that will be the talk of your next dinner party.

Call Jane Angwin to reserve at 760.777.1161 or make your reservation online. Bring your TJ passion and a big appetite for food and fun.

New Wine Class: What's My Wine?

If you’ve ever left a blind tasting feeling totally clueless about wine, here’s your chance to fine-tune your wine savvy.

Join me at 6 pm this Thursday, October 30^th at Cooking with Class for our first wine class of the season and leave cluelessness behind for good. The new series, dubbed The Tasting Room, begins with What’s My Wine?

Your guided wine adventure begins with a series of wines that you will taste blind. With each wine, as you develop a simple, logical system for tasting wine, you’ll learn how to tease out the clues to that wine’s identity.

Starting with the wine’s color, nose and body, you’ll move on to the more nuanced flavors and other taste sensations on the palate and finish. With a little practice, you’ll be ready to assemble the pieces of the puzzle.

By the time we taste the last wine, you'll be ready to surprise yourself by zeroing in on that wine’s identity.

So why bother, as Bette Midler would say? By creating a tasting routine that helps you read the grape leaves, you’ll find it easier to pick out the types of wine that you’re bound to enjoy the next time you stare down a wine list or tour the wine aisles of your favorite wine shop. What’s My Wine? also aims to help you understand the crazy world of wine styles and how to find the variations that suit your tastes – or not.

Another goal for this class is to build your confidence in choosing wines that will pair with your dishes and vice versa.

Light snacks will be served so you’ll have room for dinner afterwards, if not the opportunity to spread your new wine wings. If you haven’t experienced Chef Andie’s creations at Cork & Fork, head next door after the tasting. Reservations are strongly suggested, and are practically a necessity in the busier months: 760.777.7555

Make your way to The Tasting Room and discover a new level of pleasure, comfort and confidence with wine this season. Call Jane at 760.777.1161 to reserve your spot or book the class online. If you can’t make the October class, next month’s class with another set of wines will begin at 5:30 PM on Friday, November 21.

See you then!

Tempranillo is Tops

According to a massive body of research just released by Australia’s University of Adelaide, Tempranillo tops the list of wine grapes whose worldwide plantings have risen the most in the past decade.

The groundbreaking report, 670 pages in all, gives a first-ever account of the world’s wine grapes and regions using statistics compiled from the 44 countries that account for 99% of global wine production.

This news may not come as a surprise to the many winemakers across the United States who have taken a shine to Tempranillo. Since Clos du Bois first bottled Tempranillo as a varietal wine in California in 1990, plantings have spread to states with radically different soil types and climate, from Napa, Arizona, Washington, Texas, Oregon, and Paso Robles to Virginia, Santa Barbara, Idaho and the Sierra Foothills. And that’s not to mention a rising tide of Tempranillo coming from Mendoza, South Africa and Australia's Barossa, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Hunter Valley.  

Since 2006, Tempranillo has also had its own non-profit trade organization, the Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society known as TAPAS. The society now represents more than 100 wineries, growers and, as the name winsomely implies, amigos. Together, they aim to promote not only Tempranillo but also other native Iberian grape varieties and the wines produced from them in North America.

And just last month, Wine Spectator magazine gave a grand toast to Tempranillo, awarding the 2004 Cune Imperial Gran Reserva as its 2013 top wine of the year.

So why Tempranillo?

An early ripener – “temprano” means “early” in Spanish – Tempranillo doesn’t require long, warm and sunny growing conditions that Cabernet and other warm-climate grapes prefer. In its native Spain, Tempranillo grows in diverse terroir where it not only gives rise to many stellar wines – from Cune, Vega-Sicilia, Marques de Murrieta, Muga and Pesquera, among others – but also delivers some of the top red wine values.

Tempranillo is no stranger to Spain’s neighbor, Portugal, where Tempranillo goes by the names of Aragonês and Tinta Roriz (in the Dão and Douro regions) and adds backbone to a variety of Portuguese table reds, as well as to Port.

Tempranillo grows well in sandy or clay loam soils, where vines can produce large crops up to 12 tons per acre, although such yields generally produce low-acid wines that lack concentration, flavor and color. Whereas a chilly springtime can put other red grape crops at risk, particularly during the critical bud-break period, Tempranillo is more tolerant of colder temperatures. As the grapes mature, Tempranillo also proves its mettle with its tough skin and tenacity on the vine. And while Tempranillo is susceptible to both major forms of mildew that can affect grapes, it resists rot. To vintners, Tempranillo is like the well-behaved child who doesn’t require a lot of parenting.

In the glass, Tempranillo often shows aromas and flavor that are more savory and earth-driven than fruit-dominant. Although flavors such as ripe plum, blackberry and, in some cases, bright red fruit shine through, much of Tempranillo’s appeal rests with its tobacco, leather and even cocoa notes. When these flavors are complexed by a beam of savory herbs, this umami-rich profile is known as balsamico. Combined with an underpinning of minerality and food-friendly acidity, Tempranillo delivers mouthwatering, satisfying pleasure.

Trend-spotters have attributed Tempranillo’s rising star to the growing popularity of tapas and Spanish-style cuisine. While Tempranillo pairs beautifully with tapas that feature ham, sausage, pork and savory elements, the wine is also versatile enough to enjoy with a variety of cheeses, stews, braised meats, pasta, pizza and vegetable dishes. Lighter-bodied versions can also accompany fish.

  Chef Dave Schy's chicken mole was a perfect pairing for this Tempranillo at last night's food-and-wine fundraising event for the Palm Springs Art Museum at Cooking with Class.

Among U.S. producers, look for Tempranillo wines from Oregon’s pioneering Abacela, California’s Kenneth Volk and Truchard (Napa), and Washington’s Gramercy Cellars and K Vintners. Oregon’s Stoller Family Estate makes a luscious Tempranillo rose from Dundee Hills fruit. Altocedro (Argentina) and Running with Bulls (Barossa) are also solid Tempranillo producers.

Cabernet Sauvignon may have claimed the #1 spot as the world’s most widely planted grape in the Aussie study, but Tempranillo has outrun many other up-and-coming wine grapes in vineyard volume over the past decade, including bigs such as Syrah and Chardonnay.

Let us know about Tempranillo you’ve found and enjoyed (or not) in the comments. We’ll be serving it at another Cooking with Class food and wine dinner soon, and you’re sure to find it next door at our small-plates restaurant, Cork & Fork, too.