With the arrival of cooler fall weather our tastes our definitely shifting towards reds.  And with the holidays around the core now is a great time to flesh out the wine collection before all the guests arrive.  We’ve reviewed three cabernets over the last few weeks and found two that definitely deserve your attention and one you should avoid.  They’re all available at your local grocery store (ours came from Vons aka Safeway) and all are under $15. Read the rest of this entry »

Last night I arrived home to find a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola Ivory Label Cabernet Sauvignon breathing on the counter.  I’ve been curious to try the Coppola wines, wondering if Coppola’s star power was the main selling point or if there is actually something there.  Since they’re not particularly cheap (averaging $15-$20) I’ve always opted for an alternative.  But since Amy did the grocery shopping, price is no object (thank goodness the really expensive stuff is locked in a glass case!).  So, after tasting the wine independently Read the rest of this entry »

We’d seen the J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet on a few wine lists at local restaurants so getting it on sale at Vons for under $12 seemed like a no brainer.  We pulled the cork and Read the rest of this entry »

“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.”  -James Dent

We’ve got a couple of requirements for wine on a summer afternoon: cold, refreshing, unfussy and in our glass.  As the day winds down We’re not interested in seeing how a wine’s “bouquet matures”.  We’re more concerned with seeing how it helps a great afternoon mature into a great evening. Read the rest of this entry »

In our house the 4th of July means burgers will be hitting the grill.  With that decided we can devote all of our energy to determining what wines to have with dinner.  Usually, I’d stay up late for months trying to come up with the perfect pairing for our burgers (not really), tasting thousands of wines (I wish), eating hundreds of burgers (no comment).  This year though my fine friends over at Wine Spectator agreed to my request to write a couple of articles on the subject (I actually never spoke with them but I was thinking about it and then the articles were there so I still say it was my idea).  Included on their list of wines for the 4th are a few grocery store staples which you should have no trouble finding at the local Safeway, Kroger, Vons, Ralphs, etc.  Best of all there are a number of relatively cheap wines on the list with reds ranging in price from $11-$16 and whites from $9-$12.  Listed below are our picks from the Wine Spectator articles.  Enjoy and happy 4th! Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll just start this off by saying, I’m known for my child like innocence, and I wouldn’t dare use the name of this wine to attempt to lure Amy into a conversation which might throw her off balance.  With that disclaimer here’s how a recent phone call went (totally innocent! I swear!): Read the rest of this entry »

Do you usually drink Cristal Champagne but darn it the grocery store doesn’t carry it?  Never fear!  Both Costco and Vons currently have the excellent Roederer Estate Brut Champagne (technically, a sparkling wine) which is made by the same family that makes Cristal.  And although the price Read the rest of this entry »

The La Crema Chardonnay is part of the problem.  Here’s the funny thing, if you asked us if we prefer reds or whites we’d say “reds” without hesitation.  But as I look at which wines we’re reviewing the white’s section is definitely filling out much more quickly than the reds.  Awesome California Chardonnay like La Crema take a good chunk of the blame.  With a price just under Read the rest of this entry »

Firefly Ridge wines have become fairly popular over the course of the last six months and so when it went on sale at Vons I was eager to try it and write up a review.  As it turns out the most interesting aspect of this California Cabernet Sauvignon is that it is named “Firefly Ridge” and as far as I know there are no fireflies in California (although virtually every kid growing up here wishes there were).  The Firefly Cabernet is just “okay”.  It’s drinkable – don’t throw it out if you already have a bottle – but seeing how it isn’t particularly cheap there are quite a few other cabs out there that warrant more attention than this one.

Interested in a better option?  Take a look at some of the other wines we’ve reviewed from Safeway/Vons by clicking here.

It’s Friday and what better way to celebrate than by swinging by the grocery store on your way home and picking up a bottle or five of wine.  Listed below are our picks for the week.

1. Champagne – Gloria Ferrer (on sale $15.98 at Safeway / Vons until 6/10)
2. Chardonnay – Bogle (on sale $8.98 at Safeway / Vons until 6/24)
3. Sauvignon Blanc – Dry Creek Vineyard (available at Safeway / Vons)
4. Cabernet Sauvignon – BV (on sale $7.76 at Safeway / Vons until 6/10)
5. Zinfandel – Edmeades (Costco)