The Cheap Wino

What the heck is Carmeneré?!? That’s a great question. Glad you asked.  And yes, you should drink it. It is a lost Bordeaux grape that migrated to Chile in the 1800s—likely during all of the phyloxera bru-ha-ha in Europe. It likely came over with Merlot and got mixed up and for years was believed to be Merlot. Apparently, the vines and grapes look very similar. There are some distinct differences, however, which make it strange that folks closer to the…

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We all know that Costco is The Cheap Wino’s dear friend. They have done it again! This Merlot-Cab blend from Washington State is a great way to step into the big, oaked, Bordeaux-style blends of Washington State for a fraction of the price.  Thank you Costco! I have a confession. I am not a big fan of Merlot. However, I prefer right-bank Bordeauxs that blend more merlot with cabernet sauvignon and I like oaked Washington State Merlot-Cabernet blends. Go figure….

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I love big Washington State red wines! I get that they oak the hell out of them. At the same time, these talented wine makers craft sophisticated blends that even in the $30-50 price range rival well renowned wines from Napa, Australia and even Bordeaux that cost 2 and 3 times more. In fact, many of them have Bordeaux-style blends. Chateau Ste Michelle is ground zero for the Washington State wine biz. While most of the Chateau Ste Michelle wines…

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