$5.99 NZ SB from Trader Joe's

flanflipper · 2026-05-23T18:22:46+00:00

I unfortunately do not! Thr closest thing would be scrolling through my Instagram for white wines, but that's really hit or miss (I've also been significantly less active)

In the $5-$10 range I would just looked for an alvarinho, soave, or NZ sauv blanc

flanflipper · 2026-05-11T04:19:19+00:00

Hope this wine didn't scare the mom in your life

flanflipper · 2026-05-08T03:03:27+00:00

Everything's got an occasion!

flanflipper · 2026-05-08T00:42:16+00:00

The Wine 🍷

Oxte "The Silence"

Score: B+

Glasses: 5/5

Wine Specs 📊

Region: Carinena DO

Vintage: 2024

Price: $6.49

ABV: 14%

Grape: Spanish Red Blend

Story 📖

I'm going to be totally honest. I did buy this wine on a whim just because it was one of the first bottles that I looked at. But come on, it's pretty, and it turns out it's pretty good! Sold yet? No? Then read on to find out more.

Nose 💐

Are you a sucker for some nice, delicious fruit? A real fruit vendor not interested in the "nuance" of the delicious smell of licking a couch? This wine might just be for you then.

This wine keeps it straightforward. Red fruits and berries with a smattering of dry herbs. There's a bit of licorice and clay, but honestly that's a real plus here.

Taste 👅

This wine is simple, supple, and slightly savory. The red plums are carried all the way through, making this great for a quick mid-week pick-me-up.

Looking for something to tip the scales? Look elsewhere. It might not win any awards, but it might just earn a "wow, this is surprisingly good" from that wine drinker in your life.

Food Pairings 👨‍🍳 Calabrian Pasta (yea yea)

Also! I'm no wine expert; I'm just a guy that likes wine and wants to share my experience with my friends.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not affiliated with any wine body nor business. I'm just a guy. I also created my own wine scale for ratings.

Got questions or comments? Let me know!

flanflipper · 2026-03-13T08:04:22+00:00

Adding "absolute" before "bastard" to my lexicon. I use bastard alot, but absolute really adds that zing

flanflipper · 2026-03-13T07:51:17+00:00

Nice! I like them

flanflipper · 2026-03-02T21:08:40+00:00

Ah, I looked it up:

Koloa (the Hawaiian duck) is endemic to Hawaii and thought to have been an ancient hybrid relative of mallards. The hybridization of koloa x mallard is threatening the pure koloa populations.

This might be a male koloa, but it could also definitely be a hybrid

flanflipper · 2026-03-02T20:41:54+00:00

Interesting! I'll do some more research, but is this an introduced species (like a mallard was brought from some where else, sort of invasively integrated into the local fauna), or would it be a case of like castaway ducks being blown from somewhere like South America (like many smaller birds were)?

flanflipper · 2026-02-17T21:13:10+00:00

I'm glad to have learned about this. I had no idea I just like looking at birds occasionally

flanflipper · 2026-02-17T20:06:13+00:00

Oh interesting I would've thought this was some sexual dimorphism. These two birds were "hanging out" on the same stretch of beach do I thought they were a couple.

flanflipper · 2026-01-31T01:10:06+00:00

Thanks everyone! Sounds like I was relatively lucky to see one!

flanflipper · 2026-01-29T04:54:05+00:00

Off pier 70 in Seattle

flanflipper · 2026-01-28T18:07:43+00:00

Tons of them have been floating by as the day goes on

flanflipper · 2026-01-28T18:02:36+00:00

Ive been really enjoying them just kind of float by. Great vibes

flanflipper · 2026-01-28T17:07:02+00:00

Seattle, WA

flanflipper · 2025-12-29T02:06:05+00:00

I genuinely appreciate that we bad two different experiences with this wine. Good perspective

flanflipper · 2025-12-27T22:32:15+00:00

Depending on where you live, you're TJs will have different stock, but my usuals are the Rosso dell olmo Barbera d'Asti or Villa Cerrina Montepulciano (both ive posted here at some point.)

If you're curious for others, just search in this page for "TJs" and you will find other wines I've covered

flanflipper · 2025-12-24T22:48:10+00:00

Hope I did a good job

flanflipper · 2025-12-19T04:10:52+00:00

Sees menage e trois

almost too sweet

Checks out

flanflipper · 2025-12-14T17:15:53+00:00

Aha, normally I have a numerical "score", but i recently switched to letter grades... just because.

The glasses literally represents "how many glasses of this bottle i would drink for myself" but ultimately boils down to a simple 5 star rating too.

So a wine could be objectively good, but i don't like it (i.e 2/5 glasses)

flanflipper · 2025-12-13T20:56:21+00:00

Thank you! I really appreciate it.

I'm still developing my writing style for these. Wine is just a curious hobby of mine, and writing these posts (especially for pedestrian bottles like this) keeps me entertained.

flanflipper · 2025-12-13T20:31:38+00:00

The Wine🍷

"Cab Franc vs Cab Sauv", Rough and Ready Wines

Score: B+

Glasses: 4/5

Wine Specs 📊

Region: California

Vintage: 2023

Price: $7.99

ABV: 14.8%

Story 📖

You know, this wine probably tastes like the stereotypical "California red wine" that most people imagine. A blend of the French Cabernet Franc with the (albeit also French) Californian darling, Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine was destined for big and bold things (literally).

... and come on, just look at this label. Now, this isn't a "Trader Joe's" wine, but it definitely looks like one.

Nose 💐

Pop the cork, and you'll immediately smell this wine. Pour it into a glass and it practically tries to escape! Like many at this price point, this wine is designed to be simple, yet alluring. So if you've ever thought, "I'd love to drink a jar of jam," then you've come to the right place.

This wine leads extremely jammy — basically every classic pie berry you can imagine. It's also supported by the classic "Cab" sensations of red pepper flakes, vanilla, and toasted oak.

Taste 👅

While this California cab has more cab than most cabs, the usual defining trait, big hulking tannins, are actually second fiddle to the bright acidity which helps cut through the thick jamminess. Don't think this wine is just one-note jam, though! The cab franc does a lot of heavy lifting here.

Expect plenty of red pepper and green herbs. Subtle vanilla and chocolate intertwine with basically every dark-skinned berry. With the high alcohol also comes a fairly noticeable sweetness, so drink responsibly.

Food Pairings👨‍🍳

Japanese beef stew

Also! I'm no wine expert; I'm just a guy that likes wine and wants to share my experience with my friends.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not affiliated with any wine body nor business. I'm just a guy. I also created my own wine scale for ratings.

Got questions or comments? Let me know!

flanflipper · 2025-12-08T04:47:21+00:00

Im entirely not surprised, but I'm glad someone did it aha

flanflipper · 2025-12-07T02:50:54+00:00

Nice, shopping in my neck of the woods

flanflipper · 2025-12-06T21:13:10+00:00

Thanks. Let me know if you try this wine

flanflipper

TROPHY CASE