Special occasion dry Napa red

Sometimes high-end low production wineries offer lower cost " Cuvees", essentially blends of Bordeaux grapes that might be excess crop or maybe not quite good enough for a flagship $ 60.00 plus bottle. I believe that the Don Raffaele 2006 Melange de Vin is just that-maybe not the top end but still good Napa fruit and decent winemaking. It's a rich wine and pretty tanninc as well, maybe not good for folks who like a fruitier style. For fans of dry reds in the older California style this is a good example, kind of like Mondavi about 15 years ago. While it might not be the tip-top cult wine, it is still really good if you can deal with the tannins. I'll give it 8 swiggs and a good chioce for the weekend. $ 24.99 at Trader Joes.

Almost as good as it gets

Every once in awhile I'll review a wine such as this one. At $ 36.00 , it's something I will only have once or twice a year as my low income requires that I keep my wine purchases under $ 20.00 for the most part. This wine, however is probably the best one I have reviewed so far. The Paoletti 2002 Napa cabernet is really what a great Napa red wine should be : Rich, concentrated, flavorful -something that you'll take your time drinking.......a wine that gets your attention without making you forget about the rest of your meal. We were still drinking it with desert and it went equally well with the sweets. The wine is available from the winery online and they have quite a selection. It is a near-perfect statement of Napa cabernet and something that one should try. I had to hold back from giving it a perfect score but it wasn't easy, trust me. 9 1/2 swiggs.

Near perfection

The local favorite comes through again with a 2005 Petit Sirah that really shines. Tons of flavor, not very subtle but the flavors are soo good its really hard not to really like this wine. It's a weekend wine, of course being it the $ 20 plus range. Go to the winery or check your local wine store-this one isn't to be missed. 9 swiggs.

Weekday Bordeaux on the cheap

A perennial at Trader Joes, the Tour Bigorre 2005 Cotes de Castillion is a real surprise. Though not from the Medoc or St. Emelion or any other noted appelations of Bordeaux, the Bigorre delivers on taste for a mere $ 5.99 . You'll have a tough time finding a wine this tasty for under $ 10 from any country. 7 swiggs.

$ 19.99 Brunello from T.J.'s.

Italian wine at Trader Joes is a crapshoot for the most part. Reliable bottles aren't that cheap and cheap bottles aren't that interesting. When I spotted this 2003 Bonacci Brunello di Montalcino for under $ 20 , I had to try it. Good Brunellos are a real treat and if you are having pasta they really compliment the food. The price range for these wines usually starts at $ 35 and can go over $ 100 for the top lables . I knew that '03 was a pretty good year ( '02 was a washout with rain ruining most of the crop.) but was wondering why the price was so low. Upon opening the wine I noticed a very subtle sulphury rotten egg smell for the first few sips.....not good but it did go away soon. I'm sure that decantering 1/2 hour before serving would help. After the first bad smells went away , the wine showed true Brunello character-dry , complex and really tasty. This is one you will want to take your time with and really appreciate every sip. I'll give it 8 1/2 swiggs......not the very best of its type but still a real classy weekend drink, as long as you can get past the initial smell.

Built in brown-bag bottle from Spain

Every once in awhile I'll see an odd bottle from Spain at Trader joes wrapped in something like foil or paper. While this added covering is supposed to indicate a reserve or special bottle of some sort , the inability to see what is in the bottle can be a little off-putting. Nevertheless I figured for $ 6.99 I would give this 2005 Mote Ducay a try , despite the brown paper exterior. Tasting notes: Some Spanish wines have strange tastes and the first two things I noticed when tipping the glass were bug spray and raspberries.....I'm not kidding. As dinner went on, the bug spray eased off and the berry and some earthier flavors took over. All in all, I thought that the Ducay was o.k. , not a bad weekday wine-odd but still pleasant after the initial insecticide hints wore off. I'll give it 5 swiggs.......I probably won't buy it again but it really wasn't that bad.

Barossa on the cheap

If you get to Trader Joes in the next couple of days and don't mind the taste of prunes, look for this Australian red.My two favorite regions for red wines in Australia are Barossa and Maclaren-Vale. These two areas produce some of the most flavorful and intense cabernet , shiraz and Rhone grapes in the world. I equate the style of wines with the powerful zins and syrahs from the Sierra foothills here in California. The nice thing about most Aussie wines is that they are underpriced and come with the convenient screw-top. As I mentioned earlier, prunes is the big taste , along with all the nice richness you find in a Barossa shiraz. At $ 7.99 , this Cook Shed Barossa shiraz is the least expensive wine from this area I have ever seen-inspite of the low price I feel it is not the bottom of the heap in taste......it's actually really good and something to get before it is gone, which should be soon. I give it a solid 7 swiggs.