$ 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.

Syrah from Oakville for $ 8.99

Trader Joes every onece in awhile comes up with a ringer from Napa for under $ 10. Having had a ton of Syrahs from central Calif. in the last 4-5 months I was anxious to try something from Nor-Cal for a change. This bottle has the Napa valley Oakville apellation.....serious high end wine-grape country....Mondavi amongst others have their home there. You will find the typical big Syrah taste but with more complexity than wines from the other side of the state. -not to take anything away from So-Cal., but this wine offers a nice change from hotter climate high-alcohol Syrahs. Check it out......I give it 7 1/2 swiggs.

North coast that tastes like Napa

This Havens 2006 North coast cabernet is much better than the other 'north coast' bottles I have had from other wineries . At $ 9.95 it isn't much to pay for something this good and really fits the weekend wine catagory even though it is less expensive than most that I feature on this blog. I'll give it 8 swiggs and very enthusiatically say that it is ready to drink....no need to cellar this one. From Shopper's Corner.

A taste of the sierra foothills

Remeber when you were a kid, maybe your family went out to a pancake house every once in awhile. I always went for the boysenberry syrup on my waffles. This zin from Shenandoah really has a big hit of boysenberry......a real blast from my past and an unusual taste that only seems to happen in sierra foothill old vine zins. This isn't a particularly expensive wine at just under $ 12 but it is an excellent example of what these wines are all about which is massive berry flavors combined with spicy sweetness, almost like an apertif. It's excellent and I'll give it 8 swiggs. Some of the more high-end zins from this region can be more complex , maybe a bit earthier and richer but the Shenandoah really hits the mark of showing you the style present in nearly all the wines of that area.

two $ 7.99 gems

Shopper's Corner has two excellent sub $ 8.00 reds right now. # 1, Cavedog NV Napa Valley cabernet is a real surprise. Usually non-vintage means bottom of the barrel. This is not the case with this wine....it's great and I would have it any night with dinner. It's a solid 7 swiggs and a screw-top as well......makes it easy when you can't find the corkscrew. # 2, Lily Pond syrah Carneros 2006 is one of those wines that makes you wonder why similar quality wines from the same region can cost five times as much. This is a bit fuller bodied than the Cavedog and maybe a bit more sophisticated....I don't know a better way to put it. I'll give this one 7 swiggs as well , but it is a completely different animal than the more mainstream Cavedog. Save this one for your snobbier friends that need to see a vintage on the lable.