Bargain Hunting For Wine At Trader Joe's

Here is another attempt at finding a bargain wine at Trader Joe's. That's really an easy task. So many of the wines they carry, especially the ones with a TJ branded label, are really underpriced and carry quite a bit of value. 

The 2023 Phigment Red Wine Blend has precious little information to offer on the label, and even less online. No grapes are specified, so you can do some blind tasting with no way to find out if your guesses are right.

The winery gives Lodi as its home base, so we could guess that Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon might be involved. The wine's alcohol level is given at 13.5% abv and it sells for less than $10 at Trader Joe's.

This wine is dark purple in the glass. It smells of cassis, blueberries and plums. The palate shows dark fruit and oak spice. The tannins are moderate and the acidity is refreshing. The finish is rather short but pleasantly fruity. I cooked with it, to good effect. I also sipped it while cooking, which was also satisfying. 

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