Trader Joe’s strikes with this big, bold red.

Here’s one of those times where I’m almost certain I’ve had something before – and I had to search my own site to find out whether or not that’s true. (Answer: False; I have not had this wine before.) La Finca 2013 Tempranillo has everything you want in a Spanish Tempranillo.

Except it’s from Argentina.

La Finca 2013 Tempranillo Review

Had a long chat with my local Trader Joe’s wine guy and I have no doubt that their wine buyers know what they’re doing. (And you can expect a few more reviews on this site thanks to their recommendations.)

Taste

Fruit: plum, blackberry. Solid, everyday-drinking red wine.

Profile

13% Alcohol. “Oak Aged.”

Value

Under $5 if memory serves.

Metasip Grade: B+

So this falls into the “everyday” category – but it’s also a “tweener.” You could spend more and get something that drinks a lot more expensively. You could spend less and get something just as good – in fact, some of the Charles Shaw stuff (see our recent review) is probably a better value in the grand scheme.

Why spend $5 when you can spend $3 on the same thing? Or, why spend $5 when you can spend $8 and have something three times as good?

It’s a conundrum – and this wine probably gets left off our “buy it again” list.