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Old Moon Zinfandel

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When I tell people that I review inexpensive wines a common response I get is, “Oh, you must love Trader Joe’s.”  And every time I hear that, I have to reply with, “No, I don’t.”

It’s not that I have anything personally against Trader Joe’s, but I have yet to find a bargain in their wine department to get excited about.  I’ve reviewed a few TJ wines in the past and none of them were exceptional. 

When most people think of cheap wine at Trader Joe’s they are thinking of Charles Shaw, the famous 2 Buck Chuck.  But there are numerous other Trader Joe’s exclusive wines besides Charles Shaw.  They also carry some good wines that aren’t TJ-exclusives, but their prices are the same or more than I find at other shops.

All of the TJ comments I hear leave me torn.  With all of the raving I hear about TJ’s I think there must be something to it.  If so many people rave about their wines, they must be good… right?  Have I just been trying the wrong ones?  After all, I haven’t tried every wine they sell.  And so, I keep going back from time to time to give them another chance.  It seems like every time I do, I find myself wishing that I hadn’t.  This is one of those times.

Old Moon ZinfandelThis time I tried the 2006 Old Moon Zinfandel from the Trader Moon Wine Company.  It sells for $7.99 — a few bucks more than Chuck.

My assessment is that this is a fairly predictible low-priced zinfandel.  Black cherry and oak on the nose with a little bit of spice heat.  The intensity is moderate.  The palate has more black cherry and some plum.  The fruit is rather artificial tasting.  There’s a touch of vanilla on the finish.  It’s a drinkable wine, but it’s not a great wine.

In all honesty, my description probably made it sound more interesting than it really is.

Wine: Old Moon Old Vine Zinfandel
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 79
Price Paid: $7.99

Tim Lemke Tim is the founder and chief reviewer at Cheap Wine Ratings since 2007.

Comment(0)

  1. Well…I purchased the wine for $4.99 at T-Joes and this is an excellent price point for this product. It gets better and better as you drink it and with our current ecoonmy, this is a great wine, you get what you pay for!

  2. I just dumped out 3/4 of a bottle of this swill. TJs is a master of marketing but their 2006 Old Vine Old Moon Zin was junk. I got no cherry, oak, or vanilla, just a higher priced bottle of crappy 2 Buck Chuck.

    Do yourself a favor and save your money.

  3. I am not a wine snob/expert, but I tried the 2007 Old Moon Old vine Zinfandel wine and found it to be enjoyable.I’m glad that I didn’t ead the reviews re the 2006 before purchasing.

  4. I loved the 2007 Old Moon Zinfandel like “bubbasgirl” mentioned. I am wondering about the 2008?

  5. i happen to be drinking the 2008 Old Moon Old Vine as i write this review, and i’m ‘wow!’ by its intense fruitiness and sweetness. it’s exactly what i look for in a red wine. and i can’t believe i found it in a $4.99 bottle. 🙂

  6. I’m with chichijul. Opened 2008 Old Moon Zinfandel last night and was “wow”. Could not recall how I came by the bottle – think it was a gift – so am delighted to learn this is not an expensive wine.

  7. This wine is fine if you’re not expecting it to taste like a zin. The sweetness does taste artificial, which is some
    Thing I really hate. It’s fine if you’re not too picky, and it does get slightly better one it’s been opened (or maybe I just started getting used to it?)
    Personally I’d rather pay 8.99 for a great bargain zin at my local wine store…

  8. I purchased this wine for 4.99 and thought it was ok. TJ’s does have a wine from Chile that I like a lot better and it is only 2.99

  9. i’ve purchased three bottles of wine from trader joe’s in the last 8 months – all red – all low end in price and to be honest, all were good and drinkable and i’d buy them again. i’m no connoisseur and i’m just a layman without credentials, but i liked them. and i’ve had bad reds before at double the price from wine stores in brooklyn that really were undrinkable swill i wouldn’t even use to make a reduction it.

  10. Hello there. I am wondering if anyone knows where I can purchase Old Moon Zinfandel in Jacksonville, Florida? Help!

  11. Well I just returned from Washington D.C..While I was there i purchased a bottle of 2010 Old Moon and it was great! I happen to prefer old Zins and for the price it was very good. I tried to order a case through a few liquor stores in Mass and was told it was not available. For $4.99 I would give it a try, if nothing else….use it for cooking!

  12. I had a bottle of Old Moon Zin 2012 and it was so good I’m gonna get more. It was a perfect pairing for my old family recipe meatballs and sauce. Loved it.

  13. Shared a btl of this Zin with Ny Strip from BBQ and I surprised how good this wine is! Tried the 2014 here in Sarasota FL. will buy a case next time for our BBQ evenings!

  14. Just opened a bottle of the 2014 and it was awful. Think I paid $3.99 so I didn’t lose out too much. I grew up drinking the really good/ expensive wines my parents had. Did I mention I’m from Paso Robles, CA? I basically grew up in wine country. Unfortunately for me, though, it’s not the same when you can’t afford to buy the good shit. I give this zin one thumb down. It left an awful vinegar taste in my mouth and lacked depth in my opinion. Found myself eating m&ms to try to get the taste out of my mouth. Will not be buying again.

  15. I thought this was a very interesting Zin. Very atypical, but delicious. The main fault was the lack of nose. The taste was complex, fruit forward, borderline jammy, touch of tannin. Had a lack of interesting finish, but made up for it in its unique fruity freshness. Amazing value. Will purchase again if I see it.

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