Sez right there on the label: “Premium California Wine”, and how often has our friend Trader Joe steered us wrong?  Hardly never my friends, and this is no exception.  I’m drinking it chilled, as any sensible visitor to Al-Andalus would.  It’s light and pleasant, going down easy…  Here’s my question though:

The label reads, “Winemaker’s Reserve”.  Hello?  What *is* that supposed to mean?  Both beer and wine products suffer from pathetic usage of old-school designations.  At one time “Private Reserve” might have meant “You Can’t Have Any”.  Today it seems to mean, “Put Me In The Cooler With All The Others”.  If they are actually “reserving” the best for the owners, stockholders, pets, BFF’s or whoever, what do they call it?  “Double Secret Private Reserve”?