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As I get older, I notice I am slowly morphing into one of those decorative pillows that says “Me, Myself, and Wine” (or the entirety of this SNL sketch), and I’m a-okay with that: The wine section is a truly magical place. Scanning the fun labels and new-to-me varietals gives me the feeling of running through a candy store as a kid — or any bookstore right now.
But if one thing was clear in the two years I worked for Trader Joe’s, it’s that the wine section of any grocery store is often an intimidating space. I totally get it. Picking out a bottle for a dinner party, or gifting a bottle to the wine-loving friend in your life, more than proves that navigating the wine aisle can be a lot to handle.
As a former bartender who also ordered the wine for my Trader Joe’s store, I’ve tasted hundreds of bottles to suss out the very best, no-fail wines no matter what’s for dinner, whose birthday it is, or who just popped by for a visit. You’ll also be glad to know you don’t need to be a sommelier (or to spend more than $10) to get a solid wine at TJ’s, either — no Two Buck Chuck required.
13 Best Trader Joe’s Wines, According to a Former Wine Buyer at the StoreRed
1. Ruggero di Bardo Susumaniello, $9.99 for 750 mL
One of the most common requests in the wine section was for a good wine to give as a gift. Well, you’re looking at it. This bottle is grand, and the contents certainly match it.
This particular wine has a concentrated cherry flavor and light tobacco smokiness that immediately makes me want to drink a glass alongside some saucy BBQ ribs, or fireside as a nightcap. Grown in the “heel” of Italy (Puglia), Susumaniello is as fun to say with an Italian accent as it is to drink.
2. Porta 6 Tinto, $4.99 for 750 mL
Wine has inspired many artists, and this Portuguese red blend actually captured the imagination of my coworker who got portions of this label tattooed on her body. Once you take a sip of this affordable wonder, I think you’ll see why.
Smooth, a bit acidic, and the textbook definition of “easy drinking,” this lighter-bodied red will even win over your white-wine-only friends. It’s also amazing in a homemade sangria, and at just five bucks, you can buy a couple of bottles to make a big batch.
3. Epicuro Nero d’Avola, $4.99 for 750 mL
While working at Trader Joe’s, I created a shorthand of nicknames for favorite bottles to remind myself. This bottle of Nero d’Avola? It’s at the top of my list of so-called “Pizza Wines.”
A jammy, bold red wine varietal from Sicily, Nero d’Avola is supremely compatible with a meat-lovers’ pizza (and wouldn’t you be, too?). Epicuro, an Italian wine brand exclusive to Trader Joe’s, has two other varietals (Primitivo and Aglianico) that are also hard to beat at just $5 each.
4. Corvelia Cabernet Sauvignon, $9.99 for 750 mL
I typically opt for Trader Joe’s imported wines over domestic ones, but one bottle always has me coming back to the States: Corvelia Cabernet Sauvignon. Don’t you love it when a pretty wine bottle is delicious on the inside?
Rest assured, this is what I’d call a “Gateway Cabernet” — it’s not really going to hit you over the head with woodsiness, as you might have experienced with other Cabernet Sauvignons. With softer notes of cedar and a bit of jammy cherry, this wine is an amazing plus-one to bring along to a book club, pasta night, or cookout.
5. Glou Glou Chill & Chill Chillable Red, $6.99 for 750 mL
As you’ll find, I’m not a stickler for traditional wine “notes.” I’d much rather liken a wine to an experience or situation, like “Pizza Wine” and “Porch Wine,” over more subjective, hard-to-nail flavors. So allow me to say that this perky chillable red is my “Bravo Wine.”
It goes down easy, much like bottles of Whispering Angel on an episode of Below Deck (“glou glou,” much like how we might say “glug glug,” is French onomatopoeia that means “chuggable”). So if you are knee-deep in a Summer House binge, consider this your light, bright and fruity (yet not at all sweet) companion. The chilling softens the typical tannins of many red wines, yielding an easy-drinking wine that made me go, “This is the Vinho Verde of red wines.”
White
6. Kono Sauvignon Blanc, $9.99 for 750 mL
If there’s a wine shelf you can often find me near, it’s the one that houses all the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. They’re world famous for a reason, with bright, zippy, herby-mineral flavors that instantly make me feel like I’ve been teleported to the seaside. That’s absolutely the case for the Kono Sauvignon Blanc, easily one of the best in the whole section.
The refreshing white not only transports me to the ocean, but I’m also in my favorite sundress and eating a crisp peach (picked with my foolproof “brown stem” rule, of course). How’d that happen? It’s that magical, and it’s sure to make you want to hang out near the Sauvignon Blancs, too. Meet you there!
7. Honeymoon Viognier, $5.99 for 750 mL
One of my favorite wine-section hobbies was introducing customers to wines that, while their label might look unsuspecting, are actually such a bang for their buck. The biggest shocker? This bottle of Honeymoon Viognier.
If you’ve yet to make the plunge into denser white wines like Chardonnay, this is such a good entry point. Peachy, floral, and with some creamy heft to it, the Honeymoon Viognier is my favorite to crack open when I’m digging into spicy, rich Indian food.
8. Vignobles Lacheteau Vouvray, $9.99 for 750 mL
I’ve long been on a Dense White Wine Promotion Plan, wherein I convince people that they probably like more white wines than they think. Vouvray is one of my favorites to use as a set of “training wheels,” as even those defiantly Red Wine-Only (or even Pinot Grigio-Only, Riesling-Only, etc.) drinkers end up loving this medium-body white wine.
Why is that? Well, this particular Vouvray is smack dab right in the middle of that sweet-dry spectrum, with a bracing lemon-y acidity that balances out the creamy density of this wine. In less flowery terms, this wine is an easy drinker, and one I love to sip alongside other aromatic, creamy dishes, like coconut-based Indian or Thai food.
9. inBianco White Sangiovese, $9.99 for 750 mL
For this wine you must believe your eyes; this is in fact a white Sangiovese! And it’s genuinely good! I love a traditional tannic Sangiovese — it’s another one of my usual “pizza wines.” So I was excited to see this white expression pop up a few weeks ago because it’s something I’ve quite literally never seen before. It’s almost as if I had spotted the wine version of a centaur or a jackalope.
This white Sangiovese is made with the same grapes, but harvested earlier than its red expression, and pressed without its skins so there are no tannins or red color. The result? A crisp, bright, fruit-forward wine that made me immediately think that I was drinking peach nectar out of a flower petal like a little fairy (as one does).
Rosé and Sparkling
10. J.L. Quinson Côtes de Provence Rosé, $9.99 for 750 mL
When it comes to picking out a solid bottle of wine, knowing a few key regions will help make that decision-making process a whole lot easier (and tastier). In regards to rosé, it’s hard to beat anything that comes out of Provence. Exhibit A: J.L. Quinson Côtes de Provence Rosé.
In the summertime, rosé-ing all day is just all the better when it’s with this medium-body wine that’s got a punchy boldness. It holds up to any manner of meals, but also is super refreshing (which is why we’re all drinking this rosé, right? For hydration?).
11. Opaline Pinot Noir Brut Rosé, $9.99 for 750 mL
I used to describe myself as neither a bubbly person nor a rosé person. That is, until I met Opaline and it taught me instantly that I was absolutely, very much a Bubbly Rosé Person.
How is that? This medium-bodied brut rosé is fruity and juicy like a just-ripe peach, yet crisp and dry, with plentiful bubbles that Pop Rock along your tongue. And with a bottle this deluxe-looking (I met a customer who actually turned one into a lamp), it makes any odd Tuesday feel like a party.
12. Cecelia Beretta Prosecco Rosé, $10.99 for 750 mL
Much like the Epicuro above, bottles of anything Cecelia Beretta are a must-buy, especially the Prosecco rosé. Crisp and refreshing, yet fruity-sweet, this pink little number is just plain fun to drink, but it still has plenty of depth and body to it.
While I still have no idea how to pronounce it, I do know that Valdobbiadene is one of the most prestigious regions for making Prosecco, making this a top-tier pick for “a glass of something refreshing” just before dinner, when you’re lingering long into the magic hour of the day.
13. Espiral Vinho Verde, $5.49 for 750 mL
If Nero d’Avola is my “Pizza Wine,” then this Portuguese white wine is my “Porch Wine.” By “Porch Wine,” I mean that it makes those late afternoons after work (where you’re hopefully enjoying a glass of wine on a porch or stoop with friends) feel like an Event.
Slightly bubbly in a kombucha-adjacent sort of way, this crisp, dry white wine tastes like you’ve bitten into a cold green apple or a slice of chilled honeydew — best enjoyed in those dog days of summer where it’s almost too hot to enjoy yourself outside. This wine is a bestie to al fresco drinkers everywhere.
Did your favorite TJ’s bottle of wine make this list? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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