The Best Trader Joe's Wine You Can Find For Under $10
When you think of the wine selection at Trader Joe's, the first thing that probably springs to mind is the chain's infamous "Two-Buck Chuck" line (whose price is now actually four bucks). $4 is still a steal, of course, but taste testing notes on the wines ranges from "delicious" to "terrible." Do you really want to risk it? If your budget can stretch just a bit farther, Trader Joe's offers quite a decent selection of moderately-priced wines. In fact, their selection is extensive enough that you might not even know where to begin. In order to make it easy for you, here's our short list of picks for the very best red, white, and rosé available at Trader Joe's for less than $10 — and they could never be described as terrible.
Best red: La Paca Sonriente Garnacha
If you'd like an excellent, yet inexpensive, medium-bodied red wine with an excessively long name, look no further than this Spanish import. It ranked at the top of the list of all Trader Joe's wines (including pricier ones) as ranked by VinePair's Insiders group. VinePair readers praised its "refreshing acidity," as well as its "leather and fresh tobacco" notes, since, being wine cognoscenti, they're pretty much obligated to describe it in these terms. The plain English executive summary? Goes great with food or on its own, and tastes like it costs a heck of a lot more than $7 a bottle.
Best white: Blason de Bourgogne Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay
If you really want insider wine knowledge, who's your go-to guy? A sommelier, of course. So when we tell you that Bill Netherland, wine director for several Charleston restaurants, lists this chardonnay as one of his top picks for the best wines you can buy at Trader Joe's, well, you know it's the straight scoop. Netherland says it's crisp and unoaked, with good acidity and citrus notes. The chardonnay also made Spoon University's list of "classy and cheap" wines from Trader Joe's — and, at $8 a bottle, it certainly won't put too big a dent in your wine budget. (Doesn't everyone have a dedicated wine budget?)
Best rosé: La Ferme Julien Rosé
We would be remiss if we didn't also offer a pick for the best rosé you can grab at Trader Joe's, as this millennial-friendly wine is still having a moment, at least in the summertime. Sterling Knight, sommelier at Cindy's in Chicago, practically gushes about this $8 wine, which pairs perfectly with shellfish, saying, "J'adore this pale, pink-hued beauty!" This recommendation does come with one caveat, though: Consumer blog Cheapism warns that wine enthusiasts may need to resort to stalking the aisles at Trader Joe's, waiting for this super-popular wine to be restocked so they can snatch it up quick.