Trader Joe’s Fans Check Out These Wines To Drink

Trader Joe’s supermarket is famous for its selection of private label and cheap wines. Unfortunately, some of its just plain bad. However, there are some gems to be found in this large group of cheap wines, and we reveal our entire favorite picks in this list of the best wines at Trader Joe’s. Continue reading to see our complete guide to Trader Joe’s supermarket wines to drink.

From Chianti and a primary Cotes du Rhone to even Amarone, Barolo, and Napa Valley Cabernet TJ offer just a bit of everything, usually at prices that balance the sweetness. If you’ve been thinking of some of those wines that can probably be good, you’ve come to the best place because we have tried just about all of them. (We have also poured a heck of a good deal of them down the drain!)

The wines to drink that are reviewed here often have private labels, simply because these provide the best value. Cutting out the intermediate persons with private labels is TJ’s strength, both in terms of wine and their grocery items.

As the wine names do not always carry “Trader Joe’s” look for the “Trader Joe’s Exclusive” sign on the shelves to recognize these. The reason this is essential is just that the mass market wines retailed at TJ’s usually are not priced very competitively, and several are just there to make the private label wines seem like a better deal. (The people at TJ’s are chief marketers, using just about each method in the book.)

For the wines that really do carry Trader Joe’s on the label, there several different “Reserve” levels to look for. From highest to the lowest quality of wines to drink are:

Platinum Reserve – There are not lots of these, and they do not last long, so buy them if you see them!

Grand Reserve – Generally excellent quality.

Reserve – Quality can vary, but there is a good selection on our listing.

Petit Reserve – may be hit or miss but we’ve got a few recommended ones on the list below.

Wines To Drink Found At Trader Joe’s

1. Revelation Cabernet-Merlot

A red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot from France!

Image: Pinterest

The same manufacturer makes the Revelation Cabernet-Merlot (Badet Clement) as the Pontificis GSM and White Blend, both of which we also adored. Like those wines, it’s a Trader Joe’s exclusive and retails for only $6.99. Latitude Wines imports it.

The 2018 Badet Clement Revelation Cabernet-Merlot Pays d’Oc starts with somewhat a beautiful aroma of loads of licorice, black cherry, a pinch of vanilla, and a little chocolate. The wine feels smooth and fruits fresh with some great licorice, spice, and leather accents. It’s relatively simple but delicious and of pretty great quality for this low price. It drops dry and with large length. Just similar to the Pontificis wines, this is another excellent daily drinker choice.

2. Vega del Origon Gran Reserva

Image: Vivino

60% Garnacha and 40% Syrah from Terra Alta, Spain (Catalan region). The wine is stored in French and American oak barrels and had 3.1 g/L of residual sugar.

Reserva de la Tierra is the producer of Vega del Origon Gran Reserva. At Trader Joe’s exclusively makes it available (in the US) and retails for only $5.99. What a great deal for wines to drink with your meal.

3. Platinum Reserve Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cab

This is accessible solely at Trader Joe’s and retails for only $14.99.

Image: SC Wine Joe

Today we’ve received the second of the newly dispensed Platinum Reserve Napa Valley Cabs by Trader Joe’s. There is no advice on the label except like lots of the wines of Trader Joe’s wines, it’s bottle and vinted by The Scene Wine Company. It contains 14.5% alcohol.

The 2017 Platinum Reserve Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 89 starts with a very pleasant aroma of plum, black cherry, lots of spice, and a bit of vanilla. Getting a sip shows a medium-body, smooth cab fill with tart and ripe dark fruit spice and bits of vanilla. Chewy tannins and acidity result in a long dry, and grippy finish.

4. Petit Reserve Gewurztraminer

This wine is available only at Trader Joe’s and retails for only $5.99.

The 2018 Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Gewurztraminer starts with a pleasing aroma filled with honeysuckle, citrus, tropical fruit, and a little petrol. Taking a sip reveals a tasty and pretty tasty and sweet wine with cherry, grapefruit, pineapple, and honey and citrus flavors in the mouth. A gentle soft, viscous mouthfeel and just adequate acidity help improve and balance the sweetness.

This is a great one for sweet wine lovers or gives it a try as a dessert wine. It ends sweetly with the right length and lasting tropical fruit notes. It is merely sweet, and there is nothing wrong with this!

5. Pasqua Amarone

This one is super delicious, 25 percent Rondinella, 65 percent Corvina,5% Corvinone, and 5 percent Negrara from Valpantena, Veneto, Italy. The grapes are dried for 3 months, lose 25-30 percent of the weight before being making wine. The wine is grown for 18 months in French oak barrels and contains 9.5 g/L of extra sugar.

Image: Reverse Winesnob

The Trader Joe’s Black Label Pasqua Amarone is available for just $19.99. It’s obviously not a Trader Joe’s exclusive as there are a small number of other retailers that sell it, but they’re all priced at least 50% more. It’s imported by Latitude Wines, Inc.

The 2015 Pasqua Amarone Della Valpolicella starts with excellent aromas of blackberry, prune, and chocolate and a lot of interesting touches such as figs, vanilla, spice, licorice, and much more. It’s fascinating to observe how the bouquet evolves as it’s sometimes in the glass too. Once again, there’s a lot to explore here, so take your time with this one. There’s plenty to explore here, so take your time. It ends long and dry with nice touches of spice.

6. Line 39 Cabernet Sauvignon

Image: The Wine Country

Cabernet Sauvignon from California. The wine is developed in French and American oak for an unspecified amount of time and has residual sugar of 3.5 g/L.

The 2017 Line 39 Cabernet Sauvignon begins with delightful aromas of plum, blackberry, and vanilla. This medium-bodied, smooth wine is full of sweet, rich, cola, chocolate, dark fruit tinged with spice, and vanilla notes. Almost simple and easy to drink, this is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It ends dry, including lots of lingering colas.

7. Ruggero di Bardo Susumaniello

Susumaniello (yes, that is a grape type) from Puglia, Italy. It’s declared sue-sue-man-yell-oh. The wine is aged in a blend of wooden vats and stainless steel. This variety is produced exclusively in Southern Italy.

Trader Joe’s holds the Ruggero di Bardo Susumaniello and retails for only $9.99. Like a lot of the wines of Trader Joe, the brand is held by D’Aquino Italian Importing Organization. Femar Vini bottled it, who makes the Epicuro wines for Trader Joe’s, and, in reality, this seems to be a similar wine as the Epicuro Susumaniello that is sold in Europe.

The odor on the 2017 Ruggero di Bardo Susumaniello is filled with cherry and all types of spice, with cedar and campfire notes. This one surely requires a lot of time to start up when it does, you’ll get lots of dark, rich fruit (it nearly tastes like it is produced from dried grapes) and lots of vanilla, lots of spice, and touches of smoke meat.

It has got a different, unique taste profile and a decent intensity of taste plus silky tannins. A bit hot, almost Port-like, but it does mellow out a bit after a couple of hours of air. It ends with a dry, lasting finish.

8. Epicuro Primitivo di Manduria

The Epicuro Primitivo is available at Trader Joe’s and sells for just $5.99. D’Aquino Italian Importing Company Imports it. The 2017 Epicuro Primitivo di Manduria starts with an aromatic nose filled with sour cherry and berry flavors, vanilla and licorice plus some interesting spice notes.

Tasting the wine reveals lots of sweet and sour cherry fruit covered in a soft mouthfeel. It ends with an incredibly long finish for a low cost. Pair it with Italian meat sauces.

This is just another simple but delicious wine and a fabulous find at only $6. And while Primitivo is the same grape as Zinfandel, this is a clearly Italian tasting wine versus what you generally find in California Zinfandel.

9. Reserve Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is available exclusively and retails for only $9.99. Behind it is a cellar and bottle by Behind The Scene Wine Company.

Image: biltmoreshop

Today we have another excellent private name Cabernet from Alexander Valley in Sonoma, a top spot for growing Cabernet wine grapes. This one sells for only $10, which is a substantial discount on what you usually find from this field.

The 2017 Trader Joe’s Reserve Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 179 starts with a pleasing aroma of oak, plum, black cherry, blackberry, lots of vanilla, and a little cedar and spice. The wine feels plummy and not really as oaky as it emanates; in fact, it quite fruits forward in the mouth.

Smooth and simple wines to drink, this is a tasty wine. A fantastic bit of vanilla and spice come out on the mid-palate and lead into the long, dry, satisfying finish!