It has been a while since I did a review of Trader Joe's wine offerings. Excited to see what 'spring picks' I could get for circa $10 / bottle I headed off to the New York City store. Overall I was pretty happy with my findings! Here are seven great spring wines, each for a very budget-friendly price. (There's even a print-out guide to take to the store with you!)
I probably could have managed my timing better. Friday afternoon around 5 p.m. is probably not the quietest time to browse Trader Joe's. Well, at least it was busy — which is a good thing — people are still buying wine. Despite the crowd it was pretty easy to navigate the aisles with my cart, so no complaints really, and the check-out line did move quite quickly.
In terms of selection, there was a lot of variety on offer from most of the winemaking countries around the world, though I did not spot anything from Greece or Hungary, two favorites of mine.
Though there were lots of offerings around the $4 to $5 mark, I edged upwards toward my max, choosing wines between $8 and $10 (plus one at $5.99 that I could not resist) — as I hoped to max my quality to value ratio. I spotted some brands that I had tasted and reviewed before — but it is good to see that these wines are still popular.
Perusing the aisles, I finally selected seven wines and headed to the checkout — proud of my selection and the value I was hoping to get. However, there was a little sting in the tail. I was charged $19.50 to deliver the wines, which added over $3 to each bottle purchased. I asked whether if I bought more either in volume or value would the delivery charge be waived. Not so, I was told. To be honest, for what I was buying, I could not really complain, but I think I would have been a tad miffed if I had bought over $100 worth or a full case of 12 wines. Maybe that is something they should review.
Anyway, on we go to the tasting. As I mentioned I chose well - and I was more than happy with my selection.
White Wines
2009 Blason de Bourgogne Saint-Veran, Burgundy, France, $8.99 - Mid gold color. Aromas of ripe, yellow and tropical fruit - Mirabelle plums, pineapple, apricot pith, with a touch of bay/laurel herbal spice. Crisp, juicy and slightly fleshy with a moderate intensity warming earthy flavors. Slightly short on the finish but a perfectly suitable easy-drinking week night wine.
2010 Epicuro Vermentino, DOC Lazio, Italy $5.99 - Attractive mineral notes on the nose alongside aromas of ripe stone fruit, exotic citrus and a touch of sage. Refreshing and quite mouth-filling. Ample bright fruit flavors that mirrored the nose. Succulent texture and minerality followed through. Medium bodied and moderately long finish. Pretty good really and probably the best value at less than $6.
2011 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier, California, $9.99 - A blend of 79% Chenin and 21% Viognier. Youthful Pale lemony color and intense zesty aromas of citrus - lemon and lime, ripe peach and floral notes. Spritzy and very juicy with sufficient bright, tangy citrus and stone fruit flavors. A whisper of sweetness of the finish. Light-bodied. Perfect for an apéritif, picnic or spring/summer lunch.
Rosé Wine
2011 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé, WO Coastal Region, South Africa, $7.99 - Sock-eye salmon color with coppery glints. Aromas of ripe red currents, strawberry compote and wild raspberry. Crisp, juicy with tangy red fruit flavors with good intensity and depth on the palate. Nicely persistent with a juicy finish. Bring on the barbecue please!
Red Wines
2009 Pasqua Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore, Veneto, Italy, $8.99 - Crimson color. Aromas of sweet and sour cherry, warm earth and woodsy underbrush. Grippy tannins but sufficient fleshy ripe black fruit to balance. Round, warming mouth-feel. Moderate length with a tangy, earthy finish. Good with steak, ribs, or pasta with a Bolognese sauce.
2010 Barkan Classic Merlot, Galil, Israel, $9.99 - Mid ruby color, appealing nose of ripe plummy fruit, tobacco leaf with hints of mocha, spice and smoke. Smooth tannins, moderate intensity of bright juicy red and black plummy and ripe berry fruit. Gentle, smooth tannins, round creamy mouth-feel. Moderate finish. Modern, fresh, fruity - an easy red to sip on its own or enjoy at the table with roasted vegetables, duck breast with a fruity glaze, or even paella.
2009 Il Tarocco Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy $9.99 - Bright ruby color. Earthy, savory aromas, well-worn leather, black cherry and clove. Refreshing with sandy tannins that have a fairly good grip, adding structure. Packed with bright juicy black fruit, nicely fleshy and a moderately long finish. Well balanced. Perfect with pizza, pasta with a tomato based sauce or grilled steak.
I would love to hear what gems readers are finding lately at Trader Joe's wine stores.
Mary Gorman-McAdams, MW (Master of Wine), is a New York based wine educator, freelance writer and consultant.
White Wines
• 2009 Blason de Bourgogne Saint-Veran, Burgundy, France, $8.99
• 2010 Epicuro Vermentino, DOC Lazio, Italy $5.99
• 2011 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier, California, $9.99
Rosé Wine
• 2011 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé, WO Coastal Region, South Africa, $7.99
Red Wines
• 2009 Pasqua Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore, Veneto, Italy, $8.99
• 2010 Barkan Classic Merlot, Galil, Israel, $9.99
• 2009 Il Tarocco Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy $9.99
Previous Trader Joe's Wine Recommendations
• Holiday Party Wines: $10 and Less from Trader Joe's
• Supermarket Wines Review: Top Wine Picks from Trader Joe's Wine Store in New York City
• Good Wines at Trader Joe's: Cheerful Summer Wine Picks
• Bargain Summer Red Wines from Trader Joe's
(Images: Wine producers; Mary Gorman-McAdams)
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My hubby & I have a weekly wine buying trip to our local TJ's. What draws us is that they offer value priced organic wines. We made a commitment to only drinking organic wines last year and T.J.'s has some we enjoy for very little money. We thank TJs for that!
Betsy--Recommendations, please!
So you live above 86th Street, like me!?!? I stock up at TJ's every time I get a haircut (at Astor Place) -- I have a tote that handles 6 bottles, plus I throw one in my briefcase -- and I was there last night. Bought some interesting new varieties, including a $5.99 Italian Carmenere, but haven't tried them yet. They have a Vinho Verde (forget the name) that's excellent, and cheap ($3.00 or so) -- last summer I brought our car downtown and bought 3 cases!
Thanks for this list! Our go-to red from TJs is the Cave du Fournalet Cote du Rhone. Around $6.99. My wine lingo is nonexistant, but I can say it's a consistently satisfying bottle.
I live in NYC and love TJ's 14th Street wine store. In the past, I have bought several cases of wine and had them delivered to my apt. I don't think the charge increases if you buy more wine, so you might as well stock up and save. They might charge by location though. I live close so it is a pretty good deal.
5catfamily -- you are right: it's a single fee no matter how much you buy. But, alas, there's the storage issue in NY apts -- and the terrible overheating in winter!
I buy two bottles almost every week that are extreme budget picks, but are very drinkable and perfect for a weeknight glass with dinner or tv--- 1) green fin white table wine and 2) blue fin pinot noir
You forgot the best deal of all:
Gaetano D'Aquino Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie
http://luxuriousliquids.blogspot.com/2011/04/gaetano-daquino-pinot-grigio-delle.html
Only 3.99 a bottle and perfection in the summer. For the perfect wine spritzer: mix to your tastes with Gerolsteiner Minerealwasser, also available at Trader Joes.
I'd be interested in hearing which wines to avoid. I've had some real misses while searching for cheap, drinkable bottles...
Wow. Look at those prices! It's rare to find anything of quality that cheap here in Ontario. I'm pretty sure I've tasted the Pasqua many years ago.
http://vintagewinepicks.blogspot.com/
While this post isn't so useful for me because I keep Kosher, I recently discovered that TJs has some decent Kosher wines. I don't live in the city, so schlepping isn't a problem. We can buy a case and get a discount even mixing up different bottles. It's been a tremendous discovery!
I love that Rose. Also Epicuro's red (the one with the blue label) is great too, came in second place at our wine tasteing party and it's $5.99 too!
Trentatre Rosso 2009
$5.99 at Trader Joe's
From the bottle:
This unique wine comes from the Apulia Region located in the depth of Southern Italy. The blend is an equal amount of three different varietals. Cabernet Sauvignon 33,3%, Merlot 33,3%, and Montepulciano 33,4% collectively aged six months in oak barrels, hence the name "Trentatre" which in Italian means Thirtythree. The color is a deep purple-red with a pleasant fruity nose with hints of plum, cherry, and chocolate. Full bodied, it has a supple finish with soft tannins. Enjoy it with pasta, pizza, grilled meats, seasoned cheese...or even on its own!
I generally gravitate towards the 4-5 dollar range for casual, daily drinking at home and 5-10 for bringing over to people's places. One I found to be a great value for daily drinking is their boxed chardonnay. 3L for under $10, and it stays fresh for a month!
I have yet to have a bad cheap bottle from TJ's, with 1 exception: Trader Joe's Coastal Sauv Blanc. Pretty gross, and I am not too picky when it comes to wine, so that is saying something.
One of my favorites is a Rose' for only $4.99! It's called Quinson Fils Cotes de Provence Rose'. It's pale pink and lighter body, perfect for a warm day. (Although I drink it during the winter, too.) It reminds me of the rose's served at cafes in the south of France. I'm in Northern California, so I don't know if it's sold in the East.
The Pine Ridge is my favorite wine. So delicious!
The bottle with bright orange question mark! Cabernet and syrah blend
*the
No TJ's where I live, sadly. Considering how cheap wines/spirits are in the states, I would love to buy a $20 bottle of wine that would cost at least double that in BC.
Although I'm not a wine drinker, my partner likes several TJ's choices (with helpful recommendations from TJ staff):
Babble, varietal red wine, $6.99
http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=509
La Ronescina Collio Pinot Grigio, $6.99?
To your health!
I second SUGAR32000; I love TJ's Pinot Grigio!
Sadly, in CT you still can't buy wine at the grocery store!! But I used to live in CA and we would always buy Trader Joe's " two buck chuck" don't remember the exact name but it was a TJ's brand red and it was only $2.99! Not great- but it went great with a big bowl of Bolognese!
Thank you for this. I never know what to buy that might be decent and we like to stock up on Trader Joe wines, which we have to buy when my husband travels for business. Our laws do not allow our TJ to sell wine (not yet anyway).
I love the Rex Goliath Pinot Noir $6.99? (I think)
I always have a few bottles of this one around!
I wish NY state would legalize wine sales in Grocery stores. It's a shame that TJ's has to open a separate store to sell wine. Our Costco does this as well. It means that not every TJ's location has a wine selection nearby.
I am a huge fan of the Green Fin selections - organic AND 3.99 a bottle. My favorite is the White Table Wine. I'm not even a big white drinker, but it seems to go nicely with everything. For the price, try them all!
That Rosé is very good.
My favorite Spring to Summer wine is Casal Garcia Vinho Verde.
Is it necessary to make the post TJ's specific though? Just a list of budget-friendly, easy to find wines would be helpful to all of us.
I'm with sethwchambers - Trentatre Rosso 2009 - for 6 bucks it's the dog's bollocks.
I miss the good old USA! Cheers.....
Such a bummer that there are no TJs that sell wine in the 200 miles between Union Square and Framingham, Mass. ... :(
Well REaD is another great deal at TJ's.
I recently tried Old Moon Zinfandel. I loved it, and it pairs great with Spaghetti and meatballs = )
~ L
@therealkinger: If you have the ability to stock up it would be worth the extra miles going east on Rte 9 to the Brookline Trader Joes.
I have to say, I've found equally good deals on wine at Whole Foods- surprising as they're called "Whole Paycheck" for a reason! Plus, if you buy at least 6 bottles (mixed), they'll take 10% off, and pack them in 6-bottle wine totes for you.
Your blog overlooks a couple of great wines at Trader Joe's for about $5.00. They are called Terrenal and are from the Yecla Valley. They have a Cab and a Tempranillo. You can't beat the price quality ratio. And by the way people can find wine at the NJ TJs in Westfield, NJ. You don't have to drive to Brookline. There is also a Moscato called Sara Bee and a Prosecco called Banero. AidelK I noticed all these wines 'cause they are kosher as well.