The 14 Best Wines At Trader Joe's, According To A Former Wine Buyer

So you found yourself looking for wine in a Trader Joe's and you're at a total loss. Do you go for a red? A white? Get something bubbly? And how is it all so cheap?

Well, I have a few tips I keep in my back pocket. Fun fact: For two years I had what some might consider a job that only exists in fantasies or holiday rom-coms: I used to order the cheese and wine for a Trader Joe's store. During my time at America's favorite quirky grocer, I had the super hard job of sampling many (if not all, oops) of the hundreds of wines the store offers (such a difficult task, please clap). To this day, my sole party trick is that I can pair wine to a person, mood, or weather report with an accuracy that I think is maybe a bit too spot-on.

First off, you definitely don't need to spend more than $10 (or even $5!) to get a quality bottle of wine at Trader Joe's. In my experience you can never go wrong with their imported wines, or any of the Trader Joe's Reserve wines (my favorites range from grand, platinum, all the way to diamond).

And if you find yourself unfamiliar with many of the wines in the store, worry not. About half of Trader Joe's wine inventory are exclusive to the store. Have you ever noticed that many of their wines have the word "moon" in their title? Those are all Trader Joe's specific wines, and are often commissioned by producers for their price (or sourced from distributors who are trying to sell off surplus unlabeled wines called “shiners”).

If you've ever had $3 Buck Chuck, you're likely well acquainted with shiners, as the same maker produced the boxed wine staple Franzia. Fred Franzia (RIP) was very well-known for buying bulk grapes. We can thank Fred for this practice, which is largely responsible for all those deliciously affordable private-label wines you can now find at Target, Whole Foods, and even Costco.

Looking for more wine inspiration? Check out all of our favorite cheap wine picks, wine subscriptions, and top celebrity wines.