In this episode of Sommelier Reacts, Certified Sommelier, and our lovely host, Vince, tries 8 wines under $10 from Aldi and Trader Joe’s – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec, & Cabernet Sauvignon. You don’t have to break the bank to drink good wine. Aldi and Trader Joe’s are among one of the most affordable grocery stores in America.
If you’re wondering if Aldi and Trader Joe’s are truly a bargain for wine…keep watching to find out!
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00:00 – Intro
01:10 – Where do these stores get their wine?
03:45 – Round 1: Aldi vs. Trader Joe’s Sauvignon Blanc
08:32 – Round 2: Aldi vs. Trader Joe’s Chardonnay
12:24 – Round 3: Aldi vs. Trader Joe’s Malbec
16:28 – Round 4: Aldi vs. Trader Joe’s Cabernet Sauvignon
19:30 – Winner!
20:18 – Vince’s Recommendations
23:02 – Outro
23:26 – Bonus Round
After watching our channel you’ll understand the wine you’re drinking, buy it with confidence, get better deals, and share your experience and passion for wine with others! Whether you’re a newbie or a pro, V is for Vino makes wine theory easy to understand and accessible to all.
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🍷 Until Next Wine 🍷
34 Comments
Vince. So good to see you on you tube and weekly videos. These are great and keep them going! All the best. You are teaching us about wine one great sip at a time.
Thanks for the informative entertaining video ,Happy Easter!
Really enjoyed this segment! No Aldi stores in New Mexico. I do buy from TJs but only when the bloggers write them up and post their opinions, particularly this guy in Northern New Mexico who likes to "bottom feed" at TJs and Whole Foods. Really enjoyed this segment!
Thanks!
are you based in Chicago now? I dunno why I thought V is for Vino was based in Cali
I love this new kind of videos! Look forward to see more.
Cheers from Belgium
Great 👍 video 👍
I’d love to try supermarket wines…..but here in NY wine sales are not allowed in supermarkets. So small shops and one or two local larger shops (I’ve one locally that has over 3000 Bordeaux producers in its store) are the norm. Great video.
Cool video. Would be interesting to see Costco wines rated this way
I remember this Spanish wine from Cariñena that Trader's used to sell, called Monte Ducay, wow, what a wine. It was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, and Tempranillo. They stopped selling it a few years back. I also remember this single varietal Petit Verdot from Paso Robles, Trader Joe's label, the Reserve, I believe. What a wine that was, very unique!
Trader Joe's is where I go for wine. (when I'm not in Paso or Santa Ynez) Its fun, they put out front what they like and the price is reasonable. This video was great!
I highly recommend trying the Grifone Sangiovese from TJ's. Very, very surprising to me at that price point
I agree with your opinion here, Aldi has been ALL disappointing. Trader Joe’s is slightly better with more selections…I stopped buying there when I moved into a higher tax bracket, no more kitchen sink wine!😖
Just thinking about that CabSav and the Malbec that tasted oddly different. I wonder if they were fermented from a base that was rebuilt – following water removal under heat and vacuum. Possibly – the original grape juice base was overheated ?
Really nice video and really enjoyed your review! Today we shopped at Joe's for this first time and we have an Aldi down the road, We're really novice wine drinkers so this is going to be fun!!! Thanks again for such a nice vid!
This was fun! Good job
Still sober? Not sure, you talk to yourself…
I love this phrase: It reminds me of Chardonnay
We don’t have a trader Joe nearby but we have an Aldi. Grabbed a bottle of that Malbec and it’s now my go-to table wine. Also saw that since Aldi caries seasonal items they’ve got some interesting winter wines in including a VQA Vidal Icewine for $15.
I love videos on wines that are easily available. How do the scores compare to Parker points though?
Aldi is always better, you're biased
Pound for pound no grocery store chain can challenge Trader Joe’s for quality vs value for their wines. Not everything on the shelf is good, but you are less likely to get a “stinker” from there than you would from other grocery store chains. It’s important to understand I don’t buy my cellar gems from TJs but I certainly get my Wednesday nights drinkers from there!
You’ve gotta try the Quarter cut Bourbon Barrel aged Cab from Aldi it’s delicious!
I agree, I rate wines based on many factors and do not compare everything to my $150 Bordeaux Grand Cru Classe’s. I’m actually enjoying a $17 Nero D’Avola as I’m typing this.
Thanks for the recommendation of the Evanta Malbec. It sounds like a wine style that I'd like so I may end up buying a bottle in the near future. If you spend more on Aldi wines like $9.99+ you can get far better wines. I picked up an Ice Wine Vidal Reserve 2020 for $14.99, A Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Bordeaux 2019 for $16.99, Champagne Brut for $24.99 and an Elettra Primitivo – Negroamaro 2021 for $12.99. I haven't bought yet but I did see a Durante Toscana Rosso 2020 for $12.99 as well. So, if you look you can find some decent wines for sure. I have only begun to explore TJ's myself as it's a lot further than Aldi is for me. But I 100% agree that Trader's Joe's wine selection has a lot more wines and is really awesome as they really do have some very nice stuff at great prices. Such as a Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse Pauillac 2018 for $44.99 while the same bottle and vintage at a liquor store is $69.99. Even have a Chateau Gloria St Julien 2018 for $59.99 while a liquor store was selling the 2016 vintage for $89.99.
I worked at TJ’s for many years, specializing in their wines. Their wines are geared for the non-expert wine drinker. They are good to try many different wines at a reasonable price. Sadly, too many customers keep buying the same crap: Ménage a Trois, Cocobon, Roasted Oak whatever.
Enjoyed it! Thanks
You & Andre Mack need to get together…
I have such a good impression of Aldi reds to be honest. Went for a blind tasting once and my favourite was the cheapest, called Rockstone Ranch Malbec (or the ranch reserve). The person who conducted the wine tastings said she also pit the same wine against others with her friends and this was always the plot twist. Other than that, I also felt like the Firetree nero d'avola from Aldi was such a steal (£4.75 last i remembered)
I think Trader Joe's is owned by Aldi ?! So what?
The "C" is not pronounced in blanc
Maybe Aldi wines are good for cooking. LOL! 'Alcoholic fruit juice' That cracked me up!!
Yeah, here's my one-word comment: Costco. I've been a wino for decades, and Costco's wines run circles around those at TJ's. There is a reason that they are America's largest wine retailer. TJ's has interesting expressions that Costco doesn't carry, but almost all of them are mediocre. My wife and I are Aldi's shoppers, but overall their wine selection is uninspiring. (Exception: Their Riesling is very good.) If you live in a state that allows Costco to sell wine – my state, Florida, does – then head there for great values.
Do traders vs Kirkland now! That would be fun. Wait…did you already do this?