I love occasionally splurging on a bottle of wine, but I also know that good wine isn’t synonymous with expensive — especially at a store like Trader Joe’s, where prices for great-quality items are almost criminally low. At Trader Joe’s, you can get wines with a high price point to celebrate milestones and other special moments, and you can get more affordable wines to bring to dinner parties or staying-home-with-Netflix parties. For those budget-friendly occasions, I polled friends, family, coworkers, winos, and Trader Joe’s employees to round up the store’s best under-$10 wines. (Got a little more money to spend? Try one of these under-$20 wines.) 2013 Green Fin White Table Wine This budget beauty is made with organic grapes — for just under $4, that’s a steal! The pop of effervescence in this white lambrusco nicely offsets the sweetness. Or to use my boyfriend’s description: “It’s kind of like soda wine.” Espiral’s white wine is a hot commodity in the summer.

It’s the perfect wine to sip while lounging with friends on warm days. Sauvignon Republic Sauvignon Blanc 2013 I’m not a big white wine drinker, but when I do, I go for crisp, dry Sauvs. Hailing from New Zealand, this one tastes slightly tart, tropical, and grassy. Kono 2013 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc This one tastes like no other Sauv Blanc I’ve ever had. beer and wine historyIt combines the ripest melons with a much-needed punch of lime.what red wine with fish 2011 Dynamic Red Table Winebest online wine shops london A balanced blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon make up this biodynamic table wine. Plus, the screw top means no wine opener needed! 2011 Castle Rock Pinot Noir According to one of my friends, Castle Rock Cabernet is the BEST wine at Trader Joe’s, but it’s a rarity.

If you can’t find it, she suggests going for the Pinot Noir instead. 2012 Dark Horse Cabernet A number of people named Dark Horse as a favorite, and with good reason. It’s got surprising complexity for such a reasonable price. I’m a big fan of Cocobon, but it’s on the sweet side, so you have to be in the mood for that. “Drinkable” is the best word I can use to describe it. Monte Ducay Reserva 2009 “The palate is deep and luxurious, with dark fruit and notes that give away the presence of the Cab—cassis and graphite,” according to the website Now And Zin. La Granja Tempranillo 2012 Whenever I drink tempranillo, I feel chic and worldly. And whenever I spend $5 on a good bottle of tempranillo, I feel like a damn superstar. 2012 Apothic Red Winemaker’s Blend This wine stands up to bold flavors, so don’t be afraid to serve this at your next dinner party. It’s a much beloved go-to among Trader Joe’s wine aficionados. 2012 Trader Joe’s Reserve Happy Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon

At nearly $10, this is the priciest of the bunch, but the wine guy at my Trader Joe’s proclaimed this the best red wine you’ll find for that price point. If your Trader Joe’s doesn’t carry any of these wines, ask store associates for their favorite cheap picks. Every time I’ve done this, they’re always more than happy to help. Also, these prices are from a Los Angeles Trader Joe’s; wine prices at your store may vary. You can show up at the fanciest dinner party clutching these bottles and you won’t be shunned You don’t have to spend big to get a quality drop of wine. These are our top picks of Australian wine, widely available for under $20. They are the sort of wines you can bring to a dinner party and not be worried that your hosts will sneer. 2012 Wickhams Road Sauvignon Blanc, Yarra Valley $19.99 Despite universal hatred of sauvignon blanc from alpha snobs in the wine industry, this wine often hits the spot. Of course there are mediocre ones, but that is something we have to deal with in all aspects of life.

I’ve not chosen a fruit bomb sauv blanc – there are more than enough of those. The Wickhams Road is a savoury, nettle and steel, chargrilled lemon mouthwatering glassful of intrigue and refreshment. If you have ever ventured into the world of French sauvignon blanc, you will feel comforted with this in your glass. 2012 Balnaves of Coonawarra The Blend, Coonawarra $19.99 The blend is cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc – and Balnaves are consistently one of the great producers of cabernet wines in Australia. It’s brambly and chocolatey, cocoa more than dairy milk, its tannins coat your cheeks with the faintest lick of eucalypt. This will also keep for a few years quite happily. You can take these bottles anywhere. 2012 De Bortoli Village Pinot Noir $16.99 The “village” part of this wine’s name is a nod to the village wines of Burgundy. They are wines made with grapes from multiple villages and are usually the most inexpensive. Pinot noir under $20 is very hard to find.

This is lovely, showing sweet berries, some strawberries and notes of wood. It’s a little sappy with perfume and brown spice and nice grip. 2014 Leo Buring Dry Clare Valley Riesling $14.60 The Leo Buring is an Australian icon and deservedly so. It delivers such fresh, citrus classic riesling expression for less than $20. It’s thrilling, dry and wonderful. 2014 Pewsey Vale Riesling, Eden Valley, $15.65 As a category, the sub-$20 riesling section is the very best quality of any grape at this price. The entire list could be composed of riesling. The Pewsey has more aromatics than the Buring, citrus, blossom and the essence of springtime. It’s just short of breathtaking with a great finish. A beautiful wine that highlights how wonderfully underrated riesling is. 2014 La Boheme Act Four Syrah Gamay, Yarra Valley $16.99 This is great, and has so much character for a wine at this price – in fact, it could be twice as much and still be terrific. Pepper and sap, cocoa, leather and black cherries, it’s juicy and mouthwatering and lovely to smell.

2011 Tournon Maxime Chapoutier Shiraz, Victoria $15.99 The Tournon is made by French behemoth Chapoutier. Chapoutier has been making wine in collaboration with Australian winemakers for many years. The Tournon is solely owned by the Chapoutier family and is based on fruit from the Pyrenees in Victoria. This is a gorgeous light-bodied spicy shiraz. It has pepper and a little sappiness too, which offsets the heavier notes of black fruit and some sweet tobacco. This is really impressive and value for money. NV Brown Brothers Prosecco, King Valley $17.99 Made from the prosecco grape, as all prosecco should be, the Brown Brothers is the perfect aperitivo hour bubbles. It’s soft and delicate with ripe pear and a squeeze of citrus. Great on its own or with a plate of prosciutto. 2011 d’Arenberg d’Arry’s original Shiraz Grenache, McLaren Vale $17.99 I love that such an iconic wine is under $20. It’s ripe and generous, but doesn’t mug you with excess oak and jammy fruit.