Gatherings from The Kitchn The Best Cheap Trader Joe's Wines to Drink With Italian Food (Image credit: Alexis Buryk) Ariel asked me to pick out a few budget-friendly wines from Trader Joe's for her Friday Board Game Night Gathering, where she planned on serving easy, make-ahead Italian food. I was excited for an excuse to visit Denver's newly opened Trader Joe's for the first time. Rumors of lines that wrapped around the building and parking up to three blocks away had kept me from venturing into the new store. Turns out, the rumors were true. I can definitely say, however, that the wine discoveries I made were well worth my wait. After gathering three friends within the wine industry and filling them in on the menu, we hit the shelves. We collectively ventured into the Italian wine section; however, a great Spanish Tempranillo also made the cut. We uncorked 15 different wines and narrowed the standouts down to three bottles that are food-friendly and versatile for almost any Italian preparation.

These three wines paired perfectly with the Fiery Kale Salad and Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups on Ariel's table. How to Choose a Budget Wine What do I look for when choosing budget wines? There is really no way to judge a bottle's quality at this price point without experimentation or research. We opted to experiment and taste multiple bottles, which is rather easy to do at TJ's. If you make a mistake, it won't be devastating to your wallet. Although many of the wines we tried were out of balance, I was pleasantly surprised to find several delicious and enjoyable wines at this price point. Banfi "Centine", Red Blend, Toscana IGT, Italy, 2011, $10 - A blend of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot, sourced from the rolling hillside vineyards of Tuscany, this red wine is substantial for the price. This wine has kept me intrigued over the years as a value-driven Tuscan blend. Old World in style, this savory, complex wine boasts notes of dark cherry, baking spices, savory cured meats, and dried herbs, complemented by a mineral-driven finish.

Gaetano d'Aquino, Orvieto Classico DOC, Italy, 2012, $5 - The isolated hillside town of Orvieto in central Italy is known for its crisp, dry, food-friendly white wines, made primarily from the grape, Trebbiano. beer and wine boxThis particular wine has a rich mouthfeel, with notes of apricot and orange blossom, exhibits mouthwatering acidity, and is very approachable, making it a versatile food-pairing option.best very dry red wine La Granja, Tempranilo, Cariñena DO, Spain, 2012, $4 - This wine's selling points? good food and wine quotesI almost didn't give this wine a chance because of the price, but it delivered with balance on multiple levels. port red wine reduction

Although much lighter in body than a typical Tempranillo, this wine will immediately appeal to red wine drinkers, who might usually drink Pinot Noir, and to white wine drinkers looking to branch out. best boxed wine 2012Its vibrant acidity prompts your next bite and showcases notes of bright, candied red raspberry, mushroom, and potpourri.best fruit wine in the world Cantina del Grifone "1967", Toscano Rosso IGT, Italy, 2010, $6 (Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah)best store bought white wine Angelo Rocca "Trentatre Rosso", Salento IGT, Italy, 2012, $6 (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Montepulciano)age to buy wine in uk Zonin, Prosecco DOC, Italy, NV, $7best wine that goes with cheese

Femar Vini "Epicuro", Salice Salentino IGT, Italy, 2011, $6 (Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera) Along with the vast variety of regional cooking styles within Italy, the varied wine selection at TJ's allows much room for exploration and creativity. Of course, pairing Italian food is not strictly limited to Italian or Old World wines, but with so many excellent and diverse options coming from Italy, why not explore the old adage, "What grows together, goes together"? Which Trader Joe's wines do you enjoy pairing with Italian food? Any outside of Italy that you deem a perfect pair? More on Budget Wines & Pairing from the Kitchn 7 Budget-Friendly Spring Wines from the Trader Joe's Wine Shop An Italian Wine Dinner Menu Questions About Pairing Food & Wine? 6 Helpful Starting Tips’Tis the season for caroling, yule logs, and frantic trips to the PLCB Wine & Spirits store to grab an acceptable, but not an overpriced, bottle of wine on your way to a party. If you’re like most people and don’t plan your wine buying in advance, the limited selection and uneven customer service at some area state stores can leave you wishing you had a mini sommelier in your pocket.

For the next best thing, PhillyVoice asked Justin Timsit, wine director at The Rittenhouse Hotel, for his advice. At two Center City stores, he plucked 20 bottles from the shelves—whites, reds and sparklers that offer great value for their price, from a $12.99 steal all the way to a $74.99 splurge.Timsit is a Los Angeles native (fun fact: as a child actor, he played the blue Power Ranger on the 1990s TV series) and a walking wine encyclopedia. He recently earned the prestigious rank of Advanced Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers. When he’s not perfecting the wine list at Lacroix and other Hersha Hospitality–owned hotel restaurants, he’s studying for the notoriously grueling Master Sommelier exam this spring.Note: These wines are currently in stock at several PLCB stores in the Philly area, but the 1218 Chestnut St. and 2040 Market St. locations generally have the best selection in Center City. Search here by wine code for store availability. $16.99, code 47106“I’m really fond of this Austrian producer;

even their entry-level wines are spectacular. This is a really crisp, mineral white wine with mouth-watering acidity that has a similar character to Sauvignon Blanc.”On sale for $17.99, code 8392“This Sauvignon Blanc comes from a single vineyard in Martinborough, on the north island of New Zealand. It’s delicious—really pungent and highly aromatic. It jumps right out of the glass." $17.99, code 42761“Pinot Gris from Oregon is a great alternative to Pinot Grigio, which can be uninteresting a lot of the time. This delicious Pinot Gris is made in the Willamette Valley and it’s an excellent value.”$18.99, code 45088“This is probably the best value-driven Chardonnay in the new world, and it’s made by one of the most brilliant winemakers on the planet [Jim Clendenen]. If you brought it to my party, I’d be very happy.” $19.99, code 47062“Moscofilero is a really brilliant grape—highly aromatic. This is a really affordable and well-made Greek white. Great as an aperitif.”

$24.99, code 47064“From an iconic Greek producer on the island of Santorini, this is a brilliant white wine for someone who wants to branch out from Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. It’s very crisp and has a salty finish, great for fish and bitter vegetable courses. Really an intriguing wine.”$16.99, code 44075“For $17 and from an iconic producer in Piedmont, this wine is incredible—a crowd-pleaser. Dolcetto is similar to Barbera or a bolder style Grenache; it’s definitely got that Italian thumbprint. This wine is juicy with moderate tannins, and really perfumed aromas of blueberry, violets and black pepper.”  $19.99, code 9088“This Mendoza producer makes really intense and structured wines. A fantastic example of Malbec in that classic Mendoza style.” $19.99, code 44243“This wine has the body of a Pinot Noir but the spice character of Syrah. It comes from Mount Vesuvius, from an indigenous Italian varietal called Piedirosso. It’s a really interesting red from a legendary producer that’s been making wine in Campania since the late 1800s.” $24.99, code 48622“This is an incredible wine from Saumur-Champigny, a village in Anjou in France’s Loire Valley.

The quality you get from this Cabernet Franc compared to what you’d pay in Bordeaux for Cabernet Franc is night and day. It’s really a game-changer—comparable to wines at four or five times the price.” $34.99, code 42646“Syrah is one of those grapes that is very food-friendly, and Qupé is a winery I really admire. This single-vineyard Syrah comes from a cooler site in Santa Barbara’s Santa Maria Valley. It’s a magnificent bottle of wine for $35.”$47.99, code 37388“Cristom wines out of Oregon have a rustic and more European profile. This is a vibrant style wine that really makes you want to have a second glass. It doesn’t tire your palate out and has lower alcohol and higher acidity so it’s very food friendly. Burgundy without the price tag.”$12.99, code 46314“This is insane for $12.99. For the value, it’s probably one of the best bottles of sparkling wine in the store. It’s a brilliant, award-winning Lambrusco rosé; You’re really getting a phenomenal value here, and not in the style that most people have come to know as Lambrusco.

On sale for $13.99, code 6871“For a budget Prosecco, go with Zardetto. It comes from Treviso and is in the classic Prosecco style —straightforward and to the point." $16.99, code 43990“Try this Lambrusco in place of a Prosecco; it can be a little bit more interesting. If you need to do an inexpensive sparkling wine, this pairs well with a wide variety of foods, especially cured meats and briny flavors.”“This is a really delicious Crémant from the Jura region of France, and an incredible value for $17. It’s made from 100 percent Chardonnay, and it will drink similar to a Champagne because it’s made the same way—it just has a slightly different nuance.”$31.99, code 44189“A great example of a world-class sparkling wine from outside of Champagne. Franciacorta is Italy’s highest quality region for traditional-method sparkling wine that can stand toe-to-toe with many of Champagne’s well-known houses. This is from one of the best producers in that region.”$49.99, code 46902“If this wine had the label of a big Champagne house, it would be triple the price.

This producer is based in Ambonnay, a grand cru village in Champagne. Billiot takes their best grapes to make this Champagne, which they farm themselves. It’s a brilliant wine and very small production. Really, really well-priced.” $59.99, code 45160“The quality you’re getting for the price is pretty incredible because it’s a ‘grower Champagne’ from a small family, without the branding markups of the bigger houses. It’s made from 100 percent Chardonnay, and it comes from biodynamic-farmed vineyards and minimal intervention winemaking. The wine is bone dry and has an intensity of flavor that is hard to find—one of my personal favorites.”$74.99, code 39713“For a really great splurge, this is one of my favorite Champagne rosés in the world. It’s probably one of the most iconic rosés out there, and you’ll recognize it by the bottle’s unique shape. Try pairing this with richer courses throughout a meal that would normally take a red wine, and not just as an aperitif.”