Trader Joes Wines 2026
Trader Joe’s has a long history of putting out their own labeled wines. And we also have a long history of tasting all of them. And from time to time we run into something amazing that must be purchased in small to large quantities. As an example, a few years back they put out a Pinot Noir from Aroyo Grande. It was spectacular. I think we hit all the TJ’s in the area and bought every case.
Check your local Trader Joe’s for availability of the following wine. And as they appear we will diligently taste them and report back here. But they can sell out fast . . . stay tuned.
See the following pages for older Trader Joes reviews:
Original Trader Joes Blog
Second Trader Joes Blog
Description: Reserve, Paso Robles, Lot# 273
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Merlot
Rating: 89 | $9.99 | Tasted: 4/20/2026
Notes: The nose has a vegetal/eucalyptus note, bright red cherry and a scent of Jello. You get raspberry, blackberry, oak, cedar, clove and lilac.
It has fairly firm tannins that hit the teeth as dryness. The acidity is high, the body, finish and intensity are medium. The palate is not going to blow you away, but it has some good concentration.
But as merlot from Paso, goes it is not a bad effort. Keep this one in your back pocket. The nose has good intensity. It is just a bit disjoined on the palate. It could be a great food wine with meats that are not overpowering. It would be a great Thanksgiving sipper with all those savory flavors.
Description: Grand Reserve, Cru de la Vallee to Rhone, Cairanne Lot# 147
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Rating: 92 | $12.99 | Tasted: 4/20/2026
Notes: First off, what is Cairanne? This is a village and AOC (Appellation Origine Controlee’) in the southern Rhone valley of France. The grape generally used in these wines are Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault and Cousoise. And there can be others.
This wine starts with a really lovely nose. It has raspberry, strawberry, dried cherry, dried herbs and perfume. The intensity on the nose is med+.
The palate is very dry, medium bodied, high acid, medium+ finish, concentration and intensity. It’s very good and super approachable right out of the bottle. This wine is a standout from the other French wines that TJs has put out in the last year. It is a really fun wine that you’ll want to sit and sip. Drink this is creamy salads, grilled chicken, hummus and pretty much any Mediterranean food!
Description: Reserve, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Lot# 279
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Rating: 90 | $9.99 | Tasted: 4/2/2026
Notes: Starts soft but opens over a ten-minute period. We got nice, bright notes of red cherry, strawberry, lilac, brioche, potting soil, hint of sweet milk chocolate and roasted, buttery potato (this is not a negative note).
The palate is lovely with strawberry jam notes, medium acidity, body and low tannins. All the flavors are bright, almost sweet like a Carneros Pinot Noir. I would love to know where this fruit came from. It does not have the same darker fruit intensity of other Russian River fruit that we’ve tried. But all in all, the wine is really worth a try.
Description: Grand Reserve, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley Lot# 148
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Merlot
Rating: 91 | $12.99 | Tasted: 4/2/2026
Notes: Notes of med+ intensity raspberry, black cherry, black tea, graphite, cranberry, honeysuckle and pomegranate molasses.
This palate is very plush. The tannins are silky/firm. The concentration and intensity of the fruit is fairly high with the fruit predominately acidic pomegranate. It has a lovely sweet/tart mix.
This is a TJs release that shouldn’t be sniffed at. They don’t always release amazing wines, but this one is pretty nice.
Description: Platinum Reserve, Diamond Mountain District, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 94 | $14.99 | Tasted: 3/20/2026
Notes: Red and black cherry, raspberry and raspberry, a slight citrus note as in loquat, powdered cocoa and lilac.
The is wine has a very rich flavor of berries and cherries. The body is full, the finish is nearly long. The concentration is high and the intensity is nearly there as well. The tannins are silky and the acidity is high.
It is a well-balanced wine, and it is another really good effort from Trader Joes. Spring Mountain is sort of quiet power when it comes to the Napa AVAs. You don’t see many wines coming out of Napa from this AVA. And at this price point, you are going to be pleased. This would go great with teriyaki, Greek food or even really well-made burgers.
Description: Ca Storica, Amarone della Valpolicella
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Corvina
Rating: 90 | $18.99 | Tasted: 3/13/2026
Notes: Dried and ripe black cherries, red and black plums, dried flowers and dried herbs.
The wine has med+ concentration, intensity and finish. The body is medium and the tannins are firm and silky — rather plush actually. It is a rich, plush wine with a very dry finish.
The appassimento method of slowly drying the grapes for several months before going through a long, cool fermentation, gives this wine a rich, round, but dry character.
Description: Cecilia Beretta, Valpolicella Ripasso
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Corvina
Rating: 88 | $12.99 | Tasted: 3/13/2026
Notes: Plums, plums and more plums on the nose. There is that lovely cherry pipe tobacco, dried herbs and flowers.
The acidity is nicely high, long finish, medium body, concentration and intensity. It has med- tannins.
Rather a nice wine with tart plum on the palate and a finish that goes on and on. Its richness comes from the process in which it is made. In short, the vintners make a simple Valpolicella wine and then they add the skins and seeds from a finished Amarone wine, which starts a secondary fermentation in the original wine. This allows the simple wine to absorb the flavors of the Amarone — a great way of getting a second use of those Amarone skins. This creates a richer wine that what was originally created.
Description: Maison Barboulot
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Cabernet/Syrah
Rating: 90 | $5.99 | Tasted: 3/6/2026
Notes: Trader Joes located a really beautiful wine here. It has black cherry, red currant, raspberry, green veg and quite a bit of wood.
The acid is high, tannins are med+, finish is medium, concentration is high and intensity is med+.
The nose is elusive even after being open for 45 minutes. But have no fear — the palate is pretty concentrated. This one is like someone took a fairly simple wine and supercharged it. It is a steal at this price and well worth getting a few bottles for taking to parties when you need a bottle in a pinch. It is an 88 on the nose, but 92 on the palate.
Description: Custom Distilled Products, Princeton, Minnesota
Vintage: NA
Varietal: Gin
Rating: 92 | $12.99 | Tasted: 3/2/2026
Notes:
Description: Trader Joes Organic, Art of the Still Gin
Thoughts: This gin is really a surprise. TJs got a hold of a great bottling here. It is redolent of sage rather than Juniper berries, which usually make the lion’s share of a gin nose.
This is really a fine gin. And it has pleasant botanical notes. It can definitely be sipped by itself but would be fine in any gin-based drink. The sage note leaves one with a slight scent memory of a good thanksgiving meal.
Description: Platinum Reserve, Nizza, Bersano Estate Lot #117
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Barbera
Rating: 93 | $12.99 | Tasted: 2/27/2026
Notes: The nose has a nice sweet floral mixed with dried, fragrant herbs. Black cherry, raspberry, fig, bread and a hint of mustard seed.
High acid, med+ finish, body and concentration. The tannins are medium. With a hint of bitter herbs on the back of the tongue, wine holds a very nice, classic Italian Barbera. It has a meaty note on the palate. And it is not possible to imagine drinking this without BBQ beef or lamb minimally seasoned. This wine wants MEAT!
Given that this is a wine from Italy, we are going to give it the benefit of the doubt that it might need extra time to open up. We will review a second time in an hour. Back soon.
Update: yes, after two hours open, it really opens up. So, keep that in mind. The wine now has a much more forward nose, and much more concentration on the palate — the flavors are far more pronounced.
Description: Coastal, Central Coast
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Zinfandel
Rating: 89 | $4.49 | Tasted: 2/21/2026
Notes: Blackberry, raisin, cocoa, coffee, walnut, black plum and black cherry all with medium intensity.
The palate has a med+ finish and concentration. High acidity, med- tannins and body. Far more approachable on the palate. A fairly nice zin, classic central coast with med+ intensity. Someone got some decent fruit here and made a pretty good wine that is pleasant drinking.
Description: Organic Grower’s Reserve
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Zinfandel
Rating: 88 | $4.99 | Tasted: 2/21/2026
Notes: Raspberry, black cherry, black plum, pepper, cocoa, honeysuckle and some raisin.
Really nice, tartness that balances the fruit out. Long finish, med+ intensity, high acid, med tannins and body.
This wine is nicely complex. It is not a top shelf zin, but as low price point wines go, this is one of the better ones. It is not simple at all. It is a food wine. Grilled lamb, beef or seasoned chicken would complement this wine well.
Description: Organic Grower’s Reserve
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Merlot
Rating: 87 | $4.99 | Tasted: 2/20/2026
Notes: Raspberry, red cherry, coffee, cocoa, warm cake and black currant.
The flavors are pretty good here. You get a decent concentration and intensity. High acid, longish finish and medium body. Hey, this ain’t bad for this price. They got a hold of some decent fruit here to make a wine this good for this price. It’s good. Not great, but good. This would be perfect when going to a party with people who are new to wine.
Description: Coastal Central Coast
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Merlot
Rating: 85 | $4.49 | Tasted: 2/20/2026
Notes: Very steely, black cherry, strawberry, cranberry, dried herbs.
Tart high acid on the palate with very light tannins and body. Not a lot of concentration or intensity and the finish is medium. There is a smattering of juicy fruit here.
What do you expect from a five dollar wine?
Description: Coastal Central Coast
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 87 | $4.49 | Tasted: 2/19/2026
Notes: Blueberry, cocoa, raspberry jam, a hint of weediness, sweet baked cake and wet earth.
The palate is pretty simple but still holds good flavors. The tannins, body, acid, finish and concentration are all med-. But for the price, it is not at all a loser. It is fun to try these inexpensive TJs wines because they usually offer something interesting to taste without breaking the bank.
Description: Napa Estates, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 91 | $9.99 | Tasted: 2/19/2026
Notes: Blackberry, raspberry, cooked carrot, red plum, black cherry, coffee cake batter and licorice.
The palate is intense with a med+ finish. Medium acidity, body and tannins. It has a slight bitterness at the back of the palate, but the fruit balances that out.
I was told by the staff today that this is actual wine produced for TJs but there was something that would not allow them to use their own label. It’s pretty nice for ten bucks.
Description: Grand Reserve, Paso Robles Lot# 129
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Meritage
Rating: 91 | $12.99 | Tasted: 2/19/2026
Notes: Oh wow . . . a very enticing nose full of red and black berries, red plum, cola, tobacco, cassis, Rose, biscuit and creaminess. Great nose on this thing.
And the palate is even better. This 2023 is a knockout. Very intense flavors and concentration. The body and finish are great. And it has the acidity to balance the rich fruit. The tannins are just right, med+ with sweetness that gently coats the teeth.
This is a great wine from TJs. Starting out the year right!
Description: Coastal, Central Coasts
Vintage: 2025
Varietal: Chardonnay
Rating: 89 | $4.49 | Tasted: 2/19/2026
Notes: A honey dew, pear and lemon drop nose. The palate is medium body and intensity. A slight hint of sweetness. It has nice acidity that balances the pear notes. All in all, a simple wine that has some nice character for the rather low price of $4.49.
Description: Coastal, Central Coasts
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Rating: 86 | $4.49 | Tasted: 2/19/2026
Notes: After a little search for the nose, the wine comes across as extremely gentle with a hint of New Zealand grassiness. On the palate, however, it shows quite a bit of intensity, though a bit simple. There is a slight shade of sweetness as well.
Description: Grower’s Reserve Organic California
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Rating: 88 | $4.99 | Tasted: 2/19/2026
Notes: A very simple, fruity SB with a slight zing on the palate. But the flavors have medium intensity, and the nose is not anything to shake a stick at. It is a nice, straight forward Sauv Blanc. Perfect cold at the pool side this summer.
Description: Review of the best TJs wines of 2025
Vintage:
Varietal:
Rating: — | $-.– | Tasted: 2025
Notes: Here is a compilation of the best Trader Joes wines from 2025. Unfortunately, not many of these wines are still available. But check your local Trader Joes. You might find a few of these still on the shelves. The standouts are listed in red bold below.
2023 – Platinum Reserve Carneros Pinot Noir – 92 pts
2023 – Platinum Reserve Napa Valley Meritage – 93 pts
2023 – Grand Reserve Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon – 94pts
2022 – Diamond Reserve Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon – 94pts
2024 – Grand Reserve Carneros Chardonnay – 93 pts
2023 – Reserve Paso Robles Meritage – 93 pts
2024 – Platinum Reserve Paso Robles Zinfandel – 93pts
2024 – Platinum Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – 91pts
NV – Reserve Brut North Coast Sparkling Wine – 91pts
