Do they sell good red wine at Trader Joes?!
Answers: I don't drink too much wine but am looking to start since I heard red wine is good for the heart. Are there any good brands at Trader Joes? If so, what are they and how much does it cost relatively?
Yes they do! Both reds and whites. I've had good luck in their French section and Spanish section. The "two buck chuck" is nothing to write home about, however.
Each Trader Joe's has a different mix of wine, so you may have to figure out what's available at your local store. Don't worry so much about "brands..." you'll need to figure out what grapes and what regions you really like (for example, I love Spanish Riojas (red) which are often Tempranillo, and a good Austrian Gewurtz (white), which can be vegetal, minerally or sweet. For a domestic red, I'm partial to Pinot Noir from OR and WA.)
Often folks just look quickly to see if a wine is a "merlot" or a "cab"--with some of the better wine's at TJs, that info is on the back of the bottle, not the front--it'll say something like "90% Tempranillo, 10% Grenache" on the back label. So don't discount a bottle if it doesn't display the name of the grape(s) used on the front of the bottle--do a little hunting! (I love tempranillo and grenache, myself.)
In my experience, the wines that they stick on endcaps for $2, $3, or $4 apiece aren't usually the best bottles in the store--so hunt around the shelves, and pick up a couple bottles for $7, $8 or $9 each. Also, shop around for "years"...you might happen to know what a really good year is, like the 2000 Montalcinos, or you might just be like me and not like young red wines (too acidic...I can't handle Beaujolais for that reason.) So I always try and find a bottle of red that's got a couple years on it...this isn't an issue for white wine (for me).
If they've got 'em, Chilean reds can be a screaming good deal as well. Lots of flavor, small price tag.
happy hunting!
I know that they do carry decent ones from $8-16
Three words for you: Two Buck Chuck. It's delicious and cheap.