As Thomas Jefferson said, Good wine is a necessity of life for me … well the only problem for me is that I can hardly afford good wine. When you’ve graduated from college and are still bartending, you can hardly afford rent much less a great bottle of wine very night. Unless you’ve got a Trader Joe’s near you. I didn’t discover Trader Joe’s until I moved to Charlotte a few short months ago, but I must say that it was love at first sight.

I will admit that I was skeptical of a bottle of wine that is the same price as a diet coke at a restaurant, but I figured it was only $3 and I might as well give it a try.   I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with my $3 bottle of wine.  Since my first bottle, I’ve been through quite a few of Trader Joe’s less expensive wines and have put together a list of some tasty, inexpensive wines that are sure to fit within your budget.

Reds

La Boca Malbec

Purple Moon Merlot

Charles Shaw Shiraz

Gascon Malbec (this one is a little bit of a splurge, but well worth it!)

Whites

Charles Shaw Chardonnay

Gaetano D’Aquino Pino Grigio

Espiral Vino Verde (This one is perfect for spring and summer! It’s a sparkling white wine, but not quite as bubbly as some. Very refreshing!)

They’ve got tons of wine at Trader Joe’s and these are only a few. But you won’t go wrong with any of these! Happy wine-ing!