Fellow enophiles: Let’s all stop turning our noses up at grocery store wines. While most of us look forward to a leisurely trip to a boutique wine shop with attentive staff and standout labels, sometimes a wine lover just needs to go to the most convenient stop, and that includes supermarkets. Enjoyable, food-friendly wines can be found at quality grocery chains such as Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and more, if you know which brands, styles and categories to focus on.
For value-priced bottles that can be found almost anywhere, Wine Spectator turned to seven top sommeliers who manage Grand Award–winning cellars at some of the world’s best restaurants for wine. Even stars of the somm world have favorite bottles from their grocery store wine aisle, from affordable Burgundies to California darlings. Read on for their supermarket picks!
Spanish Albariño
“When it comes to easy and accessible wine shopping, my heart belongs to Spanish Albariño. This wine is like the friend that you always bring to the party. It’s fun and never lets you down. It’s zippy, zesty and a little flirtatious, ultimately becoming the “why don’t I drink this more often?” wine.
Albariño is also one of the best values out there. You can find it in most supermarkets these days, usually tucked between the Pinot Grigios and Sauvignon Blancs, quietly outperforming them both. Bottles like Bodegas Martín Códax or La Caña Albariño are my go-to bottles for around $20 or less, and if available, I love Paco y Lola and Granbazán.”—Marcela Colonna, head sommelier at Grand Award Winner the Modern, New York City
Louis Jadot
“Whenever I head to the corner liquor store in a pinch for a bottle, I often count on the wines of Louis Jadot. It is one of the largest négociants in Burgundy, but also owns over 500 acres of its own. With production this large, their entry-level wines are affordable and generally classic. What a lot of people overlook is the affordability of their cru bottlings (village level and vineyard specific), often far below the price of their competitors, really made possible by the scale of their operation. The bread-and-butter Mâconnais and Beaujolais bottlings allow them to source top-tier fruit from great sites in the Côte d’Or. Don’t overlook their older premier cru and grand cru wines collecting dust in your small-town shop—they can outperform their sexier counterparts if stored properly!”—Erin Healy, chef sommelier of Grand Award winner Daniel, New York City
“Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages. I can’t overstate how much this wine delivers for the price. When Bill in The Last of Us (played by Nick Offerman) poured it on screen, I couldn’t help but get excited. This has become a go-to red for me—balanced with plenty of fruit, a touch of savoriness, and the versatility to pair with just about anything … even rabbit during a zombie apocalypse. Best part is that it is available and I have found it in stores in small mountain towns, at Safeway and more.”—Jacob Brown, wine director of Grand Award winner Lazy Bear, San Francisco
Stolpman “Love You Bunches”
“Whole Foods has been our grocery for over a decade, and the tried-and-true wines of Stolpman Vineyards have been there for us the whole time. The “Love You Bunches” series of wines is an artisan and sustainably farmed set of wines that offers tremendous value for the quality while holding its own on a world stage. The organic, dry-farmed red made in a whole-cluster style of Sangiovese is fresh with crunchy red fruit—and chillable. This wine is crushable on its own and great with a myriad of foods. The “Love You Bunches” rosé is a whole-cluster style of Grenache; with aromas of rose petal and dripping of strawberry red fruit, this wine finishes with refreshing acidity. Think Provence. Both wines are under $25 a bottle and worth every drop of liquid gold in the bottle.”—John Mitchell, wine director of 2025 Grand Award winner, Soby’s, Greenville, SC
Foncastel Picpoul de Pinet
“While I haven’t explored a ton of these—I recently stumbled across the Foncastel Picpoul de Pinet from Trader Joe's. For $8, the wine is pretty great! Picpoul is generally pretty crispy and delicious, while going with a wide variety of foods. I like it for something cold and not too serious—especially with some seafood. I just recently had it with lobster rolls and wasn’t upset about it.”—Hugo Bensimon, wine director of Grand Award winner, Grill 23 & Bar, Boston
Provençal Rosé
“Provençal rosé is one of the safest categories when wine shopping at grocery stores. Conveniently, small selection of rosé is offered chilled, usually next to the beer pong brews. Domaine Triennes, Château de Campuget and Miraval are nearly ubiquitous offerings and are consistent in quality from vintage to vintage. They are comparatively affordable to the waist-high and shoulder-height offerings on the grocery shelves, and deliver a classy buzz at an optimal price-to-value ratio.”—Jaime Pinedo, corporate wine and beverage director for Bacchus Hospitality Management, including Grand Award winners Spruce, the Village Pub and 2025 winner Selby’s, and 2025 Best of Award of Excellence winner Augustine
Lacheteau Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine
“Get ready to spice up your wine journey at Trader Joe’s, where adventure meets affordability! Their shelves are bursting with gems from all corners of the globe, and you won’t have to break the bank to explore. My go-to? The Lacheteau Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine—a total steal at $7.99! This vibrant porch pounder is your perfect pre-dinner sip, bursting with juicy stone fruit, ripe melon, and a creamy, salty mineral zing that’ll make your taste buds dance. Crafted from the fabulous Melon de Bourgogne grape, it’s a breeze to drink yet packs enough pizzazz to leave you grinning and saying, “Wow, that’s crazy delicious!”—Christine Barr, wine director of Grand Award winner the Inn at Little Washington, Little Washington, VA
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