Best Boxed Wine at Trader Joes

The best boxed wine at Trader Joe’s might not be the type of wine you’d normally buy. If I want red wine, I always buy Pinot Noir. If I want white, I buy Chardonnay. But when it comes to Trader Joe’s Block wine, as it’s called, both of those are pretty lame. Box wine is an amazing modern convenience, especially if you don’t plan on downing an entire bottle in one sitting, but if you’re buying it at Trader Joe’s, you have to be discerning—and we’re here to help. 

We bought the six varieties of Trader Joe’s box wine we could find at our local store: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon. We didn’t judge them based on how closely they each adhere to their varietals’ respective flavor profiles; rather, we judged them based on how good they taste and how quaffable they are, period. Don’t worry—I enlisted our in-house wine expert Justine Sterling to help me with this taste test. From worst to best, here’s the skinny on Trader Joe’s box wine.

Trader Joe’s Wine!

If you’re buying Trader Joe’s box wine and you want it to taste like something—or literally anything—don’t buy the Pinot Grigio. It tastes like it was watered down. If you want a decent white to serve with fish or to sip after work, read on for the best boxed wine you’ll find at Trader Joe’s.

Credit: Merc

Rating:

3.5/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Wine!

Looking for the best box wine at Trader Joe’s, I would have bet dollars to doughnuts that Chardonnay was the way to go. I was wrong! I can’t even criticize the flavor profile of this Trader Joe’s box wine because it tastes like almost nothing. It’s practically clear—no lovely, buttery color whatsoever and no flavor, either. Even if you usually reach for Chardonnay when you’re buying a white, see #3 for the best white Trader Joe’s Block wine.

Credit: Merc

Rating:

4/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Wine!

Pinot Noir is almost always light bodied, but this Trader Joe’s box wine is so light bodied it’s truly better served chilled. A little refrigeration accentuates the berry notes and makes the wine taste less tannic. This one is a little rough around the edges, but it’s not unpleasant by any means. It has a bit of a dried fruit flavor I wasn’t expecting, but mostly it just tastes like a slightly heavier rosé.

Credit: Merc

Rating:

5/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Wine!

If you want a white, this is the best boxed wine at Trader Joe’s. It’s not overly sweet like Sauv Blancs can be, and it has a grassy green peppery-ness to it that we really liked. If someone served me a glass of this in a restaurant, I’d never guess it came from a box. It has character—certainly way more character than the other white Trader Joe’s box wines. This would be really good with spicy Asian food or fish. 

Credit: Merc

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Wine!

This Trader Joe’s box wine is definitely lighter than your average Shiraz. It should have a much fruitier flavor, but it does end on a sweet berry jam note, which is nice. It’s a little tannic, but won’t dry out your mouth. Overall, this isn’t the best boxed wine at Trader Joe’s, but it’s close! Just don’t expect what you’d normally expect from Shiraz. 

Credit: Merc

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Wine!

This is the best red wine at Trader Joe’s if you’re going the box wine route. No, it isn’t recognizable as a Cabernet, but it’s good all the same. It’s light and desserty and extremely drinkable. It’s a little bit chocolatey and has a nice floral bouquet that fills your nose as you drink. For being so light bodied, it has a lot of character. All in all, this is the best boxed wine at Trader Joe’s. 

Credit: Merc

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

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