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Grocery stores are a hot destination for wine lovers—it seems like every supermarket chain these days has a wine aisle ripe for browsing. Some retailers even produce their own in-house private label wines, including Costco, Whole Foods, Target, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, and more.
Traditionally, private label refers to bespoke wine brands made for a company to sell exclusively through one channel, like a supermarket. Grocers don’t actually manage their own wineries or vineyards—they just pay established wine manufacturers to do it for them, and then sell the finished product under their own label.
You may have even tried a private label wine without even knowing it. While Costco proudly displays its Kirkland branding on its wine bottles, some grocers are more subtle. Target’s private label is called California Roots, Kroger slings Acronym, and Whole Foods sells Criterion.
Business is booming: in the last ten years, the private label wine market in the U.S. has nearly doubled, and private label wine sales now account for 8% of all domestic wine sales. Wondering which private label wines to try on your next grocery store trip? We scoured wine websites to round up highly rated bottles to try out.
In 2017, Target rocked the internet when it launched its California Roots wine brand for just $5. Of the five wines in the line up, a VinePair taste test found that Target’s Red Blend came out on top. Featuring mixed berries and notes of earthy coffee, the palate was the most balanced and complex of the bunch, panelists said. Wine raters on Vivino gave this bottle an average score of 3.4 stars. For $5, it’s well worth a try.
Shoppers have long been drawn to Costco for its alcohol aisles, but did you know Costco is the largest wine retailer in the U.S.? This Kirkland Signature Series Premier Cru Chablis is sommelier-approved—it’s produced by quality vineyards in Burgundy, France, and the price is way below what you’d typically pay for a Chablis from Burgundy: only $17.
Love shopping at Kroger? Hit up the wine aisle and grab a bottle of its $8 Rich Red Blend. Reviewers say this jammy red is a bargain of a deal. The blend is made up of pinot noir and syrah varietals, with layers of dark plum, black cherry, and notes of cocoa and coffee. If you’re not into super oaky reds, this is a great budget-friendly option. And if you’re into reds but would rather a single varietal rather than a blend, try Kroger’s Parkers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
If Whole Foods is your top shop, you should taste test its in-house wines. The Criterion Collection was launched in 2015, with five wines coming in under $20. Since then, Whole Foods has expanded to 14 wines including a malbec, chablis, beaujolais, and carmenere. One worth trying is the Criterion Sauvignon Blanc, a dry white wine from New Zealand with tropical flavors that has a 4.0 rating on Vivino.
Made in the Sonoma wine region, this is an easy-to-drink cabernet sauvignon from TJ’s that’s worth trying—and it’s only $12.99. Expect a smooth and juicy medium-bodied wine with a touch of oak and vanilla. The Cheap Wine Finder blog says it’s a solid wine to pair with comfort food like pizza, tacos, or burgers off the grill.
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For those loyal to the German discount grocer Aldi, don’t sleep on its wine aisle. Light and refreshing, Giretto Pinot Grigio is an Aldi-exclusive wine made in Italy. It was awarded a 87-point rating by the Beverage Testing Institute, which is pretty good for a $6 bottle of wine.
Reviewers say it’s a great everyday white that won’t break the bank and pairs well with salad, margherita pizza, or weekday pasta nights. (Psst, if you’re looking to try more Aldi private label wines, choose any bottle you see. Reverse Wine Snob says Aldi typically only stocks in-house wines in most stores stateside.)
Costco sells true Champagne. This one is manufactured by a respected wine house, Manuel Janisson, in the Champagne region of France. And while most entry-level Champagnes start around $40, this one rings in at only half the price. If you’ve yet to try a Champagne and you want to taste how the French do it, you just can’t beat this value.
Trader Joe’s wine aisle may be best known for its infamously cheap “Two Buck Chuck,” but this is an elevated take on the bargain wine. The TJ’s exclusive Reserve Meritage Paso Robles, offering flavors of dark berries and cedar, with hints of vanilla, retails for $10. It’s an unfussy red that’s worth a try, and Reverse Wine Snob rated this oaky red a 7.3. (By the way, a meritage is the U.S. take on a traditional Bordeaux.)
You might want to swing by Sam’s Club to try out its Member’s Mark wine, specifically the riesling. Back in 2017, it got rave views when Wine Enthusiast gave it a 89-point rating for its juicy apricot, tangerine flavors with “hints of minerality and revitalizing freshness.”
The 1.5-liter bottle is extremely affordable for just over $10. White wine drinkers should also grab a bottle of the chardonnay—that one received an exceptional 92-point Beverage Tasting Institute rating. (Notably, you don’t necessarily need a membership card to buy the wine, depending on your location.)
Here’s a good option for a special occasion. Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Sonoma County Brut is a dry sparkling wine: smooth, sweet, and easy-drinking. Expect notes of sweet apple and ripe pear. Vivino users have rated it an average score of 3.7, and noted the good quality to price ratio. For just $14.99, why not pop a bottle and celebrate the good times?
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