A running reference list of every wine I've featured. Browse by style below, or skip to the store index at the bottom if you're already standing in the aisle.
What are the best white wines to buy?
Albariño Label: Ruta 49 | Region: Rías Baixas, Spain | Price: $9.99 | Where: Trader Joe's Stone fruit, citrus, saline, high acidity. One of the most underrated whites out there. Start here if you've never had Albariño.
Assyrtiko Label: Hermes Assyrtiko | Region: Santorini, Greece | Price: $14.99 | Where: Total Wine Grown in volcanic ash soil. Bone dry, electric acidity, tastes like the sea. 200-year-old vines. Unusual and worth every penny.
Chablis (100% Chardonnay) Label: Saint Celine 2024 | Region: Burgundy, France | Price: $15.99 | Where: Trader Joe's If you think you don't like Chardonnay, try Chablis first. No oak, no butter. Lime zest, green apple, chalky mineral finish.
Gavi (Cortese) (new) Label: Rosa dell'Olmo | Region: Gavi DOCG, Piedmont, Italy | Price: $9.99 | Where: Trader Joe's Made from Cortese, the only grape permitted in Gavi, and it comes from the region everyone associates with enormous tannic reds like Barolo and Barbaresco. No oak and nothing complicated. Lemon, green apple, white flowers, and a saline mineral quality from the limestone soils. 12% alcohol. My WSET instructor called Gavi the Miller Lite of wine and meant it as a compliment, which is still the most accurate description I've heard. Pair it with anything that came out of the sea.
Grüner Veltliner Label: Hugl Wine (comes in a 1L bottle) | Region: Austria | Price: ~$13 | Where: not specified in video Bright, dry, herby, white pepper. Austria is underrated and this grape proves it. More wine for your money in that liter bottle.
Lubanzi Sauvignon Blanc Blend Label: Lubanzi | Region: Western Cape, South Africa | Price: ~$12 | Where: Trader Joe's Sauvignon Blanc blended with Colombard, 30 days skin contact. Granadilla, guava, stone fruit. B Corp certified, donates 50% of net profits to farming families.
Muscadet Sur Lie Label: Vignobles Lacheteau | Region: Loire Valley (Muscadet Sèvre et Maine), France | Price: $7.99 | Where: Trader Joe's Crisp, saline, made for oysters. The "sur lie" on the label means it aged on spent yeast for extra texture.
Pays d'Oc Sauvignon Blanc Label: Les Jamelles | Region: Languedoc, France | Price: $12.15 | Where: HEB A more mineral, less herbaceous alternative to New Zealand or California Sauvignon Blanc. Really good and easy to find.
Pouilly Fumé Label: Vignobles Lacheteau | Region: Loire Valley, France | Price: $15.99 | Where: Trader Joe's 100% Sauvignon Blanc, unoaked, crisp and dry. Pairs perfectly with goat cheese. Classic and reliable.
Riesling (Dry) Label: Doctor Konstantin Frank 2024 | Region: Finger Lakes, New York | Price: ~$15 | Where: various Bone dry, real acidity, minerality, stone fruit. Better value than German or French versions of the same thing. The glacial lakes moderate the temperature and the shale in the ground brings out those old world flavors.
Sancerre Label: Gitton Père & Fils Sancerre Les Montachins | Region: Loire Valley, France | Price: ~$30-40 | Where: various 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Cool climate, mineral, crisp dry finish. Not a bargain but you almost always know what you're getting. Great for treating yourself.
Verdejo Label: Palma Real | Region: Rueda, Spain | Price: $17.99 | Where: Total Wine (also spotted at Trader Joe's for around $5 under a different label) Spain's answer to Sauvignon Blanc. Same herbal, grassy, citrusy energy but with a distinctive bitter almond finish that makes it more interesting. Bone dry, high acidity, very food friendly. The grape nearly went extinct because it was so difficult to work with, and modern winemaking technology is what saved it.
Vermentino Label: Dogajolo by Carpineto | Region: Tuscany, Italy | Price: $14.99 | Where: Trader Joe's A coastal grape from Sardinia and Tuscany. If Pinot Grigio is your usual Italian white, this is the upgrade. Citrus, white peach, a little herbal quality, bright acidity, and a distinct almond finish that's hard to find anywhere else. Great with seafood or a hot Texas afternoon.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Label: not specified | Region: Tuscany, Italy | Price: varies | Where: various Floral, high acidity, beautiful white from Tuscany. Tasted at the Slow Wine Tour in Austin and highly recommend tracking it down.
Vinho Verde Label: Broadbent | Region: Northern Portugal | Price: ~$10 | Where: HEB Only 9% alcohol, slightly fizzy, light and refreshing. Green apple, lemon lime, crisp minerality. The wine for people who say they don't like wine.
White Châteauneuf-du-Pape Label: Cuvée Papale 2024 | Region: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhône, France | Price: ~$40 | Where: local liquor store Only about 6% of Châteauneuf-du-Pape production is white, which is why almost nobody knows it exists. A blend of Grenache Blanc for body and stone fruit, Clairette for freshness and floral lift, and Roussanne for richness and a honeyed weight. Peach, white flowers, herbal, and a finish that keeps going. Drinks almost more like a red than a white, which makes it incredible with food. Not a discount wine, but worth it.
White Sangiovese (Blanc de Noir) Label: in Bianco 2024 by Barbanera | Region: Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy | Price: $9.99 | Where: Trader Joe's Sangiovese made blanc de noir style, pressed immediately so the juice picks up no color from the skins. Stainless steel only, no oak. Tart cherry, nectarine, tangerine, peach, bright finish. A fourth-generation family winery founded in 1938 reviving a style they made in the 1950s. Sangiovese after a complete wardrobe change.
Which rosés are worth buying?
Pays d'Oc Rosé Label: Gris Blanc | Region: Languedoc, France | Price: $15.59 | Where: HEB Tastes like a classic Provence rosé at a fraction of the price. Really easy to find at HEB.
Sancerre Rosé Label: 2024 Moulin Jamet | Region: Loire Valley, France | Price: $15.99 | Where: Trader Joe's 100% Pinot Noir from one of the most prestigious regions in France. Elegant, pale salmon, bone dry. Usually $25-35 anywhere else.
Txakoli Rosé Label: Getariako Txakolina (Basa Lorc, Hondarrabi Beltza) | Region: Basque Country, Spain | Price: $18.50 | Where: HEB Made from the Hondarrabi Beltza grape (beltza means black in Basque). Natural spritz, saline, strawberry, citrus. Traditionally poured from a height to aerate it. Only 10.5% alcohol.
What sparkling wine should I buy instead of Champagne?
Cava Label: Poema | Region: Spain | Price: ~$10 | Where: Total Wine Made the same way as Champagne (méthode traditionnelle) but with fruitier grapes and at a fraction of the price. Great for Thanksgiving and holiday parties.
Crémant de Bourgogne Label: Levert Frères | Region: Burgundy, France | Price: $20.99 | Where: Total Wine Same grapes as Champagne (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir), same terroir neighbors. This one ages 24 months on the lees, double what's required. Apple, brioche, lemon, fine bubbles, honey finish. A genuine Champagne dupe, and remarkable at this price.
Frizzante Rosé Label: French Fizz Le Rosé by J.L. Quinson | Region: Southern France (Vin de France) | Price: $7.99 | Where: Trader Joe's Frizzante means less pressure than a Champagne style sparkling, so it lands right between a still and a sparkling rosé. Light bubbles, a touch of sweetness, and only 10.5% alcohol. It's closed with a bottle cap, the same closure Champagne uses between first and second fermentation and what most pet nats keep, and it comes with its own stopper so you can save whatever you don't drink. There's a white version too.
Pet Nat (Texas) Label: 2022 Ron Yates Pet Nat | Region: Texas Hill Country | Price: not specified | Where: various Texas retailers Cinsault Rosé. Strawberry, watermelon, light bubbles. One of the first Texas producers to make this style. Converts beer drinkers.
Pet Nat Rosé Label: Time Warp | Region: various | Price: $12.99 | Where: Total Wine The oldest sparkling wine method in the world, and it predates Champagne. Can look a little cloudy, which is completely normal. Perfect summer bottle.
Vinho Verde (slightly sparkling) Label: Flausina | Region: Northern Portugal | Price: $8.99 | Where: Total Wine Light, fizzy, low alcohol. The one for the person at the party who says they don't like wine.
What are the best red wines under $20?
Beaujolais-Villages Label: Laurent Delaunay 2024 | Region: Beaujolais, France | Price: ~$14 | Where: Total Wine or HEB Made from Gamay grapes. Light tannins, fruit forward, meant to be drunk now and not aged. Pop it in the fridge 30 minutes before you open it. The anti-Cabernet, and the red for people who think July is for white wine only.
Carmenere Label: Panilonco Reserva | Region: Colchagua Valley, Chile | Price: $4.50 to $4.99 | Where: Trader Joe's One of the best stories in wine. Thought to be commercially extinct after phylloxera, it survived in Chile where growers had been calling it Merlot for decades. Dark fruit, plum, smooth tannins, a little earthiness. Punches way above this price point. (Seen between $4.50 and $4.99 depending on when you shop.)
Dry Lambrusco Label: Lambrusco Rosso dell'Emilia | Region: Emilia-Romagna, Italy | Price: $14.50 | Where: HEB Sparkling red wine is a real thing and this is the proof. Only 11% alcohol, serve it chilled. Dark cherry, light tannins, a little fizzy. Made to cut through rich Northern Italian food. Not the sweet Riunite from the grocery store, completely different.
Dry Lambrusco (second pick) Label: Pezzouli Pietrascrua | Region: Emilia-Romagna, Italy | Price: not specified | Where: Total Wine Another great dry Lambrusco. Pairs with anything you'd throw on a grill.
Rioja Crianza (Tempranillo) Label: Javier San Pedro Randez Crianza | Region: Rioja, Spain | Price: $7.99 | Where: Trader Joe's Tempranillo. Medium bodied, earthy, dark fruit, a little leather. Crianza means at least two years of aging with some time in oak, and it's the sweet spot on the Rioja tier system.
Sangiovese/Chianti Label: San Vito | Region: Puglia, Italy | Price: $8.99 | Where: Total Wine High acidity, high tannin, dry. Black cherry, raspberry. A consistently good grape and this one overdelivers at the price.
Schiava Label: Vola | Region: Italy | Price: $9.99 | Where: Trader Joe's Light ruby red color, super light and easy to drink. An Italian grape worth grabbing if you spot it.
Susumaniello Label: Ruggero di Bardo | Region: Puglia, Italy | Price: ~$10 | Where: Trader Joe's Nearly went extinct. The name means "little donkey" in the local dialect. Medium acidity, low tannins, plum, black cherry, a little chocolate. One of the fastest growing Italian imports in the US right now.
Syrah Blend Label: Mont Gravet | Region: France | Price: $11.99 | Where: HEB French Syrah, part of a GSM blend (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre). Lean, peppery, earthy. The old world version, before Shiraz went to Australia and got bigger.
Tannat Label: Bending Branch Winery | Region: Texas Hill Country (Comfort, Texas) | Price: $20.99 | Where: HEB and the winery Originally from southwest France, in a climate remarkably similar to Texas, and it's also Uruguay's national grape. Bold dark fruit, structured tannins, and it ages beautifully. Bending Branch planted 16 varieties to find out what belonged in Texas soil, and Tannat won by a lot.
Zweigelt (Blauer Zweigelt) Label: St. Severin by Winzer Krems, 2024 | Region: Kremstal, Lower Austria | Price: $18.99 | Where: Total Wine Austria's most planted red grape, and one of the only grapes with an actual birthday. Created in 1922 by crossing St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch, bred for reliable yields and disease resistance while Austria was rebuilding after World War I and phylloxera. Light bodied, sour cherry, a little cinnamon, soft tannins, good acidity. If you like Pinot Noir or Gamay, this is the same neighborhood. Chill it 20 minutes before serving.
Dessert Wines
Sauternes Label: Louis Eschenauer | Region: Bordeaux, France | Price: $23 (375mL) | Where: Trader Joe's Made from grapes affected by noble rot (botrytis). Honey, apricot, orange marmalade. Hand-picked berry by berry. Sweet but with bright acidity. Pair it with blue cheese.
Orange Wines
Aqua Pazza Label: Austin Winery | Region: Austin, Texas | Price: $32 | Where: Austin Winery (also available online) Five grape varieties, two fermentations, and skins that don't even match the wine. A Texas field blend of Albariño, Viognier, and Vermentino re-fermented on Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat skins. Salted nectarine, peach tea, citrus peel, saline mineral finish. Weird in the best possible way.
Winery Visits Worth Knowing About
Bending Branch Winery | Comfort, Texas Started by a retired doctor, Dr. Bob Young, who bought the land and planted 16 different grape varieties to figure out which one truly belonged in Texas soil. Tannat won. He's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet and the winery is gorgeous. You can also find their bottles at HEB, which is rare for a Texas winery this size.
Calais Winery | Fredericksburg, Texas French winemaker making Bordeaux-style wine with Texas grapes. Right Bank (Merlot forward) and Left Bank (Cabernet Sauvignon forward). Small batch, a little pricier, worth the splurge.
Dos Buhos Bodega | Guanajuato, Mexico (near San Miguel de Allende) Not a region most people think of for wine. Experimental, with no appellation restrictions. Dry style reds, sparkling Muscat giallo, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Syrah. Beautiful property with a full restaurant and event space.
Where can I buy these?
Trader Joe's Albariño — Ruta 49 ($9.99) · Carmenere — Panilonco Reserva ($4.50) · Chablis — Saint Celine 2024 ($15.99) · Frizzante Rosé — French Fizz Le Rosé by J.L. Quinson ($7.99) · Grüner Veltliner — Hugl Wine ($13) · Lubanzi Sauvignon Blanc Blend ($12) · Muscadet Sur Lie — Vignobles Lacheteau ($7.99) · Pouilly Fumé — Vignobles Lacheteau ($15.99) · Rioja Crianza — Javier San Pedro Randez ($7.99) · Sancerre Rosé — Moulin Jamet 2024 ($15.99) · Sauternes — Louis Eschenauer ($23/375mL) · Schiava — Vola ($9.99) · Susumaniello — Ruggero di Bardo ($10) · Verdejo — Rueda ($5) · Vermentino — Dogajolo by Carpineto ($14.99) · Vinho Verde — Flausina ($8.99) · White Sangiovese — in Bianco 2024 by Barbanera ($9.99)
HEB Broadbent Vinho Verde (~$10) · Lambrusco Rosso dell'Emilia ($14.50) · Pays d'Oc Rosé — Gris Blanc ($15.59) · Pays d'Oc Sauvignon Blanc — Les Jamelles ($12.15) · Syrah Blend — Mont Gravet ($11.99) · Tannat — Bending Branch (price varies) · Txakoli Rosé — Getariako Txakolina ($18.50)
Total Wine Assyrtiko — Hermes ($14.99) · Beaujolais-Villages — Laurent Delaunay 2024 ($14) · Cava — Poema ($10) · Crémant de Bourgogne — Levert Frères ($20.99) · Dry Lambrusco — Pezzouli Pietrascrua (price not specified) · Pet Nat Rosé — Time Warp ($12.99) · Sangiovese — San Vito ($8.99) · Verdejo — Palma Real ($17.99) · Zweigelt — St. Severin by Winzer Krems 2024 ($18.99)
Various / No Specific Store Doctor Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 2024 ($15) · Ron Yates Pet Nat Texas (price not specified) · Sancerre — Gitton Père & Fils Les Montachins ($30-40) · Vernaccia di San Gimignano (price varies) · White Châteauneuf-du-Pape — Cuvée Papale 2024 (~$40, local liquor store)
Austin Winery Aqua Pazza Orange Wine ($32) — also available online
Last updated October 2026