Every Bottle I've Recommended on Wine, Uncomplicated
White Wines
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.
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 Lachateau | 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 Pere & 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.
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.
Rosé Wines
Pays d'Oc Rosé Label: Gris Blanc Rose | 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.
Sparkling Wines
Cava Label: Poema | Region: Spain | Price: ~$10 | Where: Total Wine Made the same way as Champagne (method traditional) 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. Champagne dupe. Remarkable at this price.
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, predates Champagne. Can look a little cloudy, that's totally 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.
Red Wines
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 not aged. Pop it in the fridge 30 minutes before you open it. The anti-Cabernet. The red wine for people who think July is for white wine only.
Carmenere Label: Panilonco Reserva | Region: Colchagua Valley, Chile | Price: $4.50 | Where: Trader Joe's One of the most interesting wine stories out there. 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.
Dry Lambrusco Label: Lambrusco Rosso dell'Emilia | Region: Emilia-Romagna, Italy | Price: $14.50 | Where: HEB Sparkling red wine is a 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 — totally different.
Dry Lambrusco (4th of July pick) Label: Pezzouli Pietrascrua | Region: Emilia-Romagna, Italy | Price: not specified | Where: Total Wine Another great dry Lambrusco. Pairs with anything you'd 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 2 years of aging with some time in oak. 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. 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 enjoyable. An Italian grape worth exploring if you see 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.
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 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
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, no appellation restrictions. Dry style reds, sparkling Muscat giallo, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Syrah. Beautiful property with a full restaurant and event space.
Shop by Store
Trader Joe's Albariño — Ruta 49 ($9.99) · Carmenere — Panilonco Reserva ($4.50) · Chablis — Saint Celine 2024 ($15.99) · Grüner Veltliner — Hugl Wine ($13) · Lubanzi Sauvignon Blanc Blend ($12) · Muscadet Sur Lie — Vignobles Lachateau ($7.99) · Pouilly Fumé — Vignobles Lachateau($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) · Vinho Verde — Flausina ($8.99)
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) · 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)
Various / No Specific Store Doctor Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 2024 ($15) · Sancerre — Gitton Pere & Fils Sancerre Les Montachins ($30-40) · Vernaccia di San Gimignano (price varies)
Austin Winery Aqua Pazza Orange Wine ($32) — also available online
Last updated July 2026