Aldi’s wine selection is surprisingly good. Here are 6 bargain bottles to try.
Nyjee Rivers bought groceries at Aldi for years before she ever considered venturing into its wine section. The appeal of the grocery chain’s bargains on food didn’t extend to its generic-sounding bottles.
“I thought it was all going to be synthetic, or the stuff they squeegee off the floor of a winery and put into a bottle,” says the private chef and sommelier in Columbia, South Carolina. Still, the rock-bottom prices caught her attention, and she was intrigued by the range of the selection. When she finally tried a few bottles, she was pleasantly surprised.
“You can find some real gems,” says Rivers, who now regularly picks up under-$20 wines to serve with weeknight dinners. “I’m all about accessibility in wine.”
That’s music to Arlin Zajmi’s ears. Aldi’s director of national buying for adult beverages is eager to grow the grocer’s reach into wine. He analyzes consumer trends and data, attends trade shows, and works with global suppliers to decide which 100 bottles plus 20 or so seasonal offerings Aldi stocks each year.
As you might expect for a grocery chain, Zajmi’s approach is more aligned with optimization metrics than the romance of the vines. For instance, roughly 70% of the bottles on Aldi shelves are domestic, because Americans buy more homegrown than international wines, Zajmi says. And many options cost around or less than $10, because he’s read that that’s the price ceiling for most U.S. consumers.
That might sound especially corporate to wine lovers who daydream about trellising techniques and bleed beaujolais, but the approach appears to be working. Aldi declined to share financial figures, but a brand representative says that its wine sales grew 5% in 2025, even as national demand softened. “We’re unlocking a lot of new markets and customer bases,” Zajmi says.
Some of that success comes from meeting customers where they are — literally. The German company’s bullish expansion plans aim to put coin-operated Aldi shopping carts in 180 new U.S. locations in 2026, bringing its total to nearly 2,800 stores across the country by year’s end. If it all works out, by 2028, the only grocery chain with more domestic stores will be Walmart.
Growth ambitions aside, I’d argue that Trader Joe’s is a more apt reference point for Aldi’s wine selection and overall vibe. The two companies share German family ties, chaotic parking lots and a propensity for private-label products created by suppliers whose names rarely appear on packaging. “Ninety percent of what’s in our stores is private label,” Zajmi says.
Private labels are designed to keep costs low, but the model can be tricky for wine lovers who are partial to certain producers. “When people go to the store looking for Caymus, they want Caymus,” Rivers says of the Napa Valley winery famous for its cabernet sauvignon. “They don’t have to think twice.”
When you shop for wine at Aldi, you’re choosing from labels that aren’t sold anywhere else. It can be a mixed bag, Rivers says.
I agree. Even within the chain’s top-tier brand, Specially Selected, quality levels vary. But if you choose carefully, you can find solid options at excellent prices.
What to look for on an Aldi wine bottle
Most people I know shop for wine by variety, opting for sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon or whichever grape they prefer. At Aldi, I had better luck finding quality bottles by prioritizing geographic specificity.
In other words, a pinot noir with “Monterey County” on the label might impress more than one that simply says “California.” When all the fruit used to make a wine comes from one region, it’s more likely to be of similar caliber; in some areas, local guidelines regulate how producers grow, harvest and process wine grapes. Wines attributed to an entire country or U.S. state might include an array of grapes grown and vinified in all sorts of conditions, which can create uneven or incohesive wines.
Don’t rule out unexpected or lesser-known regions. Northern California is home to some of the country’s most famous brands of big, juicy red blends. At Aldi, I found more nuanced expressions from Chile’s Central Valley and Walla Walla, Washington. Similarly, two of my favorite wines hailed from Alto Adige, Italy, and Alsace, France. While these areas are hardly obscure, they’re less familiar to most American wine shoppers than, say, Chianti or Champagne.
To find great bubbles, look for the words “méthode traditionnelle” or “méthode Champenoise” on the labels. This mode of sparkling winemaking used in Champagne typically produces more layered and complex flavors than other, less laborious methods. I found several Aldi options made this way, including year-round and seasonal offerings.
Try not to be swayed by bargain-basement pricing, either. The cheapest wine is actually a bad investment if you don’t enjoy drinking it.
“When I think about the whole store, including the wine assortment, it’s all about value,” Zajmi says. “And value is quality and price. It’s not one or the other.”
6 Aldi wines to try
These Aldi all-stars include bone-dry bubbles, versatile white wines and hearty reds. Availability varies by store, but all are among the bottles that Aldi keeps in stock all year long.
Peaks & Tides Brut Méthode Traditionnelle
$13.49; Alcohol by volume (ABV): 12.5%
Pleasantly persistent bubbles and fruit flavors headline this sparkler from Sonoma County, California. Because it’s made in the same manner as champagne, the wine is more interesting than most supermarket proseccos — but not too precious to open on a weeknight or mix into cocktails.
Specially Selected Pinot Grigio Alto Adige 2024
$9.29; ABV: 12.5%
From a high-altitude corner of northeastern Italy comes this approachable dry white wine that’s ideal for watching movies on the couch or for sunsets on a patio or fire escape. Its lemony character is bright and balanced; so is the long, tart finish. Drink it unaccompanied or with grilled white fish, leafy green salads or potato chips.
Landkastel Mosel Riesling 2024
$6.79; ABV: 9.5%
Pale and golden in the glass, this easygoing riesling from Germany’s Mosel Valley holds its own at the dinner table. It has a mix of fruity and tart flavors that would complement veggie biryani, jackfruit or chicken tinga tacos, Thai-style curries, Cuban sandwiches and other spicy dishes.
William Walker Monterey County Pinot Noir 2023
$9.69; ABV: 14.2%
Pair this dry red wine from California’s Central Coast with happy hour Cheez-Its or roast pork or duck. It has subtle cranberry and cherry aromas followed by a very dry and savory palate, gentle tannins and pleasantly bitter lemon pith on the finish.
3 Rein Red Blend 2021
$7.99; ABV: 13.5%
Grab a bottle of this lively red blend from Walla Walla, Washington, before your next red sauce pasta or pizza night. The soft and fruity palate has red berry and leather notes plus grippy tannins.
Dancing Flame Red Blend 2024
$5.79; ABV: 12.5%
In addition to red cherry, cocoa and clove flavors, this red blend has good structure, which is winespeak for the balance of fruit, alcohol and acidity in each sip. Open it when you’re grilling burgers or turning a cheese and charcuterie board into dinner.