Navigating Trader Joe´s Wine Aisle

Before moving to the Bay Area, I had never been inside a Trader Joe´s. I can honestly say that TJ's has become one of my favorite things about the US, and if I were to ever move back to Mexico, it would be the thing I miss the most.

The first couple of months I lived here my kitchen could have been a perfect TJ's ad. Everything I bought from milk to spices, to frozen meals came from TJ's. That is everything except wine.
In spite of fully trusting TJ's in every other aspect of my grocery shopping experience, I was hesitant to try any of the mostly unknown wines that lay before me. I did not know where to start trying them, because I did not even know what I really liked.

Like most MBA1s with first-year struggles, my answer was found within the MBA2s. I received a link from an MBA2 friend to what has now become one of my most visited Medium posts: https://medium.com/@shruthibaskaran/in-vino-veritas-60f499bdd875
Shruthi graduated from the GSB in 2017, and though I never got to meet her, she became my unofficial guide to the Trader Joe's wine aisle. I hope it helps some of you navigate this world as well. An added plus is that all the wines in her list are under $15 and most are under $10, a necessary limit for my salary-lacking student life.

I post this not only to give you access to what I think is a great and easily understandable curated list of accessible wines but because it reinforces some of the things we have heard in class.
When we do not know about wine, like most of us millennials do, we tend to turn to friends and family to provide suggestions. We are not brand loyal, yet packaging and interesting names are sure to pique our interest (ie: Moon X, 19 Crimes, La Granja).
But most importantly we look for great deals in wine. We want to get the best bang (or buzz) for our buck, and this list delivers on just that.
If nothing else, we have learned that house branded wines, like Trader Joe's Grower's Reserve Merlot, are the best deals we can source!!

Here´s to happy drinking and exploring!