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We Tried The $1 Wine From Trader Joe's And Here's What Happened

Dollar wine: legit or nah?

Jesse Szewczyk
by Jesse Szewczyk

BuzzFeed Staff

Buzzfeed / Charlotte Gomez

Last week, Trader Joe's announced a new line of wine that retails for just one dollar (!!) a can.

Buzzfeed / Jesse Szewczyk

They're called Simpler Wines, are sold in a white and rosé version, and cost $3.99 for a four-pack.

Much like TJ's two-buck chuck, this boxed-wine-in-a-can sounded too good to be true, IMO.

Oprah Winfrey

But because I’m a broke AF wino with a passion for paying my rent on time AND wine and cheese pairings, I headed to our local TJ’s…

Jesse Szewczyk / Buzzfeed

Where, lo and behold, there was a pyramid of the stuff adorning the entrance. I schlepped a case of each back to the BuzzFeed offices. Then gathered a small wine crew — including a self-proclaimed wine snob (Hannah) and an actual French person (Marie) — and made them drink wine with me* at 10 a.m.

(*Since I'm known to get drunk after half a beer, I decided it was best to get others to taste them too to assure my review wasn't ~influenced~ in any way).

It was time to get our (one dollar) wine on...

Jesse Szewczyk / Buzzfeed

When we popped the tab, we were pleasantly surprised by an ~effervescent pep~ Considering the cans actually say "sparkling wine" on them, you would think we wouldn't be. But none the less, we were excited.

First up? The white wine.

Buzzfeed / Jesse Szewczyk

Product details: This can is simply labeled "white" which had me a bit suspicious (like, is it Chardonnay or Moscato?), but with 10% alcohol by volume and a "product of Italy" label, I was thinking "damn, this might actually taste legit."

And we were into it, TBH.

Buzzfeed / Jesse Szewczyk

Hannah's Review: It tastes like seltzer and grape juice, which isn’t too bad. This would be perfect for the beach, or even patio-drinking. It’s alright, actually!

Marie's Review: This tastes like soda. I could easily down one of these cans in no time. If you're looking for a wine that will challenge your palate or give you some sort of culinary experience, this is not the one. That being said, it's pretty good!

Jesse's Review: This is literally a classy version of a wine cooler. It tastes like a cross between white wine and a spritzer. I could drink one of these in a matter of minutes. I'm not tasting notes of pear and honeysuckle, but I'm not complaining either.

Overall: 7/10 🍷

Then we moved on to the rosé.

Buzzfeed / Jesse Szewczyk

Product details: I was (obviously) more excited to try the rosé. This had the same 10% alcohol by volume and "product of Italy" label, so I knew this blushing bubbly was at least going to get me rosy in the cheeks. And let's be honest, even bad rosé is better than no rosé...

And we were into this one even more.

Buzzfeed / Jesse Szewczyk

Hannah's Review: This has a nice peachy flavor to it. It would be perfect for taking to the beach. I prefer this to the white one, hands down.

Marie's Review: It tastes like strawberry soda. Again, I could easily down one of these.

Jesse's Review: It's like they literally took the white one and added more flavor to it. I wouldn't say this is the best of rosés, but I'm here for it. I would not be disappointed if I drank this at a barbecue (or in the shower, honestly).

Overall: 8/10 🍷

TL;DR: Both varieties were actually pretty good — especially the rosé. Not too sweet, refreshing, *just* enough pep of bubbles, and with a price tag that you can't really argue with. (TBH, you could have told me it was a $20 wine and I would have believed you.) If you're looking for a summer patio pounder, this would totally do the job.

SNL

In case you were wondering, each TJ's can is 187ml (a full bottle of wine is 750ml).

  1. So, would you try the $1 wine?

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So, would you try the $1 wine?
  1.  
    vote votes
    Yes, definitely!
  2.  
    vote votes
    I'd try it, but I'm not running out to get it.
  3.  
    vote votes
    No thanks. $1 for a tiny can sounds pretty pricey.
  4.  
    vote votes
    None of that cheap-ass wine for me, thanks!
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