10 Red Wines At Aldi To Buy And 5 To Skip

Aldi prides itself on providing shoppers with a diverse range of affordable products, including in its wine department. To learn more about its wine offerings, we spoke with Arlin Zajmi, Certified Wine Specialist and Director of National Buying for Adult Beverages at Aldi. He said, "We know that today's shoppers are looking for great value without having to give up on quality, and that's exactly where we see opportunity." Zajmi said the entirety of Aldi's wine selection upholds the company's directives on sustainability, providing ethically sourced products that go through a multi-tier quality testing. When asked about Aldi's role in each wine's production, Zajmi adds that he works "directly with wineries on everything from choosing which grapes to harvest to the design of the bottle." 

Still, not all Aldi wines are alike. While many offer customers delicious, low-priced bottles, some miss the mark. To help you determine which Aldi red wines to buy and which you should skip, I conducted a taste test of 15 popular Aldi options utilizing my skills as a Certified Sommelier and wine writer.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Specially Selected Willamette Valley pinot noir is one wine to buy. The grape variety thrives in Oregon's Northwestern region, where warm days and cool nights ripen fruit fully while maintaining its acidity, making for stunning Willamette Valley wines. Cooling breezes off the Pacific Ocean blow through the vineyards and ensure a long growing season, so the refined nuances of the delicate fruit can come through. 

Part of the store's premium label of products, this Specially Selected wine is smooth, fleshy, and well-rounded with wild strawberry, cranberry, and cherry flavors that harmonize with subtle herbal notes and a touch of licorice. Though somewhat lacking in structure, the medium-bodied palate shows more complexity than many of Aldi's wines. With a current price under $15 and a 12.5% ABV, this pinot noir is one of the best private label wines from Aldi. The wine's acidity will balance the richness of a classic Northwest pairing: cedar plank-baked salmon.

Rioja is a red wine crafted from predominantly tempranillo grapes, often with supporting varieties like garnacha, mazuelo, and graciano. Tempranillo is a fantastic food wine. It has medium to full body, medium to high tannin, and medium to low acidity, melding well with a range of flavors. Its earthy, toasty notes do particularly well when paired with classic Spanish fare, like chicken and sausage paella.

Specially Selected Rioja Reserva is 100% tempranillo, with layered notes of ripe black fruits, woody herbs, and toasted spice. Aldi's website notes that the 2019 vintage wine ages 36 months in oak barrels, though the bottle says it's only aged for 30. Still, either is long enough to qualify as a Reserva wine. Aldi does not note the type of oak it uses; however, the vanilla and coconut notes in the wine indicate it is likely American oak, which has been the go-to for many Rioja winemakers throughout history. Priced at under $10, Aldi's option is a bargain, as Rioja Reserva can easily cost double or triple that price. While Aldi's 13.5% ABV wine is not the finest selection I have tasted, it is varietally correct and balanced. 

Fans of authentic pinot noir should skip Aldi's California Heritage selection. The wine is inexpensive — only about $5.50 – but it's not the best option from the store's brand. Pinot noir fruit can produce some of the world's prettiest, most elegant red wines. It is characterized by its light to medium body, with notes of wild berries, cherries, earthy forest floor, and warm spice. However, the variety is notoriously challenging to grow. It is delicate, thriving best in regions with cool temperatures to ensure its acidity is bright. 

The producer of the wine for Aldi, Gallo, subjects the fruit to a warm fermentation. This fermentation process takes less time than a cool fermentation, which can be beneficial in large-batch production of wine. However, using the technique on thin-skinned fruit, like pinot noir, creates a cooked flavor, overpowering the refined nuances in the 12.5% ABV bottle. The wine lacks the fresh acidity that typically defines pinot noir, instead replacing it with muddled, unbalanced, manufactured tastes.

Fans of hearty, tannic, robust red wines should look no further than the Central California region of Paso Robles. The appellation enjoys a hot, sunshine-filled growing season, allowing sun-loving, high-tannin fruit to ripen easily. Though days are long, the evenings are moderate thanks to the area's proximity to the Pacific Ocean, bringing cooling coastal breezes. These lower temperatures help the fruit maintain its natural freshness.

Outlander cabernet sauvignon is a steal for the quality. The wine's price is currently just over $11. It has 13.5% alcohol by volume and shows black fruit flavors that marry with toasted spice, vanilla, dark chocolate, pastry crust, and abundant oak characteristics from 16 months of aging on French and American new oak. If you like the toasty, vanilla, and caramel flavors that new oak aging lends to wine, this is your bottle. Its tannins are firm but balanced. It is dry yet juicy, with rich flavors that coat the palate, and would make a perfect pairing with beefy Santa Maria-style barbecue.

When I think of wines from Italy, I think of the savory sangiovese wines of Tuscany or the earthy nebbiolo wines from Piedmont. Though an estimated 500-plus grape varieties are in cultivation throughout Italy, a classic Italian red wine rarely blends primitivo, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and teroldego. However, Grande Alberone Rosso does, proclaiming itself to be "Italy in a bottle." Primitivo is essentially Italy's zinfandel; teroldego is a deeply-colored red grape from Trento near the Italian Alps; and merlot and cabernet sauvignon are Bordeaux varieties, though Italians have been cultivating these varieties for decades, particularly in Tuscany. 

With a price just over $11, Grande Alberone Rosso has 14.5% alcohol by volume and ages for four months in oak barrels. Pouring a glass, I was intrigued by the deep purple hue, likely the influence of the primitivo and teroldego. First impressions provided vanilla, spice, and black fruit aromas, followed by ripe tastes of jammy blackberry, cherry cola, and raisin. Though primitivo is a high-tannin grape, the wine's palate is soft. It lacks the mouth-watering astringency that tannin provides in a wine. Still, its smooth palate shows just enough freshness to keep the wine interesting.

I am a fan of Sonoma County wine (particularly cool-climate pinot noir), so I was looking forward to trying the Peaks & Tides pinot noir. Observing the wine, I had high hopes. The color was a beautiful garnet, shining bright in the light. My enthusiasm for the wine ended there. When smelling it, I found dominant aromas of charred oak and a forest-floor funk that reminded me of my grandmother's perm. Though Aldi notes the French oak-aged wine is 100% pinot noir, its jammy, black fruit flavors and high alcohol led me to wonder whether another variety was in the mix, like syrah.

The 14.2% ABV is high for the wine. Pinot noir is a moderate alcohol wine, typically between 12% and 14%. The high alcohol is likely indicative of the heat wave the region experienced during the 2022 harvest. High temperatures upped the grapes' sugar content, leading to a higher alcohol content. The alcohol comes across hot on the palate, with stewed fruit flavors. After trying the wine the next day I found those characteristics were more dominant. With a currently advertised price of $14.45, I suggest buying the Specially Selected Willamette Valley pinot noir instead.

The cabernet sauvignon wines from Napa Valley, California, are some of the world's finest. Some selections have a cult following, selling for hundreds to thousands of dollars for a single bottle. Aldi's Specially Selected line crafts its Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon from a blend of 90% of the grape variety and a touch of supporting varieties, including 4% merlot, 4% malbec, and 2% petite sirah. The wine ages for 14 months in French oak, softening its tannins. Its flavor is fruit-forward, showing black cherry, blackberry, and a hint of dusty leather. Overall, it features a balanced, smooth palate. Plus, the 14.5% ABV wine's price is under $17 — a bargain for a Napa Valley selection. 

It does lack the characteristics I typically associate with the region's complex terroir. Napa's volcanic soil, marine bedrock, and sedimentary soils, varying elevations, and range of microclimates bring complexity to the region's wines, creating concentration and character. While this wine does not show these characteristics, it is well-made, inexpensive for the region, and has a balanced flavor profile, making it one to buy.

A bowl of spaghetti with an Italian Sunday sauce begs for a sangiovese wine pairing. It is one of the best Italian wines to pair with red sauce, as the fruit's bright, natural acidity accentuates the acidity of the tomatoes. One of the best places to grow the savory, earthy, fruit-forward red variety is Chianti in Italy's Tuscany region. With rolling hillsides, moderate temperatures, and varying soil types, the terroir is ideal for sangiovese. It provides a long growing season, allowing the wine's flavors to develop fully. Wines from the region always include at least 70% sangiovese in the blend. According to Italian law, all Chianti Riserva wines must be at least 12% alcohol and must age for two years.

Aldi's Specially Selected Chianti Riserva includes 100% sangiovese, producing a wine with violet and red cherry aromas. Its flavors show ripe cherry, savory herbs, and licorice. The wine is not overly structured or complex. However, the tannins and acidity are in balance, and its palate is fresh, juicy, and approachable. With an affordable price advertised at $7.99, Aldi delivers what I would expect from an inexpensive sangiovese.

Blending zinfandel with merlot and cabernet sauvignon, Intermingle is a California appellation wine that ages on French and American oak staves. Using oak staves or chips instead of whole oak barrels is an affordable way to impart the flavor characteristics — including vanilla, chocolate, and spice — to wine, without the expense of the oak barrels. Barrels can run hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on where the oak is from. Intermingle's use of staves keeps the cost of a bottle under $8. 

Vanilla and toasted spice combine with blackberry preserves and blueberry pie for a jammy, fruit-forward wine. Though sweeter than I typically enjoy, my first impressions were positive. The fruity flavors washed over the front and mid-palate. Its finish was short and non-descriptive, which isn't unexpected from the uncomplicated wine. With a 13.75% ABV, Intermingle's juicy fruit punch flavors were enjoyable, particularly for the price. It's perfect for those who enjoy a sweeter, fruit-forward style that's not cloying. Enjoy with a grilled ribeye steak or spicy Italian sausages to balance some of its sweetness.

Aldi's Specially Selected malbec comes from a single vineyard within the Uco Valley in Argentina's Mendoza region. Malbec has become the signature variety of the area, thriving in the high elevations of the Andes Mountain foothills. Mendoza malbec is typically dry, with concentration, complexity, tannic structure, and minerality from the rocky, sandy soils. Winemakers will either age these wines in barrels for extended periods to soften the tannin and allow the flavors to fully develop, or leave them un-aged to let the fruit's freshness come through.

Aldi focuses on the fruit's fresh appeal in its malbec expression, without using oak for fermentation or aging. With a 13.5% ABV and a price of under $10, the 100% malbec wine showcases morello cherry and ripe plum. The first taste is a touch tart, but this softens as the wine opens. The palate is dry, rather one-note, and lacks structure, without the bold flavors of dark fruit or spice the bottle's label guarantees. When comparing this to other inexpensive malbec wines, I find there are many that deliver the character of Argentina for around the same price, including selections from Trivento and Tripache. There's also a similarly-priced, single-vineyard option that the producer of Aldi's wine, Belhara, makes for Trader Joe's.

Zinfandel is a rich, juicy red grape variety that begs to be paired with barbecue ribs, low and slow brisket, or steaks. Scarlet Path old vine zinfandel from Lodi, California, shows blackberry and black plum flavors with pepper, toasted spice, and a smokiness not often associated with zinfandel. The 13.5% ABV wine's palate is plush, jammy, and fruit-forward. 

This bottle comes from fruit grown in the Lodi region of California's Central Valley. The area is the state's zinfandel capital, dotted with historic old vine zinfandel vineyards. Though there is no set-in-stone definition for how old an old vine wine is, grapevines can grow to be over 100 years old. Over time, the vines produce less fruit, but its produce is significantly more concentrated. In turn, this fruit produces inky, rich, full-flavored wine. Though the palate is dry, it comes across sweeter than others due to its jammy, fruity concentration. Pair it with a grilled tri-tip with blackberry mustard to accentuate the smoky, fruity flavors.

Blending 70% cabernet sauvignon, 20% carmenere, and 10% syrah, Dancing Flame is an unlikely combination of a classic Bordeaux variety, a Rhone Valley variety, and the signature variety of Chile into one earthy, dry, harmonious red blend. Aromas of red berries and black cherry open the wine, leading to black fruit, pepper, and earthy, dried leaves. Dancing Flame ages on French and American oak for three months, lending hints of vanilla and spice while rounding out the tannins. 

Luis Felipe Edwards, a large-production, family-owned Chilean winery, produces this selection. The wine costs just under $7 and has 12.5% alcohol by volume. It is a great food wine that pairs well with pork or game dishes, like our venison chili recipe. Its earthiness will complement the meat's flavors, while the wine's fruit palate will balance the gaminess of the venison.

California Heritage sweet red blends pinot noir with touriga nacional. The latter is a thick-skinned, Portuguese red variety with high tannin and a robust, fruit-forward flavor; historically, it's been one of the main grape varieties in a port wine blend. Conversely, thin-skinned, delicate pinot noir is a medium-bodied variety with bright acidity. 

The combination is unique, particularly as touriga nacional's flavors are so much more robust than those of the delicate pinot noir. Its low ABV of 10% likely indicates that the producer, Gallo, halted fermentation before all of the sugars had converted to alcohol, as these wines typically have between 12% and 14%. The wine comes across as cloyingly sweet, without the acidity needed to cut through the candied fruit flavors. Overall, this makes the wine unbalanced and one to skip.

Flora & Stone merlot blends 76% of the Bordeaux variety with 14% malbec and 10% syrah. The blended grapes add alcohol, acidity, and tannin to merlot's easy drinking flavors and characteristics. Merlot is not as robust or acidic of a variety as its Bordeaux cousin, cabernet sauvignon,  so it produces softer tannins with a youthful style, particularly in younger bottles. Adding malbec and syrah helps round out the flavors by contributing weight, body, and texture. 

Flora & Stone Merlot is not vintage dated, indicating the winery is likely blending fruit from various vintages to create a consistent style. The California appellation also suggests the fruit is sourced from multiple regions across the state. State regulations require only that the fruit must be grown within the state. The 13.5% alcohol by volume wine opens with plum and blackberry flavors, which mix with soft herbs and wildflowers. Five to seven months of tank aging on oak staves lends vanilla, licorice, and spice to the profile. Like many Aldi wines, it doesn't have a lot of complexity. However, it is easy to drink (particularly for the inexpensive price of under $8) and will pair well with various foods, like burgers, pizza, or steak tacos.

Aldi's store brand, Winking Owl Wines, offers affordable everyday wine options. The wines cost around $4 and are uncomplicated, very fruity, and offer little complexity, as is evident in the Winking Owl merlot. Well-made merlot wines have smooth, silky tannins, balanced freshness, and black plum, cherry, and blackberry flavors. Merlot is an early ripening, easy-to-grow variety that thrives in a variety of microclimates. 

The California appellation wine did deliver black fruit flavors. However, the overall taste of the 12% ABV wine was bland and watered down, without depth or structure. It reminded me more of non-alcoholic grape juice than wine. Even with its affordable price tag, I would skip this option and try one of the other Winking Owl wines (like its syrah) or dole out an extra dollar for the California Heritage merlot.

To find red wines to buy and skip at Aldi, I tasted a selection of options currently available and assessed their quality, value, and overall flavor. To do so, I utilized my skills as a Certified Sommelier and Certified Specialist of Wine who has been writing about and reviewing wines for over 20 years. I acquired the wines through purchases in the store or through samples supplied by Aldi. 

Aldi also provided technical information on how the wines were made, including specifics about the blend of grapes in each bottling, production and aging details, and alcohol content. Understanding these factors while considering similar options from other producers, I was able to curate this collection of the red wines to buy and those to avoid.