8 Trader Joe's Charles Shaw Wines, Ranked Worst To Best

If you're trying to drink for as cheaply as possible, wine generally isn't the way to go, which may be part of the reason wine sales are slumping in the U.S. After all, the cost of living has skyrocketed during the last several years, with many now struggling to keep pace with higher prices. That means less money to spend on luxuries, and wine certainly falls into that category. However, Trader Joe's may just be the bastion of cheap wine. Along with a wide variety of wines under $10, the popular grocery chain also has its own line of shockingly affordable wine, affectionately called "two-buck chuck."

Is it the best wine you could ever drink? No. But for under $5 a bottle at the time of writing, these wines are very much accessible at a time when so much wine may not be to the average consumer. I tasted my way through all eight of Trader Joe's Charles Shaw wines, and I was surprised that several of the bottles tasted way better than I expected, considering the price point. I ranked these wines according to typicity, or how closely the wines in question taste to classic examples of each grape, as well as overall flavor.

Is it better to spend a bit more money on a bottle of wine if you can swing it, particularly if you want to opt for a more sustainable bottle? Sure. But if you're trying to drink for cheap, these Charles Shaw wines might just have you covered.

I'm not the kind of person who thinks white zinfandel is inherently a bad wine. In fact, there are plenty of great white zins out there for the more rosé-inclined to check out, many of which are actually quite dry, others with a touch of flavorful sweetness that only enhances your enjoyment of the wine. But it's true that white zinfandel has a reputation for being cloyingly sweet, and unfortunately, that's what you're going to get with the Charles Shaw white zinfandel. I tasted that candy-like sugary note as soon as I took a sip, and soon noticed that the wine had very little acidity to hold up to all that sweetness. The result is a flabby-tasting wine that has an unpleasant and pronounced alcoholic-tasting finish.

If I were going to drink this wine, though, I'd make sure to pair it with something that boasts plenty of sweetness on its own so the intense sugary flavor of the wine doesn't steal the show. I think this white zin could taste okay if paired with some strawberry shortcake, for example. That being said, I certainly wouldn't encourage anyone to go out of their way to pick up a bottle of the stuff, considering that there are better Charles Shaw wines from which to choose.

Let me first make it known that I am not, nor have I ever been, much of a cabernet sauvignon person. There are some delicious cabs out there, but its bold and tannic intensity just isn't my thing. But that's not why Charles Shaw's cabernet sauvignon lands in the second-worst spot on this list. Rather, this wine is ranked so low because it doesn't really taste like cabernet sauvignon at all. In fact, I would have guessed it was a totally different grape had I tried it blind.

There is none of the bold, black fruit flavor you might expect from a cab in this bottle. Rather, the wine was bordering on medium-bodied, without the oaky flavor most cabernet sauvignons offer. If you're the kind of person who tends to like a lighter red wine, that may not be a bad thing. But most shoppers who choose a cabernet sauvignon specifically are looking for more of a bold, black fruit-adjacent flavor profile that they're just not going to get from this wine. It may not be the worst option if you just need to add a splash of cab to whatever it is you're cooking, but I'd suggest shelling out a few more bucks if you want to get a decent bottle to drink.

Sauvignon blanc is one of the most beloved wine grapes out there, and it's one that a lot of wine consumers — even casual ones — are familiar with. It's an incredibly aromatic grape, which often features notes of gooseberry, honeydew, and citrus fruits. Even if you're not a wine expert, there's a good chance that you can smell a glass of sauvignon blanc and guess exactly what it is.

However, you're not really getting that intense aroma with Charles Shaw's sauvignon blanc. Sure, there's some freshness there and perhaps a bit of peachiness on the nose, but it's so subtle and muted that it doesn't really scream "sauvignon blanc" like it should. Although this wine doesn't taste bad and is suitable for casual sipping, it's definitely not the white wine I would choose from the Charles Shaw lineup if I could only pick one. Luckily, though, Trader Joe's offers plenty of other, more delicious sauvignon blancs to choose from, and many of them are quite inexpensive (if not quite as cheap as this particular bottle).

Out of all of the wines I tried in this lineup, Trader Joe's shiraz was the oakiest. If you tend to like big, bold red wines, keep this in mind, as it may be the one that suits your taste best. That being said, this definitely isn't the most intense red wine you're ever going to taste — and if you're used to drinking shiraz, you may be disappointed. I tasted more red fruits than black on the palate, and like some of the other red wines in the bunch, this wine came across closer to medium-bodied than it was to full. It does have shiraz's signature black pepper note, though, which is a relatively nuanced note that I wasn't exactly expecting to find in such an inexpensive bottle.

Charles Shaw's shiraz definitely isn't the worst wine in this lineup, and it's the one I'd be most interested in pairing with a steak, for example. But for a red wine that's supposed to be pretty bold, this bottle misses the mark.

A red blend can be made from so many different types of grapes that it's hard to say what a good example "should" taste like. After all, a red blend comprised of grenache, syrah, and mourvedre, often referred to as a GSM, is going to smell and taste quite different from one made primarily with cabernet sauvignon and merlot, which is what you can expect from red Bordeaux. Therefore, it's hard to rank Charles Shaw red blend based on its typicity, and this bottle earned its spot in the middle of the list mostly thanks to the wine's bold, berry-forward flavor.

This wine tastes relatively light for a white wine, which makes it easy to sip. There's not much complexity here, and the finish, or the taste that lingers in your mouth after you swallow the line, is essentially nonexistent (which generally isn't a good sign regarding a wine's quality). But when you're looking for a simple, easy-going red wine that will work when you're not too picky about what you're drinking, it's not the worst option you could choose.

You may think you know chardonnay, but you might be wrong. A lot of people have preconceived notions about chardonnay, but in reality, it's famed for being one of the most versatile grape varietals. Not only can it grow in a wide range of wine-growing climates, but it can also taste drastically different depending on where the grapes are grown and how the wine is produced. Often, when people see chardonnay from California, they assume that it's going to taste dense and buttery, with a distinctive oaky quality you can smell as soon as you bring the glass near your face. However, some chardonnay is lighter and more acidic than these famous, buttery wines, and the Charles Shaw chardonnay is one of them.

This wine is light and easy-drinking, defying what some may think of as a typical expression of the grape from California. Since you can find many California chards in this style, though, I think it still stays true to its identity. There are certainly more interesting, intensely flavored chardonnays out there that pack a lot more acidity — a trait that's somewhat missing in this wine — but it's not a bad entry point to the grape if you're looking for a lighter version of the wine.

Pinot grigio doesn't just fall into one category, but if you buy a bottle at the grocery store, it's likely to be light and refreshing. That's exactly what you're going to find when you try Charles Shaw's pinot grigio. This wine is my top choice for a white variety because it's so easy to drink, with notes of lemon, lime, and perhaps a touch of peach. There's nothing too complex going on here, but it's a wine that offers exactly what a lot of people want when they're buying such a cheap bottle: something that's balanced, that goes down smoothly, and that doesn't call too much attention to itself.

This wine is a particularly good choice for someone who's just getting into wine and may not like other varieties they've tried. On a hot day when you want a nice, chilled beverage to pair with your Trader Joe's charcuterie board, this simple but tasty wine has you covered.

Merlot has a bad reputation in some circles, but I personally will not tolerate the merlot hate. Neither will Tasting Table's readers, with a majority of them agreeing that merlot is their favorite red wine. Although merlot isn't always my first choice — it can be unpredictable, ranging from somewhat light and refreshing with a medium body to dark and intense with an oaky complexity — I've had some delicious bottles of the stuff. Charles Shaw merlot may not make that list, but it's definitely the red wine I would personally choose to drink out of all the red wines in this lineup.

This particular merlot is surprisingly light and supple, making it super easy to drink even without food. Its notes of cherry and strawberry make for a red wine that would taste particularly good chilled, although it can also be served at room temperature. This is an incredibly accessible red wine, even for those who generally tend to prefer white. If you're going to indulge in one single bottle of Charles Shaw wine, the merlot might just be your best bet.

I tried all of these Charles Shaw wines in the same sitting, working my way from the lightest of the bunch (pinot grigio) to the heaviest (cabernet sauvignon). I first judged the wines according to their typicity, considering whether they tasted like a typical expression of the grape listed on the label. Then, I considered their flavor overall, divorced from what they "should" taste like. 

Both of these factors yielded this ranking, with the tastiest and most typical wines ranking at the top of the list, while the less-enjoyable and less-expected varieties ranked near the bottom. Of course, these rankings are based on my personal taste, which is quite subjective, especially when it comes to wine. Check out these bottles for yourself if you want to get a better sense of what each one has to offer.