Best Aldi Wine: Ranking Cheap Aldi Wine

Aldi wine deserves more love. Sure, you’re all excited when their wine advent calendar gets released, but what about when you’re simply looking for a decent red to pair with those frozen chicken fries? If you know what the best Aldi wine is, then you could be sipping some delightful vintages for just a few bucks. Because most Aldi wine is cheap—including the best Aldi wine. 

But, here’s the thing, as dedicated to this job as I am, I simply did not have it in me to literally taste every single Aldi wine. I have children. They need their mother. So, I narrowed my tasting lineup to merely include every bottle of Aldi wine under $7, which is, I think, a good price cap for an everyday bottle of wine. That still came out to tasting 20 Aldi wines. But I tried them all (with help from the rest of the Sporked taste testing team, of course). 

I ranked these wines not so much by personal preference, but by how well they accomplish what they set out to do. I measured the Chardonnay by how well it stood up to other Chardonnays in similar styles. I considered what a Moscato should taste like, and ranked the Aldi Moscato by that bar—not whether or not I personally like Moscato. Even the fruit wines got a fair shake. I judged these sweet Aldi wines by how well they captured the essence of the fruits on their labels while still tasting like wine. 

The next time you’re faced with the Aldi wine selection, pull up this list and make sure you’re choosing the best Aldi wines. Here are 20 cheap Aldi wines, $7 and under, ranked from plonk to perfection.

Giambellino Bellini

If you brought this Aldi sparkling wine to brunch, everyone would think they were in for a treat. A big bottle of Bellinis? Delightful! It looks so peachy and pleasant. But, sadly, it doesn’t follow through. It doesn’t taste like peach nectar or Prosecco. It tastes a bit like sparkling fruit punch that’s been left out—with a confusing hint of coconut.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

3/10

Sporks

Winking Owl Shiraz

When you talk about Aldi wine, Winking Owl is going to come up. At about $3 per bottle, it’s essentially Aldi’s much more aesthetically pleasing answer to Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw wines. And some Winking Owl wines are good. But not this one. A good Shiraz should be big and fruit-forward with lots of rich berry flavors and a tannic backbone. This one tastes sour. There’s not enough good, fruity flavor. It’s just sour. Skip it.

Credit: Liv Averett / Aldi

Rating:

3.5/10

Sporks

Pacific Fruit Mango

The Aldi wine selection includes a lot of fruit wines. Personally, they’re not my jam. But I understand the draw. You like fruit, you are interested in learning to like wine, so you grab a bottle of fruit wine. That’s totally fine. But I think you should give the Sweet Mango a miss. It tastes a bit like sunscreen.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

3.5/10

Sporks

Pacific Fruit Strawberry

Keep on scrolling if you’re looking for the best Aldi wine of the fruited variety. This wine smells and tastes a bit like Welch’s strawberry gummy candy. I am all for fruit wines tasting very fruity, but I think they need to have some wine-ish flavor as well. This is just liquid fruit snacks.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

4/10

Sporks

Winking Owl White Zin

Here’s another Aldi wine that tastes like candy. White Zin is often on the sweeter end of the wine flavor spectrum, but this Winking Owl White Zin tastes like Skittles. That’s not wine.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

4.5/10

Sporks

Winking Owl Pinot Grigio

This is one of two Pinot Grigios on this list of Aldi wines. The other one is better if you want a traditional, zippy, zingy Pinot Grigio. But, I guess, if you’re more in the mood for a Pinot Grigio that smells like white grape juice and tastes like it, too, then this might be the Aldi white wine for you. Personally, though, I think you can do better. It tastes like someone’s first attempt at winemaking. If your buddy made this, I’d be impressed. But this is a big wine producing operation. They can do better (and they do—just keep reading).

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

5/10

Sporks

Giambellino Raspberry

If you insist on bringing an Aldi sparkling wine to brunch that comes premixed with fruity flavors, this is the best Aldi wine to bring. It smells so much like fresh raspberry. And it tastes like raspberries macerated with sugar. It’s very, very sweet. It’s very, very fruity. It’s just missing the sparkling wine part of a Bellini. I think you could mix this with a bottle of non-fruity Aldi sparkling wine and end up with a pretty great brunch cocktail.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

5.5/10

Sporks

Winking Owl Sweet Red

If you want a sweet red wine that tastes like a sweet red wine then this is the best Aldi wine for you. It is what it says it is—nothing more, nothing less. It is sweet. It is red. It’s a bit like wine-flavored juice. It tastes a bit like cheap ruby port wine. I’d pour this over ice and treat it like Sangria.

Credit: Liv Averett / Aldi

Rating:

6/10

Sporks

Pacific Fruit Pineapple

I commend this pineapple wine for really smelling super pineapple-y. It smells like you just cracked a can of Dole pineapple rings. And though the flavor is more pineapple than wine, it does taste a bit like white wine as well as tropical fruit. This is a totally acceptable poolside sipper.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

6/10

Sporks

Winking Owl Sangria

I would have loved this bottled Sangria as a 21-year-old. It is totally crushable, and it really tastes like the bottomless, mass-produced Sangria I used to get at a Spanish brunch spot in Manhattan. I think that’s pretty impressive for bottled Sangria. It tastes like sweet, sweet wine that’s been sitting with apple slices and orange rinds. In the grand scheme of the best Aldi wine, there are better bottles out there. But if you’re in the mood for Sangria and you don’t have hours to spend letting it sit with real fruit, this Aldi red wine is a pretty good solve.

Credit: Liv Averett / Aldi

Rating:

6.5/10

Sporks

Burlwood Sparkling

This Aldi sparkling wine tastes like cider. It’s bubbly. It’s fizzy. It’s fruity. It’s hard apple cider. It’s not a bad hard cider. If this was sold to me as dry cider, I’d be pretty pleased. But the label claims it’s sparkling wine. If you’re perusing the Aldi wine selection, looking for a Champagne dupe, this ain’t it. But if you like hard cider, you might consider trying this Aldi sparkling wine.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

6.5/10

Sporks

Pacific Fruit Sweet Peach

This is the best Aldi fruit wine. It’s very peachy and nectarine-y without being too sweet. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still very, very sweet. But it has some wine adjacent acidity that I appreciate. Instead of either of the bottled Bellinis, this is the best Aldi wine to bring for brunch.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Winking Owl Cab Sauv

This Winking Owl Aldi wine tastes the most like I remember Two Buck Chuck tasting. It’s very, very dry and big and tannic and a bit rough around the edges. It’s the best Aldi wine to pair with a steak slathered in blue cheese and butter because it needs to be paired with other powerful flavors.

Credit: Liv Averett / Aldi

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Winking Owl Sauv Blanc

Okay, this Sauvignon Blanc does not taste like Sauvignon Blanc. I’m so sorry, but if you want a classic, grassy, lemony Sauvignon Blanc, you will not be getting it for under $7 from Aldi (at least, not from the Aldi near us). This Aldi white wine tastes like peaches. Wild, I know. Back in my New York City days, I used to go to the Ferragosto Festival in the Bronx. It’s an Italian street festival with lots of food—picture porchetta cooking on the street. And the beverage of choice was white wine with peach chunks. That’s what this Sauvignon Blanc tastes like. And sometimes that’s exactly what I want. (I wouldn’t mind a thick slab of porchetta, too, if you’re offering.)

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Winking Owl Merlot

This Merlot is a jam fest. It is big and bold and fruity and there’s almost a hint of cinnamon to it. It’s perfect pizza party wine. It’ll go down easy and pair well with other big, bold flavors. But it’s not nuanced or interesting enough to sip on its own and ponder. If you are the anti-Sideways and like a fruity Merlot, this is the best Aldi wine for you.

Credit: Liv Averett / Aldi

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

HWY 5 Merlot

This Aldi red wine falls on the other side of the Merlot coin. It’s not purely fruit. It’s delicate with a tannic backbone. There’s still a healthy dose of fruity flavor, though. But it’s not the rich cherry bomb that you might expect. Pair it with some saucy chicken or a platter of spaghetti and meatballs.

Credit: Liv Averett / Aldi

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Winking Owl Moscato

I’m just as shocked to see the Winking Owl Moscato up the top of the list as you are. But it’s honeyed. It’s sweet. It’s fruity like a lychee. And it has just the right amount of acidity to keep it from being too flabby and one-note. If you don’t like Moscato, you won’t like this. But if you do like Moscato or if you’re curious to try it, then you can feel good about dropping $3 on this Aldi white wine.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Winking Owl Chardonnay

Love a big, buttery, oaky Napa Chardonnay? Then slip on your Nancy Meyers flowy linen pants and grab your big sunglasses, because this is the best Aldi wine for you. I’ve definitely tasted Chardonnays like this that cost ten times as much. It has all the vanilla flavors and toasted coconut notes that you want from this style of Chardonnay. If that’s your thing, save your money and buy this Aldi white wine by the case.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Giretto Pinot Grigio

I brought this Italian Aldi white wine home with me. That’s how much I liked it. It’s exactly what I want from an Italian Pinot Grigio. It’s zesty and limey and tingles on your tongue. It’s not just one of the best Aldi wines, it’s a genuinely good Pinot Grigio that I will seek out and buy again. Pinot Grigios can be boring. But this one is not.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

HWY 5 Pinot Noir

It’s not easy to make a good Pinot Noir. And it’s even harder to make a cheap one. And yet this Aldi red wine is right at the top of our list of recommended Aldi wines. You know it’s going to be good from the second you pour a glass. You’re hit with the aroma of blackcurrants and cranberries. Take a sip and you’ll get more of those red fruits along with some zingy acidity and some herbaceous undertones. Can you believe I’m talking about a bottle of wine that costs $5.50? It’s the best Aldi wine you can buy for less than $7.

Credit: Liv Averett / Aldi

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

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