My favorite wine in N.J. is a $5 bottle — from a grocery store

my favorite wine in n.j. is a $5 bottle — from a grocery store

Green Fin red table wine sells at Trader Joe’s for less than five dollars.

Listen, I’m no sommelier, but I know my wines.

I’ve sampled bottles made by a French winemaker who died in World War Two. I’ve sipped 1960 Châteauneuf-du-pape that cost more than my car. I’ve traveled from Burgundy to Bordeaux, Napa to the Finger Lakes (okay, maybe those were just liquor store aisles, but still).

Yet surprisingly, one of my all-time favorite reds — and my go-to since I moved to New Jersey two years ago — is a bottle that costs just $4.99 at Trader Joe’s: Green Fin red table wine.

No, I’m not a corporate plant, just an admirer, as the first time I tasted this T.D. exclusive I nearly dropped my glass! It was earthy and complex enough to be a cabernet from a Napa vineyard; fruity and whimsical enough to dance with the best Pinot Noirs of Oregon. It even touted hints of florals to rank with the best French wines.

my favorite wine in n.j. is a $5 bottle — from a grocery store

Green Fin red table wine is my all-time favorite red wine.

Yes, I’m serious — this bargain bottle has it all.

The label on the Green Fin wine reads: “This ruby colored wine has very Intense black fruit aromatics, while delivering a full rich body with a core of black cherries, blackberries, with a soft mocha flavor followed by a silky finish long and focused.”

Don’t you love wine lingo? Long and focused — my thoughts exactly.

This wine is lovely by itself or paired with a stately meal. And no, you don’t have to limit yourself to red meat since it’s a red wine. A winemaker once told me once to match the body of the wine to the body of the food — makes sense, doesn’t it?

I’ve sipped this wine with fish, veggies, pasta … no complaints on any pairing.

Green Fin wine comes from Green Fin Winery in California, and the online publication, hip2save, has recently ranked it as one of the best six deals from Trader Joe’s.

Albeit you can only get this wine at a couple of Trader Joe’s in New Jersey — Westfield and Princeton — it’s still my favorite considering the bang for your buck.

Of course, the Garden State offers many fabulous local wineries worthy of visits in warmer months — my favorites are Cape May Winery in Cape May, Beneduce Vinyards in Pittstown and Renault Winery in Egg Harbor.

But for now, as we soldier through winter, I’ll be sipping this palate-defying hidden gem.

Find NJ.com on Facebook. Karim Shamsi-Basha may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter & Instagram. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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