9 Wines You Might Want to Skip at Aldi

Aldi is expanding across the U.S. The popular German budget grocery store chain already has more than 2,500 stores across the country, and recently, it opened its first locations in Las Vegas. By the end of 2025, it plans to open more than 225 new stores, and by 2028, it plans to have opened 800 new stores in the U.S. It’s no wonder Aldi is expanding — in a challenging economic climate, the company is catering to growing demand for budget groceries. And alongside cheap staples like canned vegetables, pasta, yogurt, and fish, shoppers can always count on Aldi to produce an affordable selection of wine. 

Aldi has an impressive range of wines. It offers everything from rosé to red to white to sparkling, and even specialty wine flavors like blueberry and peach. It also has a few different labels on offer. There’s its ultra-budget Winking Owl, for example, and its Specially Selected line, too, as well as Don’t Mind if I Do and California Heritage. Most have some decent, tasty options in the mix, but nothing is perfect.

We scoured reviews from customers and detailed reports from wine experts and sommeliers to find out which of Aldi’s wines are the duds of the bunch to help you get the best tipple for your budget. You can find our results below.

Moscato, which is made with muscat grapes, is one of those wines that tends to divide people. A dessert wine, it is often sparkling, and tends to be very sweet, fruity, and floral, so it’s often favored among those with a very sweet tooth. That said, it can also help to balance out savory foods, too, and there are some drier varieties available.

A good moscato wine has a delicate, fresh, and fruity aroma, with a balance between sweetness and acidity. Unfortunately, according to reviewers, that’s not what’s on offer from Aldi’s Winking Owl moscato. The private-label wine is affordable, at less than $4.50 a bottle, so that’s one big tick in its favor. But according to our wine expert, who previously reviewed Aldi’s range of Winking Owl wines for TastingTable, the Winking Owl moscato is “cloyingly sweet.” It doesn’t have the necessary delicate floral aroma either; it was described as too “syrupy” with a “pervasive candied flavor.”

While not everyone agrees that this wine is one to skip, plenty of customers have been left less than impressed by its levels of sugary saccharine sweetness. If you’re a person who usually reaches for savory or salty over sweet things, this wine is likely best avoided. However, if you do love a sweet white wine, one of our wine experts recommends Long Shadows Vintners Poet’s Leap, which is a sweet off-dry riesling. It’s not as cheap as Winking Owl, but it still comes in at around $25.

Pinot noir is one of America’s favorite varieties of red wine. It’s a crowd-pleasing choice for a few reasons — it’s versatile, elegant, and lighter-bodied, especially if it’s made from pinot noir grapes grown in cooler regions. If the grapes are grown in warmer places, pinot noir tends to be juicier and fruiter, but not quite full-bodied. It’s also popular because it’s lower in tannins, which means it doesn’t stain teeth like some other red wines do. This means it’s also appealing to those who may have a tannin sensitivity.

But if you’re looking for a good quality pinot noir, consider avoiding Aldi’s Don’t Mind if I Do pinot noir. It’s marketed as a fruity blend with berry aromas, but in general, consumers have been left disappointed. Complaints tend to revolve around the bland taste, the thin, watery texture, and the general lack of actual fruity flavor, despite the promising description.

Instead of Don’t Mind if I Do, consider adding Aldi’s Specially Selected Willamette Valley pinot noir to your basket. In a review of Aldi’s private-label wines, TastingTable’s wine specialist praised its price, its bright color, and its authentic fruity and earthy flavor. In fact, it was so impressive that it landed in the number one spot on the list. If you want to stick with the Don’t Mind if I Do range, the sauvignon blanc has received better reviews, thanks to its pleasant citrus aromas and subtle flavors.

Pinot grigio is another popular choice. Made with grapes that originate from Burgundy in France, but are now grown all over the world, from Europe to Australia to the U.S, the white wine tends to be light, crisp, bright, and fresh. It can be drunk on its own or paired with a range of foods, including cheeses (like Torta de Casar, Garrotxa, and Roncal), fried fish, and light creamy pastas.

If you’re looking for a good glass of pinot grigio to unwind at the end of the week, however, it might be a good idea to skip Aldi’s Giretto pinot grigio. While generally deemed inoffensive, past reviewers have claimed that it is bland, too heavy on the lemon, and even tastes a little watered down. Others have declared that it’s fine with food, but not the best for drinking solo. 

But as is evident with this particular bottle from Aldi, a cheap price doesn’t always equal a good deal. Sometimes, however, you can find bottles that give you a good bang for your buck without breaking the bank. Terlato Family Vineyards Colli Orientali del Friuli pinot grigio, Kellerei Kurtatsch pinot grigio, Attems pinot grigio, and Josh Cellars California pinot grigio, for example, all landed on TastingTable’s list of the best pinot grigios for under $20.

A favorite wine of poet Charles Bukowski, cabernet sauvignon is bold, full-bodied, rich in tannins, and high in alcohol content. In fact, on average, these red wines tend to vary from 12.5% ABV to 14.5% ABV, so this wine is best for those who prefer a stronger drink rather than a light tipple. A good cabernet sauvignon tends to go well with charcuterie, thanks to its oaky, spicy, dark fruity flavor. But if you’re planning a charcuterie night, Intermingle cabernet sauvignon is an Aldi wine you probably don’t want to be serving your guests if you want to impress.

This wine isn’t awful, but it is distinctly average. Like most wines from the budget grocery store chain, it’s affordable, which is a plus, but it’s not anything to write home about. Wine blogger Jon Thorsen of Reverse Wine Snob, for example, calls it “basic” and “drinkable,” as well as “not terribly exciting.” Other reviewers tend to agree; this wine is ok, but it’s nothing truly special.

However, don’t despair if you’re after a bold red without a high price tag. For a tasty cabernet sauvignon that might encourage you to make more than one repeat purchase, check out Josh Cellars. The winery’s offering is far richer and more complex, with subtle aromas of oak and nice fruity flavors. It’s not as cheap as Aldi, sure (most places aren’t), but it’s not a massive splurge either, coming in at less than $20 a bottle.

Aldi offers a significant selection of budget-friendly wines, and plenty of them are decent options that deliver on aroma and flavor. But it doesn’t always hit the mark. While inexpensive, its Winking Owl wines, for example, are a little hit and miss. Along with the Winking Owl moscato, another option to consider skipping from this range is the cabernet sauvignon.

As we mentioned earlier, this type of wine should boast a bold, complex, tannin-rich flavor, but Winking Owl’s version fails to deliver on those key notes. Robert Scheer, also known as the IndyStar’s Wine Dude, said that while it was fruity, it gave a “weird, fakey” quality. Other consumers have described it as being fairly average and unmemorable, and some have labeled it watery, a little too sweet, and bland.

Aldi’s Winking Owl, which is produced by the California winery E. & J. Gallo, range isn’t all bad. If you want to sample some of its offerings, the Winking Owl pinot grigio has received some rave reviews. In fact, our expert rated the pinot grigio as Winking Owl’s number one offering when they reviewed the entire line, calling it “the most symbolic of a California-style pinot grigio.” If you’re sticking to red, consider opting for the Winking Owl shiraz, which is pleasantly fruity, savory, and a little woody. In particular, our expert recommended enjoying this wine with savory stews, braised meats, and sausage burgers with peppers and onions.

Unfortunately, Aldi doesn’t seem to have the strongest selection of cabernet sauvignon, because once again, we’re recommending that you avoid another of this variety from the budget store. This time, it’s the California Heritage cabernet sauvignon.

It’s not that this wine, which is also made by E. & J. Gallo, is particularly offensive to the taste buds; it’s just that it’s not that memorable. In another review, Jon Thorsen described it as “just tasty enough,” for example, which, to be frank, isn’t what most of us are looking for when we’re considering a wine purchase. He added that there is “not a lot going on” in this particular blend. Other reviewers have agreed with Thorsen, with some saying that it’s a little too sweet or acidic, and others claiming there isn’t much flavor.

But don’t worry, if you’re in the market for a budget cabernet sauvignon, it’s not all bad news. Outlander Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon can also be found on the shelves for a little under $10, and it’s a good balance of oaky, toasty, dry, and rich, according to one of TastingTable’s wine experts. Other options that are worth a taste include the Specially Selected Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon and the Dancing Flame Ojos del Salado red blend, which combines cabernet sauvignon with carmenere and syrah varieties. With regard to the latter, our expert said it was “a great food wine that pairs well with pork or game dishes.”

Another red variety from Aldi’s California Heritage line that you might want to skip next time you’re pursuing the wine section is the pinot noir. When our wine reviewer tried every one of this particular private label’s offerings, they ranked this one as the worst of the bunch out of 11.

After praising its easy-opening screw cap top (which they said was one of its “best attributes”), our expert claimed the flavor of this pinot noir was “jammy” and “stewed,” due to the hot fermentation process it’s made with. They added that it lacked the “aromatic attributes and well-balanced freshness” that most seek in a pinot noir. Our wine expert isn’t alone. While some Aldi customers were fans of the California Heritage pinot noir (ranking wine is entirely subjective, after all), plenty deemed it as nothing more than an average sip for the price — nothing special or exciting.

But don’t be put off from California Heritage completely. Our wine expert did praise a few of the line’s options, including its rosé, which came in at the top of the ranking and was described as “aromatic,” as well as “bright and fresh.” California Heritage’s version of sauvignon blanc made second place and its chardonnay placed third. The lighter colored wines undeniably dominated the rankings in terms of this particular range from Aldi, but not all the reds were slated. The California Heritage merlot came in fourth overall on our expert’s list and was praised for its “approachable and balanced” flavors.

Sparkling wines are the perfect celebration drink. Whether it’s a birthday, an anniversary, or maybe just making it through a busy week, there’s always a good reason to pop open a bottle of bubbly. Some of the most popular varieties of sparkling wine are Champagne, prosecco, and cava, for example, and sometimes you’ll find some that are simply labeled “sparkling wine,” like this extra dry sparkling wine from California Heritage. But if you’re looking to honor a special occasion, we recommend putting this particular variety back on the shelf.

Our wine expert wasn’t particularly impressed by this bottle when they ranked Aldi’s private-label wines, calling it “unbalanced.” They also said that while it starts off quite bubbly after pouring, this soon dissipates in the glass. If you’re going to grab a bottle, they recommend mixing it with juice. This was echoed by some customer reviews, some also claimed it was drinkable, but best mixed into a cocktail.

If you’re looking for a decent sparkling wine to enjoy in the spring and summer months, one of our wine experts recommended splashing a little more cash and opting for something like Jordi Llorens Ancestral de la Cristina, Jean Pierre Robinot, L’Opera des Vins Fêtembulles, or Yetti and the Kokonut Bubbles Pét-Nat.

Unfortunately, the Giretto isn’t alone. The second pinot grigio to make this list comes from Aldi’s Specially Selected range. Despite the fact that it was produced in northern Italy’s Alto Adige region, which is renowned for producing quality, world-class wines, this offering just didn’t really impress, according to our wine expert. Again, in their ranking of Aldi’s private-label wines, they said it lacked “well-rounded” flavor. However, they did clarify that it was better off being enjoyed with a meal, which “softened” and “enhanced” the taste.

Customer reviews of the Specially Selected pinot grigio are generally average. Some liked it enough, but it was also considered a little bland in terms of flavor. Others were not impressed by the aftertaste or claimed it was too sharp for their palate.

Not all of the Specially Selected wines from Aldi have been deemed disappointing. Our expert said the Specially Selected malbec was “enjoyable,” for example, and noted that the Specially Selected Chianti Riserva was “well integrated” and a particularly good choice for pairing with pizza. Alongside the Specially Selected Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon and Specially Selected Willamette Valley pinot noir, which we have already highlighted on this list as good Aldi choices, our wine expert also recommended Aldi’s Specially Selected Cremant d’Alsace.

When it comes to wine (or any form of food or drink, really), there is no single answer to whether something is “good” or “bad.” For example, while some people might love to splurge on Champagne, some people just don’t enjoy Champagne at all and wouldn’t even stretch to a budget version. Taste is subjective, and so are wine ratings.

However, to give you the most accurate consensus on which Aldi wines are best avoided, we did our research. We looked at reviews on popular wine blogs, for example, as well as reports from our own wine experts on TastingTable. We also looked at what customers had to say on sites like Facebook and Vivino, which is the world’s largest wine app and marketplace, and a popular place to post reviews. Not everyone agrees on the wines we have listed here. Some enjoyed them, of course. However, in general, we looked for wines that many agreed weren’t worth the spend, even from a budget store like Aldi.

If you’re out shopping for a bottle of wine, there are a few things you can do to make the best purchase. First, do your own research and check the reviews, of course. But it also helps to try things for yourself and take notes about what you liked and didn’t like. That way, you become your own wine purchasing expert and a total pro in the Aldi aisles.