Every Trader Joe's Secco Wine Flavor, Ranked Worst To Best

Fans of the often budget-friendly wine and beer aisle at their local Trader Joe's may recognize the brand's Secco releases. The ready-to-drink Secco bottles boast a sparkling wine cocktail in one of four flavors: peach, mango, grapefruit, and strawberry and raspberry. The attractive frosted glass bottle that shows off the color of each cocktail is immediately eye-catching on the store's shelves, and you might find yourself drawn to them. They might even become your go-to purchase whenever you make a trip to Trader Joe's, especially when you're looking to drink sparkling wine during brunch. 

If you've been curious to try the cocktails but were stuck between flavors, you're in the right place. I've tried all four cocktails (chilled, not at room temperature) to let you know which is worth the buy and which you may want to leave on the shelf based on flavor intensity, aftertaste, and how well each bottle represents its respective flavor. The good news is all the Secco flavors are yummy and well-balanced, and none left us wishing for a palate cleanser. Another bonus? Each bottle comes in at a very reasonable $5.99, so it won't break the bank if you want to try each flavor. Be warned, though — while each bottle comes in at 8% ABV, you can hardly taste the alcohol. It would be easy to go overboard with these, so please drink responsibly.

Taking the bottom spot of our ranking is Trader Joe's Secco Peach Bellini. There's nothing wrong with this Secco flavor, and we'd happily drink it again; however, if presented with the other Secco choices, we'd reach for those first. When I try something peach-flavored, I expect it to taste bright, juicy, and, well, peachy. The bottom line with this Secco Peach Bellini is that it didn't taste enough like peaches to be fully satisfying, leaving me wanting more flavor concentration. 

When I first tasted the Peach Bellini, I truly couldn't make up my mind about the flavor. The carbonation of the sparkling wine hit so hard at the beginning of the sip that it was almost like I couldn't taste the flavor until after I swallowed. Once the peach flavor came through, it was somewhat bland. At the same time, I don't know that I'd want the peach flavor to be punchier. Instead, I almost wish the brand had infused a complementary flavor, such as ginger or basil, into the bottle to give the wine cocktail a touch more flavor without relying solely on peaches. I'd suggest using this bottle as a base for an adult slushy or drinking it alongside a homemade peach cobbler. Add some of the wine to a blender with sliced peaches and a couple basil leaves. Have some simple syrup on hand in case you'd like it a little sweeter.

Coming in just ahead of the Secco Peach Bellini is Trader Joe's Secco Strawberry and Raspberry Rossini. The most visually appealing of all the bottles, it stands to reason that it would also boast a potent flavor profile, which it does for the most part. While I tend to love strawberry-flavored beverages, I'm always wary of them tasting slightly too medicinal for me, especially when alcohol is in the mix. Fortunately, this bottle didn't leave me wondering if I'd accidentally swallowed cough syrup — however, I did experience some drawbacks that kept this from ranking higher on our list. 

Pairing strawberry and raspberry was a good move on Trader Joe's part. While the strawberry flavor comes through more, the addition of raspberry gives the cocktail a fuller, more robust flavor that I appreciated. The well-balanced fruitiness of Secco Strawberry and Raspberry Rossini hits very pleasantly at first. However, the longer it lingers, the sweeter it tastes, and I wish it had been balanced out with a tangy element. The end of the sip left an almost artificial strawberry flavor in the back of my mouth that, while not unpleasant, left me waiting a minute in between sips. When drinking this again at home, I'll probably toss in some frozen blackberries and blueberries to add some deeper berry flavors to the cocktail. For a teatime treat, it would be perfectly yummy alongside an old-fashioned summer berry buckle. 

Though I aimed for total objectivity in this review, I must admit that Trader Joe's Secco Grapefruit Pompelini may have ranked this high partially because I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I typically shy away from grapefruit-flavored anything, as grapefruit flavors tend to be too tart or bitter for me. So when I first took a sip of this and didn't immediately pucker at the flavor, it was a pleasant surprise. 

It was quite refreshing to drink a grapefruit beverage that showed off the fruit's flavor without being too grapefruity. This bottle boasted a subtle enough flavor that I didn't feel like it was hitting me over the head with a grapefruit, but unlike the Secco Peach Bellini, I didn't find myself wanting more flavor intensity. Rather, the cocktail tastes almost like heavily-flavored sparkling water in the best way. It was perfectly refreshing, and I look forward to having another glass on the patio on a hot summer day. The only thing I might add would be small frozen melon balls, purely for some extra pizzazz. For grapefruit super fans, consider baking some zesty grapefruit bars as a fitting accompaniment. 

Before I rave about Trader Joe's Secco Mango Mangocini, I must admit my bias — I've bought this bottle a few times already, and each time, I'm tempted to go through it like water. This cocktail delivered everything I hoped for from a mango-flavored sparkling wine. As its bright color would suggest, the Mangocini boasted by far the punchiest flavor of any of the bottles and left me feeling like I was sipping at a tropical resort's beach bar. 

While I found that the drink's carbonation overwhelmed the flavors of some of the other Secco selections, it worked in perfect harmony with the Mangocini, tempering some of the moderate tartness present in the bottle. It makes for an absolutely delicious wine cocktail with such depth of flavor that you'll likely find yourself taking small sips before you inevitably refill your glass. If you're a fan of fun, tropical flavors, we're willing to bet the Secco Mango Mangocini will become a staple on your bar cart; if you want to give it a pairing for a mango-themed soirée, try whipping up an easy two-ingredient mango mousse. 

Though this article's ranking is inevitably based on my personal flavor preferences, I remained as objective as possible when considering each bottle's placement in our list. The biggest thing I looked for was whether each wine cocktail tasted like its respective flavor. On the whole, each bottle did, but to varying degrees of success. Flavors that didn't come through as much tended to take a lower spot than punchier flavors. 

I also had to consider the aftertaste of each drink. While the strawberry and raspberry flavor was fairly potent, its slightly too sweet, somewhat artificial aftertaste resulted in a lower ranking than the more subtle grapefruit flavor. Additionally, if a flavor left us wishing we'd modified it at home, that would garner a lower ranking as well, while bottles that tasted well-rounded on their own earned a higher spot. However, I must reiterate that, on the whole, I enjoyed each flavor of the Secco wine cocktails that I tried and would happily drink each of them again. Each would also make a lovely budget-friendly sparkling wine for a cocktail base.