8 Best Trader Joe's Snack And Wine Pairings For Fall

Trader Joe's may have just cornered the market on snacks, especially when it comes to seasonal snacks, and it's undeniable that you can find some of the best products the store has to offer during autumn. And if you're lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe's, then you know that the store's wine selection is nothing to scoff at either — particularly when you're looking for an affordable bottle to sip on while you snack.

So, why not pair your favorite Trader Joe's snack with a wine from the same place? These Trader Joe's snack and wine pairings are perfect at any time of the year, but they're especially delicious as the weather starts to cool down and you find yourself wanting to spend more time inside. Whether you consider yourself more of a lover of white or red wine, there are options for you on this list ... just make sure you're ready to get your snack on once you pop that bottle open. We sampled several combinations to bring you the best Trader Joe's wine and snack pairings to enjoy this fall.

You may think of store-bought frozen appetizers as the kind of product you can only buy when you have guests coming over to visit, but that's far from the case. In fact, you can enjoy hot apps all by yourself even when your only plans are to sit on the couch for the evening. Trader Joe's is an especially good place to get them during the fall months because the store has a variety of autumnal-themed hot bites that make for the ideal snack plate. The brand's Savory Squash Pastry Bites may just be the best example. They start with a buttery puff pastry that's stacked with squash, cheese, and chopped chives. It's simple but rich and deeply delicious.

Your best bet when it comes to pairing a wine with this snack is Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier. This is a grape combo you don't always see on store shelves, but it works really well to create a balanced wine with a decent amount of body, which allows it to contend with the weight of the puff pastry and cheese, along with a bright acidity, which cuts through all those creamy, carb-y notes to create a more balanced bite.

Don't be fooled into thinking that you need to have crackers to enjoy a particularly tasty piece of cheese — you can snack on cheese all on its own. And that's pretty easy to do when you're indulging in cheese as rich and complex as Trader Joe's Caramelized Onion Goat's Milk Cheese. This cheese isn't messing around. It's deeply savory with a distinctive sweetness that comes from the caramelized onions. The texture of the cheese is thick and creamy, which adds to its intense mouthfeel.

But you're going to need something to cut through all that richness, which is where Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve 2022 Chardonnay comes in. This wine provides fantastic value for the money you'll spend on it, and it highlights just how delicious a chardonnay with finesse and elegance can be. There's some perceptible richness in this wine, which complements the richness of the cheese. However, that richness is not overwhelming — there's a beautiful acidity also present in this wine, which keeps both the wine and the cheese from feeling too heavy and flabby. Of course, you can add some crackers into the mix if you feel like them, but all you need is a glass of wine and this unique block of cheese to create an unforgettable snack.

Some pairings just make sense, and orange wine and blue cheese is one of those pairings. Both orange wine and blue cheese can be hard to pair because of their bold flavor profiles. Orange wine is just white wine that's stayed in contact with the skins of the grapes for longer than normal. These wines can be very fruit-forward and aromatic, which is certainly the case for Slice Orange, a skin-contact wine you can find at Trader Joe's. The pungent, funky flavor of blue cheese works really well to complement by contrasting with those fruity flavors, making for an undeniably interesting snack combo.

Trader Joe's offers a few different types of blue cheese, but the brand's Blue Cave Aged Raw Whole Cow's Milk Cheese is an especially fun pick. It's not the most intense blue cheese out there, so even if you're not usually a fan, you can get on board. But still, it has that distinct funkiness that makes a blue cheese shine.

Vouvray comes from the Loire Valley, located in northern France, and it's made from the grape Chenin Blanc. These wines can come in a range of styles, but they're often highly acidic and can be either richer and fuller-bodied or lighter and fresher. This Vignobles Lacheteau 2023 Vouvray fits into the second category. It's refreshing and easy to drink, which makes it a great pairing for Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Bites.

This snack isn't necessarily easy to pair, since the chocolate and peanut butter flavors are rich and mouth-filling. Although desserts like these rice bites are often paired with sweet wines, something a bit lighter, like this Vouvray, can also work well. The rice bites take center stage, while the wine provides a nice, easy-drinking, and appropriately acidic backdrop for the dessert. Plus, the slight creaminess of this wine is complemented by the richness of the rice bites, which add a nice textural element to the pairing.

Do you love Champagne? Then you have to try crémant, a bubbly wine that's made in the same style as Champagne. La Burgondie Crémant de Bourgogne has a creaminess and bready flavor that's ultra food-friendly. This affordable crémant is a great way to step your toe into the world of traditional method sparkling wine. Truth be told, crémant can be paired with just about anything and shine, but it's especially delicious with Trader Joe's Roti with Thai Red Curry.

This frozen appetizer couldn't be easier to make, and it packs a punch of spicy flavor. For a frozen curry, it's seriously delicious, but because of its spice factor, it can overwhelm a lot of types of wine. Luckily, the crémant still shines here, its bubbles helping cool down that heat. Plus, the brioche-like flavor of the wine complements the chewy, buttery roti well, making the whole pairing come together in one snackable package.

Bold, salty, and crunchy, Trader Joe's Baked Pizza Flavored Pillow Crisps are the Sardinian-inspired snack we never knew we needed. When it comes to flavor, this snack is quite bold — those savory pizza flavors are pronounced. However, it also has a lovely lightness to it, as the crisps are lightweight and filled with air, which makes you feel like you can keep snacking until you reach the bottom of the bag.

If you want to feel like you're having a pizza dinner without putting in all the effort it takes to make that happen, just grab a bottle of The Originals Syrah, which is available at Trader Joe's for a surprisingly attractive price point. Syrah is known for its peppery flavor profile, which makes it ideal for pairing with a savory snack like these pillow crisps. This bold red wine can compete with the bold flavors present in the snack, providing a harmonious pairing that feels like pizza night (without the effort).

Pinot noir tends to make more expensive wines. As opposed to some other red grapes, pinot noir can be incredibly difficult to grow, which is partially why it often commands higher prices than some of its counterparts. But don't worry — you don't have to spend $30 just to get a decent bottle of pinot noir. Angeline Pinot Noir, which you can find at Trader Joe's, is an affordable option that actually tastes pretty good, and it makes for a lighter-bodied, more elegant sipper than intense, bold red wines that can often overpower your favorite snacks.

Wondering what to pair with this pinot noir? If you want to play up the wine's savory notes, consider enjoying it with Trader Joe's Organic Conversation Olive Trio. It allows you to taste three different types of olives, which helps you identify the nuances in the different flavors of olives. Because pinot noir is a lighter wine, it won't compete with the delicate flavors of the olives, and the olives make for an easy, unfussy snack that undoubtedly tastes better when they're served alongside a glass of wine.

When you're looking for a fun and unexpected wine pairing, start with Cuy Malbec natural wine at Trader Joe's. The word "natural" can throw some people off when talking about wine, but it's actually not as complicated as it may sound. Basically, "natural" wine is just wine that's made with as little intervention as possible, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Sometimes, that yields a refreshing, easy-drinking wine that tastes a bit funkier than its conventionally made counterparts, which is just what you're getting with this bottle of wine. That funk isn't too pronounced, though, so even your friends who aren't into the whole natural wine scene shouldn't turn up their nose at this selection.

What should you pair with such a fun bottle? A fun snack, of course! Trader Joe's Chile Lime Flavored Fried Pork Rinds are a great option. The pork rinds aren't actually spicy at all, so they don't compete with the wine. Rather, the saltiness of the snack brings out some of the more savory qualities in the wine, creating a harmonious pairing you won't be able to get enough of.