13 Expert-Approved Wines From Trader Joe's To Pair With A Charcuterie Board

So: you're making a charcuterie board. Whether inviting friends over to enjoy it or making a plate to eat solo (perhaps with your partner) on a calm and cozy Friday night, a delicious charcuterie board is only enhanced by a great bottle of wine. Now, you may assume that only a few different wine varieties pair well with a charcuterie board. But virtually any bottle can work depending on the meats, cheeses, veggies, and condiments you decide to use.

Along those lines, Trader Joe's has plenty of wine options to choose from, as well as a wide variety of cured meats, numerous high-quality cheeses, and a virtual ton of additional snacks. With plenty of options available to splurge or keep things affordable, the popular grocery chain is the perfect place to shop for all the supplies you need for your wine and charcuterie board pairing.

Given the knowledge I acquired during my WSET level 3 training and education at Boston University (along with my experience visiting various wine regions), I compiled a list of wines sold at Trader Joe's that I'd personally love to sip alongside a good charcuterie board. Regardless of your preference — be it starting with the bottle or the board — this list offers some delicious and diverse combinations to consider. Here are 13 wines available at Trader Joe's to pair with your next charcuterie board.

If you're unsure which wine to pair with whatever you put on your charcuterie board, it's always a good idea to turn chardonnay. Chardonnay is a very versatile grape, after all, that can be vinified in a range of different styles — like this Sonoma Coast chardonnay from Chalk Hill. This bottle is an especially great find if you're leaning toward the richer end of the spectrum with your charcuterie choices.

Chalk Hill Chardonnay is a balanced wine that has plenty of acidity and minerality, which helps cut through the more intense flavors and textures you often find on a charcuterie board. Aged for nine months in French oak — 25% of which is new, which yields a more intensely oaky flavor — this chardonnay boasts the buttery, vanilla-esque flavor many chardonnay drinkers prize. Consequently, it can hold up to the strong flavors of fatty cured meat and creamy cheeses.

You may notice notes of almond, candied orange peel, and pear, which provides enough complexity to keep things interesting without overpowering the food you're snacking on. It may not be the cheapest wine on this list, but it provides great value for the price, which means you can potentially afford to buy some unique Trader Joe's cheddar cheese for your board.

There's a good chance you've come across Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc before. It's widely available at numerous grocery stores and wine shops across the country, and Trader Joe's is no exception. Of course, just because this isn't an exclusive TJ's offer doesn't mean it's not worth checking out — or pairing with your next charcuterie board.

Oyster Bay is one of my favorite widely accessible sauvignon blanc wines, largely because it captures the classic flavor profile of New Zealand sauvignon blanc so well. Bright, zippy citrus (especially a strong note of lime) dominates this white wine, with a lovely minerality that only enhances the freshness.

This sauvignon blanc provides a counterpoint to the bold, filling flavors you'll often find on a charcuterie board, and its acidity nicely cuts through the fattiness of meat and cheese. Additionally, the wine's light flavors are unlikely to clash with anything on the board, so you're free to pick out whatever you want to snack on knowing it won't taste poorly with this sauvignon blanc.

Oftentimes, consumers tend to think of riesling as an overly sweet, even viscous, wine that coats the palate — making it hard to taste anything but, well, sugar. While it's certainly true that some varieties can be quite sugar-forward, a lot of riesling on the market isn't actually sweet at all. In fact, dry rieslings are incredibly popular amongst the in-the-know crowd because the grape can present beautifully without any residual sweetness. With that in mind, Emma Richart Dry Riesling is a great, affordable entry point into the world of dry riesling, offering a solid charcuterie companion from Trader Joe's, as well.

Emma Richart Dry Riesling is a crisp and refreshing choice to pair with your charcuterie board. This lovely, inoffensive white – with notes of apricot, grapefruit, and almonds – won't compete too much with any stronger-flavored items, and complements both nuts and grainy crackers.

Additionally, although white wines are almost always good candidates to serve chilled, this riesling can be sipped closer to room temperature, where it might be a bit more expressive than its cold counterpart. Additionally, this bottle expresses itself better after it has some time to breathe, so keep that in mind before serving. It may not be a particularly complex wine (unlike some other rieslings), but it still offers great value for what you're likely to spend.

A great example of white Burgundy — and one you can find at Trader Joe's — is Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé. Made with chardonnay grapes from the Mâconnais region of Burgundy in France, this wine is partially barrel-fermented, giving it a slight oaky flavor. The unique production process increases this wine's complexity, as well, so it's better able to stand up to the strong flavors often found on a cheese board.

Since it's not completely barrel-aged, this white Burgundy retains a lightness and freshness that prevents it from being too overwhelming. You may notice notes of coconut, vanilla, and toasted nuts when taking a sip of Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé, which play well with the lighter hints of citrus, white flowers, and red apples. These flavors all come together to create a beautifully complex wine, highlighting just how delicious white Burgundy can be.

Now, while this is one of the more expensive wines on this list, it's often reasonably priced at Trader Joe's locations. Either way, it's well worth the higher price if you really want to take your charcuterie board experience to the next level.

If you want to drink something that's sold in a bottle as beautiful as the wine itself, you should consider Signal 7 Rosé. Often found in the wine section at Trader Joe's, the brand illustrates why a dry rosé is almost always a good option for pairing with food. This wine variety tends to walk the line between red and white, so it's no surprise Signal 7 provides a refreshing middle ground with acidity alongside some structure. Additionally, this particular rosé is easy and unfussy to drink, and is sure to please even the pickiest drinkers around a charcuterie board.

In this rosé, you'll notice juicy, fruity notes of strawberry, tart red cherries, and watermelon, along with a floral touch. Since it's light and not too complex, Signal 7 Rosé can pair well with essentially anything you put on the board. If you really want to play up those fun, fruit-forward flavors, though, you may want to consider adding some fresh strawberries or raspberries. Any jam made with red fruit also makes a nice complement to this rosé.

When you're looking for a sauvignon blanc that's both made with organically farmed grapes and has plenty of bright, refreshing acidity? Head to Trader Joe's to look for a bottle of Blue Quail Sauvignon Blanc. This wine hails from Mendocino County in California, where it's produced by McFadden Farm and Vineyard. This estate is known for its long-term embrace of both organic farming and renewable energy, which demonstrates how carefully it aims to produce its wines. Though its lighter flavor profile means it might be overpowered by richer, fattier meats, this wine is still a great option for a more veggie-forward charcuterie board.

Notes of apple, citrus, apricot, and pineapple come together to create an easy, drinkable, and surprisingly complex sauvignon blanc. This option from Blue Quail works well with funky, hard cheeses, too — the type that beg to take center stage on the flavor front. If you know you already like sauvignon blanc, this is definitely a bottle worth checking out, whether you choose to pair it with your next charcuterie board or just a basic salad.

Some sauvignon blanc wines tend toward the richer, fruitier end of the spectrum. But if you prefer a sauvignon blanc that's brighter, fresher, and more mineral-forward, you should check out varietals from New Zealand. With that in mind, Kono Sauvignon Blanc may be one of the most delicious (and more budget-friendly) examples out there. This winery makes an incredible, citrus-forward sauvignon blanc that pairs well with basically any food, though its intense acidity works especially well with richer foods — like those you'd find on a typical charcuterie board.

Unripe passionfruit, lemon juice, and tart green apple are just some of the flavors you might pick up on when you take a sip of this Kono wine. Because of the bold (albeit light) flavors present in this sauvignon blanc, you can sip it alongside both fatty cuts of meat and creamy cheeses. This wine can cut through those strong flavors and textures, cleaning your palate so you're always ready for the next bite. It pairs especially well with goat cheese, but feel free to experiment with different flavors to see how it expresses itself alongside a variety of charcuterie elements.

Catena Zapata is one of Argentina's most iconic producers, and you can snag the winery's malbec — which has become the flagship grape of Argentina — from your local Trader Joe's. This particular malbec goes through a process called cold maceration, which helps to draw out the grapes' flavors without extracting too much tannin (which can give the wine an intensely mouth-drying sensation). French oak barrels add some body to this wine while softening it, rendering a beautifully balanced red with a hint of savory flavor — which will pair wonderfully with your next charcuterie board.

Now, malbec tends to be bold, boasting jammy red and black fruit flavors. The best examples offer a balanced acidity that plays well with the varietal's sometimes-intense tannins, and that's the case with this Catena bottle. Since bolder red wines like this one can overpower some lighter cheeses, you may want to consider choosing cheese options capable of standing up to the wine. Then again, this malbec tends to work well with essentially any type of cured meat you decide to use, while zesty olives and grainy crackers are another sound choice for any malbec-focused charcuterie board.

When it comes to cabernets, it seems like cabernet sauvignon gets all the love. Although it may be the more easily recognizable grape, it shouldn't eclipse its cousin: the lighter, less serious, and generally more fun cabernet franc. Cab franc doesn't pack quite the same bold punch as cab sauv, although it does boast a lightness and acidity, which generally makes it easier to drink than its similarly-named relative. Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Cabernet Franc fits that bill while also offering the boldness you'd expect from a red wine, helping it hold up to whatever other flavors you have going on with your charcuterie board.

In Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Cabernet Franc, you might notice tart red fruits (like strawberries and red plums) on the nose, along with a slightly oaky, vanilla note that's not too pronounced. There's also a distinct savoriness that you won't find in a typical cabernet sauvignon, which further illustrates why this is such a good pairing for a savory-forward charcuterie board. So, the next time you're interested in trying a new wine with your charcuterie board but don't want to drop a lot of cash in the process, give this Trader Joe's brand a try.

When you're looking for a nicer bottle of white wine to pair with your charcuterie board, look no further than Gary Farrell Chardonnay. This Russian River chardonnay shines with notes of honeydew melon, lemon, and peaches, plus a touch of richness that's almost reminiscent of baked goods. The wine's flavor profile makes it ideal for pairing with cured meats and decadent, richly flavored cheeses, but it also works well with pickled vegetables, flavorful jams, and other accoutrements commonly found on charcuterie boards.

Although this incredibly versatile wine works well with numerous dishes, it may be at its best alongside a particularly well-arranged charcuterie board. You might need to spend slightly more than what you'd pay for other bottles on this list, but it's worth it. The creamy mouthfeel makes Gary Farrell Chardonnay easy sipping, and its complexity will keep you tasting long after the first sip. Simply put, you get a finesse and elegance from this wine that makes it supremely delicious on its own or when paired with charcuterie.

As previously noted, when you're looking for a light, refreshing white wine — one that doesn't clash with anything you're apt to serve on a charcuterie board — sauvignon blanc is a great option. On that note, Liquid Light Sauvignon Blanc, which comes from Washington, will make for an excellent addition to your next charcuterie spread.

This wine (which can be found in the wine section at many Trader Joe's locations) showcases the pure varietal expression of the state's sauvignon blanc grapes. The result is a clean, mineral-forward, and drinkable wine to pair with a variety of lighter charcuterie boards — particularly a summertime option filled with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. The searing acidity in this Liquid Light wine means it can also contend with bold, cured meats. Creamy and ultra-rich cheeses, however, might not mesh especially well with this sauvignon blanc, so it's best to stick with lighter-flavored hard cheeses, or even a bold bleu.

Some drinkers may think a decent rosé wine brand – especially one from Provence in the south of France — should be as lightly colored as possible. But Demont Coteaux Varois en Provence proves that a darker colored Provence can be just as delicious as its lighter hued counterparts. Watermelon, ripe red cherries, and strawberries are present on the palate, offering a dry, fruity flavor profile and pleasant acidity that's incredibly food friendly.

Now, while this is a beautiful option for pairing with lighter charcuterie boards, the additional skin contact of this darker rosé means it can hold up to cured meats better than many other options (including some bottles available it the Trader Joe's value wine section). Additionally, although this wine is a natural choice for a warm weather charcuterie board, it can be really nice when paired with a more autumnal spread, too, as it has enough body to shine amongst stronger-flavored ingredients.

Sometimes, you just need to snag an affordable red wine from the grocery store. If that's the case — and you're simultaneously looking to dip your toe into the world of Spanish wines — then La Granja Tempranillo at Trader Joe's may be the bottle for you. Although some red wines at this price point are flabby (meaning they taste sort of dull, round, and uninteresting), that's not what you'll get with this bottle. More than that, if the pig on the label didn't tip you off, this tempranillo from La Granja is an especially delicious pick for a charcuterie board.

Given the salty and savory notes found in this wine, it'll nicely complement any cured meats, while providing enough of a tannic backbone to avoid being completely engulfed by those rich, fatty flavors and textures. It delivers a well-balanced acidity that makes it great for pairing with food — including any number of items typically seen on a charcuterie board. Give it a try the next time you're looking for an affordable red.