Vegan Wines At Trader Joe’s – yes, that’s right everyone’s favorite grocery store actually has a whole host of vegan wine options available. I mean everyone loves Trader Joe’s. Literally, everyone – including me. What’s not to love about Trader Joe’s? It’s a cool laid-back environment, the staff wears cool Hawaiian shirts, the staff members seem like they want to be there, they have a bell that rings, and most importantly they have a whole host of delicious vegan products (including wine). How could we forget two buck chuck – their infamously famous cheap plonk? But it got me thinking as much as I frequent their stores – what vegan wines are available at Trader Joe’s?

What Wines Are Vegan At Trader Joe’s?

There are vegan wines available at Trader Joe’s to suit any palate. Whether your vegan wine of choice is red, white, rose, sparkling, or fruit-flavored Trader Joe’s has a vegan wine for you.

In this article, I set out the 10 best (in my opinion) Vegan Wines At Trader Joe’s.

Trader Joe’s – It’s Popular

How popular is Trader Joe’s? Popular. Don’t believe me, just Google “How Popular is Trader Joe’s” and the top spot from CNBC states that from just 505 U.S. stores Trader Joe’s made net sales of $13.7 billion from just 505 stores (Wholefoods did $16.5 bn by comparison).

The second hit under “people also ask” is “why is Trader Joe’s so popular?”. It doesn’t stop there. Trader Joe’s has Instagram accounts dedicated to it (@traderjoeslist – has 1.7 million followers, @traderjoesobsessed has 512k followers, and @traderjoesfoodreviews (an account dedicated to reviewing Trader Joe’s products) has 384k followers).

Personally, as a vegan, I am all aboard the Trader Joe’s fan train. I mean come on, they make vegan tzatziki which I eat by the bucket load, the nutritional yeast is a staple in my cupboard to turn anything cheesy, and the vegan vanilla cupcakes – game-changing – stop reading this and go and buy some immediately. No seriously, why are you still reading this? Go get some cupcakes.

Vegan Wines At Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s is great at listing what’s vegan and what’s not. Well, that is until you decide to grab a bottle of wine. When it comes to wine Trader Joe’s is like any other grocery store – impossible to work out if the wine you are buying is vegan or not. This is because currently wine manufacturers are not required to list on their labels ingredients or allergen information. If you want to learn more about why most wines are not vegan and the current labeling rules I set these all out in my piece Why Is Wine Not Vegan – How To Know The Truth, and Is Champagne Vegan? Revealing The Truth Behind The Bubbles.

Vegan Wines At Trader Joe’s – Why Are Most Wines Not Vegan?

In short, most wines are not vegan due to the use of fining agents in the clarification stage of production. In this stage, fining agents clump together molecules such as tannins, proteins, tartrates, and phenolics that make the wine cloudy and affect flavor. The issue is that the most common fining agents are not vegan. Examples include Gelatin, Isinglass (dried fish bladders), Egg Whites, Casein (Milk Proteins), and Skimmed Milk. There are some vegan-friendly fining agents such as Bentonite (clay), Carbon (Charcoal), and PVPP (a synthetic fining agent). However, Gelatin and Isinglass remain the most popular.

The good news is that increasingly regulators are requiring winemakers to list allergens on labels (such as in the EU, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia). However, this is not a requirement in the US.

This means unless the wine you are buying is labeled vegan, you have checked with the wine manufacturer, or in some alternative reality where the grocery person in the wine section knows which wines are vegan and which are not, buying vegan wine can often fall to pure luck.

Are you also interested in Beer or Liquor?

Do you also want to know if your favorite beer or liquor is vegan? If you do then should also check out my articles Is Beer Vegan – Introducing The Secret To Finding Out, and Is Alcohol Vegan? How To Know The Truth where I break down everything you need to know about the Beer, Liquor industry and what’s vegan, and what’s not.

10 Vegan Wines At Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s does, however, have a great selection of vegan wines. Some were easy to work out such as the Albero Monastrell which is labeled as vegan. Other’s I had to do some real research on the internet and the manufacturer’s websites.

I list my top 10 Vegan Wines from Trader Joe’s below together with a vegan food pairing suggestion.

1. Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon

At the top spot can be none other than “two buck chuck” – how we love you. Officially called Charles Shaw, but affectionately known as Two Buck Chuck because of its affordability, this wine may no longer cost $2 but it is a great price still never-the-less (it currently costs $2.99). This must be the most budget-friendly vegan red wine out there – I love the Cabernet Sauvignon. It is dry and oaky with berry and vanilla notes. I personally am not so keen on Malbec.

Is all Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw Wine Vegan? According to Barnivore Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw red wines are vegan but Charles Shaw’s white wines are not always as they are sometimes filtered with gelatine.

Vegan Food Pairing Suggestion – as this is a simple everyday table wine, I think it is so perfect for pairing with a simple pasta marinara. Or alternatively, a vegan spaghetti bolognese made with a plant-based mince.

2. Albero Monastrell

This one has made it high on the list as they helpfully label it as vegan on the back of the label. It is also 100% organic – so a win/win! It is a bold, earthy, and fruity Spanish wine with notes of dark red cherry, violets, spice, and blackberries.

SPOILER ALERT: The last several times I have been to my local Trader Joe’s I have no longer been able to find the Albero Monastrell. I spoke to the Trader Joe’s Sommelier (the guy stacking the wine) and he said that he hasn’t seen the wine in a while, and it may have been discontinued. It has a pretty distinctive label which is hard to miss.

Vegan Food Pairing Suggestion – as it is a Spanish wine it would go great with a tapas-style platter of grilled veggies, perhaps along with a Miyoko’s cashew milk cheese wheel, such as the sundried tomatoes and garlic variety.

3. Vinas Chilenas Sauvignon Blanc

If you prefer White Wine, I recommend Vinas Chilenas Sauvignon Blanc. This Sauvignon Blanc is from Chile and it is a dry, crisp wine with citrus, grapefruit, and apple notes.

It is actually harder to find vegan white wine than vegan red wine. This is because white wines are expected to be clear and the tiny molecules (that are normally fined out) have fewer places to “hide” in white wine vs red wine. Again, if you want to learn more about “Fining” you can read my article: Why Is Wine Not Vegan – How To Know The Truth.

Vegan Food Pairing Suggestion – a creamy avocado pasta (the acidity of sauvignon blanc cuts through the sweetness and fattiness of avocado).

4. De Mont Coteaux Varois en Provence Rose

At the no.4 spot is the often-forgotten Rose. Crisp, light, fruity, and acidic – this is a great wine for the summer. It is also organic.

Vegan Food Pairing Suggestion – vegan eggplant pizza

5. Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blancs French Sparkling

Got something to celebrate? Or if you just love the “bubbly” stuff – then this bottle of Blanc de Blancs (a Sparkling Wine made from white wine) is a great choice from Trader Joe’s – fresh, crisp, and fruity.

If you are wondering why this Sparkling Wine is not called “Champagne” (spoiler alert – it would be illegal to do so) or want to know what makes “Champagne” different from wine then check out my Champagne article: Is Champagne Vegan? Revealing The Truth Behind The Bubbles.

Vegan Food Pairing Suggestion – a vegan Alfredo pasta made with nut milk and vegan parmesan (a crisp glass of bubbles like this really compliments the rich sauce).

6. Albero Rose

Hang on, haven’t we already had an Albero wine on this list? Yes, we have. But they helpfully label the wine as vegan on the back label so that deserves two entries in my opinion! Also, this is an organic vegan Rose featuring red fruit notes (strawberry, raspberry, cherry) along with yeasty notes.

SPOILER ALERT: The last several times I have been to my local Trader Joe’s I have no longer been able to find the Albero brand. I spoke to the Trader Joe’s Sommelier (the guy stacking the wine) and he said that he hasn’t seen the wine in a while and it may have been discontinued.

Vegan Food Pairing Suggestion – veggie skewers straight from the bbq!

7. Viñas Chilenas Chardonnay

Another entry from Viñas Chilenas (vegan white wines are much harder to come across). A chardonnay that is light and smooth with notes of citrus, pear, green apple, and grapefruit. I personally have a love/hate relationship with Chardonnay – some are good, and some are not. This one is a good one.

Vegan Food Pairing Suggestion – vegan mushroom risotto

8. La Sonriente Garnacha Wine

A Spanish entry comes in the form of this bold and earthy wine. Notes of cranberry, red cherry, black cherry, and a hint of spice.

Vegan Food Pairing Suggestion – a slow-cooked vegetable stew. Perfect combo for a chilly winter’s evening.

9. The Barrel Heist Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is personally my favorite type of wine, hence two entries on this list! This one is smooth, bold, and robust – love it!

Vegan Food Pairing Suggestion – grilled portobello mushrooms. Whenever a wine’s main food pairing suggestions are meat-based, portobello mushrooms are a wonderful alternative as they are quite “meaty” – we also find they work so well with a garlicky wine reduction which almost acts like a “gravy”.

10. Love, Olivia Watermelon Wine

I decided to end the list with something a bit different in the vegan wine arena – this newly released watermelon-flavored wine from Trader Joe’s. Made from a wine grape base with natural watermelon flavors added. They also have a peach variety! They are quite Summery drinks so opt if you want something lighter and refreshing.

Vegan Food Pairing Suggestion – a lovely fresh summery salad such as spinach and strawberry salad. Strawberry and watermelon are always a winning combo.

Vegan Wines At Trader Joe’s – The Final Sip

I decided to come up with this list because I was always looking for vegan wines at Trader Joe’s. I hope this list of 10 wines helps you to be able to select an array of vegan wines at Trader Joe’s and at least know you are drinking something that is vegan. At least it will make my visits to the wine section at Trader Joe’s a bit quicker.

*The biggest asset I had in coming up with 10 Vegan Wines At Trader Joe’s was Barnivore.com. A lot of the time wine manufacturer websites just have no information available. Barnivore is a great resource that actually reaches out to drink manufacturers and produces a database of vegan drinks. Favorite them in your browser. I do. You can double-check the vegan status of the above wines in the below links to Barnivore in the below References.

…now you know.

Beverage makers may change ingredients and/or manufacturing processes. Always double-check ingredients before purchasing any beverages.

Please Drink Responsibly.

Like What You Are Reading

Need to know more? Think your favorite beer or wine is vegan? How about your favorite Vodka, Tequila, or Gin – think those are vegan? Time to find out – check out some of my other articles:

General

Wine

Is Champagne Vegan? Revealing the Truth Behind the Bubbles

Liquor

Is Alcohol Vegan? How to Know the Truth

Easy Vegan Cocktails -Recipes You Can Make At Home

Beer

Vegan Beers UK – How To Pick Vegan Beer In The UK

Other

References (as of 4 Jan 2022)

Charles Shaw on – Barnivore

Albero Monastrell on Barnivore

Vinas Chilenas on Barnivore

De Mont Coteaux Varois en Provence Rose on Barnivore

Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blancs French Sparkling on Barnivore

Albero Rose on Barnivore

Vinas Chilenas Chardonnay on Barnivore

La Sonriente Garnacha Wine on Barnivore

The Barrel Heist Cabernet Sauvignon on Barnivore

Love, Olivia on Barnivore

10 Vegan Wines At Trader Joe’s You Need To Try