$10? shoot. by violet

when you're broke, compulsive and have an inclination towards expensive taste (like me), you are forced to befriend the likes of Trader Joe's, Target, Rite Aid and Cost Plus. i’m not going to lie, sometimes Metropolitan Market and the PCC pull me in… but then i am destined to dinner out of a can for the rest of the week, lesson learned. ah, the joys of entry-level wages.

regardless of how much money i have left for groceries each week, i will not/cannot allow the wine rack to suffer. as i’ve gotten deeper into my big-kid life, i have inherited my mom’s desire for a cold glass of chardonnay every night after work and i make no apologies. instead, i’ve decided to put together a poor-girl survival guide to wines under $10. read, enjoy, review and feel free to add onto the list!

Lindeman’s Chardonnay $4.99 at Trader Joe’s- a staple of mine. it actually might have just pushed peanut butter filled pretzels out of my top 5 favorite things EVER list.

Penfolds Shiraz $9.99 at Target- full-bodied, heavy, with a hint of cherries... perfect for a steak-and-potatoes kind of meal. or all by itself is good too. no judging here.

Columbia Crest Two Vines Chardonnay $5.98 at Rite Aid- who knew? rite aid really does have quite the decadent and CHEAP wine aisle. don’t be ashamed. and this chardonnay has a pretty label.
Ménage a Trois Red Table Wine $8.95 at Target- the name is fun, so is the taste. it's the go-to red wine for any occasion. a total crowd-pleaser.

Gaetano D’Aquino Pinot Grigio $3.99 at Trader Joe’s- be careful with this one. it's so cheap, it can easily replace water. unfortunately, if you open this bottle after drinking a nice glass of Rodney Strong, it will taste like water too. so, pick the right time and totally indulge in this one.

p.s. for a wine-filled movie to pair nicely with your $3.99 bottle of Pinot, watch Bottle Shock. it is a surprising sleeper that recounts the 1976 rise of California wines, when a small family-owned vineyard tops French wines in a blind-tasting. beautifully shot, super fun soundtrack and educational for all the wish-i-was-a-wine-connoisseur-types out there (also like me).