Trader Joe's once again has a hit on its hands, cheap booze-wise. Their Simpler Wines, released in April, which come canned in four-packs for $3.99 equivalent to a 750 ml bottle are proving huge hits, likely because they're perfect for picnics, require no openers, and are basically cheaper than most beer.
Business Insider reports that the canned sparkling wine, which comes in white and rosé, has been a runaway hit for the store since its April release, with their whole inventory selling out and recently needing to be replenished from the supplier.
Trader Joe's explains on their website that they partnered with an Italian wine supplier to create two sparkling varieties, noting that the Simpler Wines White has "notes of juicy honeydew and fresh cut herbs" and goes great with "fresh bread & olives or Parmigiano Reggiano." Also, "The elegant, mineral notes and red fruit flavors of Simpler Wines Rosé are a natural fit for fresh pasta, seafood or sweets."
As for what they really taste like, some honest reviewers over at BuzzFeed tried both varieties early on in May and decided they both basically "taste like soda," or like "seltzer and grape juice," but they're still, "pretty good," and "let's be honest, even bad rosé is better than no rosé..."
TJ's of course ushered in the modern era of cheap, arguably drinkable wine with their Charles Shaw label in 2002, which at $1.99 a bottle quickly earned the name Two-Buck Chuck. It's good enough for some winos still, and now retails for $2.99 in California, and you can read more about why it's still so cheap here.
At $1 a can, Simpler Wines marks a return to this spirit, and while the equivalent of a bottle is a dollar more than the Charles Shaw, consumers clearly like the convenience and portability of the cans, and the ability to not have to open a whole bottle.
Expect to see a lot of these littering Dolores Park from now until they run out again.
Previously: Trader Joe's On Market Street Opening Two Weeks Early, Next Thursday