Why Aldi Is a Winning Destination for Wine

When it comes to shopping for wine at Aldi U.S. stores, customers don’t have to do the heavy lifting—and that’s because Joan Kavanaugh, VP of national buying for Aldi U.S., has helped to curate a thoughtful selection of private label, international, regional and limited-time offers on wines at affordable prices for the entire Batavia, Ill.-based chain. From shaping the Aldi holiday Wine Advent Calendar to sourcing everyday bottles, Kavanaugh has been a driving force behind making the hard discounter a destination for wine during her more than 30-year career at Aldi U.S.

Jennifer Strailey: Please describe a typical Aldi wine department.

Joan Kavanaugh: At Aldi, we take great pride in offering our customers a beautifully curated selection of wine at unbelievably low prices. Our everyday wine selection includes around 70 different wines, from traditional reds and whites to sparkling options. In addition to these staples, we also rotate in around 100 new wines every year as part of our Aldi Finds (limited-time, weekly offers). And when it comes to price, our selection can’t be beat, as almost all our wines cost under $10 a bottle. We’re pleased to show shoppers there’s no reason to pay high prices for delicious wine and that the finest varietals don’t need to break the bank.

What do customers value most about Aldi’s wine selection?

Simply put, we take the guesswork out of shopping for wine. We partner with the finest producers of wine, offer the right varieties based on what our customers are craving, and make sure the product itself is absolutely delicious—and for more than half of our wines—award-winning. 

What’s the story with Aldi private-label wine?

We consider ourselves private-label pioneers in the grocery industry, with our exclusive brands making up more 90% of our product selection, and that certainly applies to our wines, as well. We have close relationships with suppliers and more than 50 wineries all around the world, from Napa Valley to Tuscany, who we work with to curate our top-quality varietals at the lowest possible prices. Together with our partners, we’re able to keep tabs on trends and react quickly to bring new, in-demand products to our shoppers. Only Aldi can offer these award-winning, innovative products at the prices we do, making our private-label wine attractive to connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike.

As a hard discounter, attractive wine pricing is likely important to your customers. How frequently do you run wine promotions?

We don’t need to offer promotions, coupons or specials on wine because our prices are incredibly low, every single day. As mentioned earlier, nearly all our bottles come in at less than $10. With the quality and prices of our wine selection, shoppers can always find what they need, whether it’s a bottle for dinner or stocking up to enjoy over time.

Aldi’s highly coveted Wine Advent calendar is legendary. Is this your most popular wine event of the year? Why does it resonate with shoppers?

“Legendary,” what a compliment! And we agree! Customers look forward to our Advent calendars every year, and it’s so fun for us to roll out new and different options for them to enjoy. We’ve been proud to introduce new calendars over the years like cheese, chocolate, beer and more, but the tried-and-true wine calendars are always a staple and fan favorite. We find shoppers really enjoy trying new varieties and finding new favorites from the wine calendar, and we’re already looking forward to what next year will bring.

To what do you attribute Aldi’s success in the wine category?

Our success in the wine space is a result of providing shoppers with high-quality, delicious wines at unbeatable prices. It’s as simple as that. Our customers love that at Aldi, they don’t need to pay a lot for a quality bottle of wine, and that our wide selection has something all wine drinkers are sure to love.