For many college students -- aged 21 and older, of course -- there is a fine line between an affordable wine that tastes like watered-down grape juice and affordable wine that tastes surprisingly delicious.

I’ve had both and I for one am not willing to compromise taste for a $.50 price reduction. But, how do we know where to look? Can we find good tasting wines for a lower price?

I read an article in Food and Wine magazine about finding that happy medium between superior taste and prominent value. It was very helpful, but not necessarily college applicable with our budgets, resources, and location.

Additionally, on Pinterest I recently repinned a link to traderjoeswine.blogspot.com, which is a blog completely devoted to the wine selection, prices, and reviews at Trader Joe’s. TJ’s just so happens to be one of my favorite discounted wine locations, so I was thrilled. I’m not certain how adept the blogger’s wine taste is, though wine tasting is obviously subjective, but I found it very helpful.

Below is my compilation of the helpful details from the article and blog, along with my personal findings of the most frequently bought types of wine with the lowest price:

White Wines

Best Chardonnay in Fort Worth:

2009 Ryan Patrick Vineyards Naked Chardonnay - $6 (Trader Joe’s)

Tisdale Chardonnay, NV, California - $3.33 (Sprouts or Specs)

Best Pinot Grigio in Fort Worth:

Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw Blend Pinot Grigio - $2.49

Best Riesling in Fort Worth:

Covey Run Riesling Quail Run - $5.67 (Spec’s)

Best Sauvignon Blanc in Fort Worth:

2008 King Shag Sauvignon Blanc - $7.99 (Trader Joe’s)

Best Champagne in Fort Worth:

Piper Heidseck Brut Red Bottle Champagne - $13.04 (Spec’s)

Best Sparkling White in Fort Worth:

Segura Viudas Brut Riserva Spain- $8.52 (Spec’s)

Best Prosecco in Fort Worth:

M. Chevallier Brut Cava - $6 (Trader Joe’s)

Wycliff Brut Prosecco - $4.39 (King’s Liquor)

Best Rose in Fort Worth:

Demoiselle Grand Cuvee Brut Rose – $14.73 (Spec’s)

Red Wines

Best Pinot Noir in Fort Worth:

Labet Pinot Noir Ile De Beaute Vin De Pays 2011 - $9.99 (Spec’s)

Best Malbec in Fort Worth:

2011 Alamos Malbec Argentina - $9.36 (Spec’s)

2011 Arido Malbec Argentina - $9.46 (Spec’s)

Best Shiraz in Fort Worth:

2010 County Fair Wingman Shiraz Viognier - $7 (Trader Joe’s)

Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw Blend Shiraz - $2.49

Best Cabernet Sauvignon in Fort Worth:

The Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon - $9.99 (Super Target)

Best Merlot in Fort Worth:

2008 Red Diamond Merlot - $9 (Trader Joe’s)

Best Zinfandel in Fort Worth:

7 Deadly Zins - $9.99 (Super Target)

Best Chianti in Fort Worth:

2010 Roccalta Sangiovese - $4 (Trader Joe’s)

Ruffino Chianti 2006 - $6.31 (Spec’s)

Best Red Blend in Fort Worth:

2009 Green Barn Red Field Blend - $5 (Trader Joe’s)

Dom Cabasse Deux Anges Cotes Du Rhone Villages 2011 - $11.39 (Spec’s)

Writer Felix Salmon was one of the experts in the wine tasting from the article in Food and Wine. His input was the most valuable to me when searching for a wine I’ll love.

Salmon said, "My theory is, if you want to maximize your pleasure, it's simple. Find a wine you like, buy a few cases of it, and any time you need a bottle, pull one out. It will grow on you. You'll learn to appreciate it more. It will be like an old friend."

This suggestion, he said, was backed up by various psychological studies on the nature of happiness, rather than strict economic analysis, but it was still a good one.

"By building up positive associations -- this is the wine I drink when I'm home relaxing, this is the wine I pour for my friends when they're over and we're having a great time -- you train your mind to enjoy the wine more and more each time you drink it.”

Try using this technique and these suggestions and you’ll be on your way to finding wine value.