Everyday or big day?
Christine Austin picks 10 of the best value-wines on the shelves at Tesco and Waitrose stores after swirling her glass through two marathon tasting sessions of their autumn offerings.
THERE were two marathon tasting days last week which is always bad news for the enamel on my teeth. As usual, Waitrose put out more than 150 wines and other beverages, highlighting new vintages, new wines, and anything the buyers think might be useful for Christmas columns.
After sniffing and swirling through all 150 wines with diligent note-taking, I have selected ten of the best flavour-for-money wines from the range it showed and, while I was hoping to keep prices under £10, this was not achievable. The average price of the ten wines I selected from Waitrose is £9.69, compared with an average of £7.65 from the 10 wines I chose from range that Tesco’s buyers put out for tasting.
And while this may reflect poorly on Waitrose, this was just a snapshot of the range put out for tasting. Another point is that Waitrose let journalists into the secret of which wines will plunge in price for the run-up to Christmas in their annual £10 fine wine offer. I’ll let you know which wines these are when the embargo is lifted but if they had been included in my range, the average would have come down.
The focus at Tesco was definitely on new lines, new presentation and value for money. Finding 10 good wines at £10 and under was easy. Perhaps this indicates that Tesco concentrates on getting the deals while Waitrose seems to focus on special occasion wines.
Here are my choices of what to look for:
TESCO Whites
■ Vista Castelli Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2022, Italy, £4.75: Astonishing flavours for money in this light, herb-spiked, easy-drinking, dry white wine. Pour it for book-club evening.
■ Finest Côtes de Gascogne 2022, southwest France, £7.50: If you are tired of Sauvignon
Blanc, try this zesty, citrus-charged wine. It is refreshing and lively and settles around any kind of fish dish with ease.
■ Finest Valle de Leyda Chardonnay 2022, Chile, £8.50: With ripe peachy notes, a rounded style and no oak clouding the palate, this will happily accompany roast chicken.
■ Finest Falanghina 2022, Campania, Italy, £8.50: From one of the best producers in the region, this has herb-dusted fresh apple and pear fruit, with enough weight and structure to partner creamy pasta.
■ Pure Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2022, South Australia, £9: At just 11% alcohol, this wine has been designed to fit into new alcohol tax legislation, by early harvesting and careful fermentation. Zesty, fruit-packed and delicious.
Reds
■ Italiano Vino Rosso d’Italia NV, £4.50:
A simple, quaffable juicy red fruity wine to go alongside a Monday to Thursday night pizza.
■ Des Tourelles Claret 2022, Bordeaux, France, £5.49: This blend of Merlot, Cabs Sauvignon and Franc has lively, fresh cassis fruit that goes down well with a beef sandwich or a chunk of cheese.
■ Finest Malbec 2022, Mendoza, Argentina, £9: From Catena who consistently make some of Argentina’s finest Malbecs. Chunky, mulberry and blackberry-filled fruit, with a long peppery finish.
■ Finest Chianti Classico Riserva 2019, Tuscany, Italy, £9.25: This has deep cherry
fruit, with weight and suppleness that makes it perfect for Sunday lunch.
■ Finest Viña del Cura Rioja Reserva
2018, Spain, £10: There are cheaper Riojas on Tesco’s shelves but stretch the budget to taste this one. From one of the top producers, it has layers of red fruits, depth and balance.
WAITROSE
■ Loved and Found Treixadura 2022, Galicia, Spain, £8.99: A terrific, crisp, lively, crunchy white made from a grape that is usually lost in a blend. Perfect as an aperitif.
■ Bodega Norton Torrontés 2023, Mendoza, Argentina, £8.99: Halfway in style between Gewürztraminer and Riesling, this is a refreshing, lightly spiced, floral wine that goes wonderfully with fish and spiced dishes.
■ Paul Mas Auromon Chardonnay 2022, Limoux, 2022, France, £10.99: There is a white Burgundy in the range at the same price, but I would head for this instead. Ripe peach and apple fruit, with a thread of citrus across the palate and a creamy, elegant style.
■ Ara Single Vineyard Pinot Gris 2023, Marlborough, New Zealand, £11.99: There is 2.2% of Gewürztraminer in this Pinot Gris which lifts the fruit perfectly, giving ripe pear and nectarine notes, with just an edge of sweetness that will cope well with a spiced stir fry.
■ No.1 Cederberg Chenin Blanc 2022, Western Cape, South Africa, £11.99: A terrific Chenin with honeysuckle, stone fruit and crunchy apple freshness.
Reds
■ Blueprint Fairtrade Pinotage 2022, Stellenbosch, South Africa £7.99: Pinotage has changed. Gone are dull, smoky notes and in their place are lively, positive damson flavours. This is perfect for autumn suppers.
■ Ch. Tanunda Shiraz 2022, South Australia, down from £9.99 to £7.99 until Tuesday: Dash to Waitrose to stock up with this blackberry and blueberry filled wine with a twist of white pepper and spice on the finish.
■ Loved and Found Touriga Nacional 2021, Algarve, Portugal, £8.99: Dark, plum and bramble flavours with savoury depth. Try it with a winter casserole.
■ Ch. Capendu La Comelle Corbières 2021, Languedoc Roussillon, £8.99: A new addition to the Jean-Claude Mas portfolio, this wine delivers a robust, gutsy blend of Carignan and Grenache, with dark red fruits and a juicy finish.
■ Tiki Ridge Reserve Pinot Noir 2021, Marlborough, New Zealand, down from £12.99 to £9.99 until Tuesday: A great value Pinot with cherry and blueberry fruit and a silky, savoury, rounded finish.