THE DRINKER
EAT - DRINK - BE MERRY
PAST DRINKS OF THE WEEK
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2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013 JUL TO DEC
2013 JAN TO JUN
2012 JULY TO DEC
2012 JAN TO JUNE
2011 JAN TO JUNE
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2009
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2019
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2017
2016
2015
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2013 JUL TO DEC
2013 JAN TO JUN
2012 JULY TO DEC
2012 JAN TO JUNE
2011 JAN TO JUNE
2010 JULY TO DEC
2010 JAN TO JUNE
2009
2023 Past Drinks of The Week
DRINK OF THE WEEK
18th December 2023
Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt Whisky
Lidl £17.99
Drinker Rating 91
This is a real whisky time of year, it's getting colder and darker so it's a really wonderful opportunity to sit by the fire with friends and a single malt. You'll see on my Magnificent Seven Whisky Picks vid on YouTube (link below) that it doesn't have to be massively expensive - and also it doesn't always have to be scotch - my little vid highlights English, Welsh, Irish and American whiskies too!
This Ben Brecken however has all the Islay character that you'd want, loads of iodine and smoky bonfire notes and at under £18 it's a steal for the whisky lover in your life or simply for your home shelf. The Ben Bracken Speyside is excellent too.
Enjoy your Christmas tipple and please drink responsibly.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
4th December 2023
The Reprobates
Aldi £7.49
Drinker Rating 89
So with the cold weather ongoing we need a hearty winter warmer to bring some sunshine into our lives.
This wine is the Aldi homage to 19 Crimes and has all the big, Aussie, in yer face-ness that youd expect from this style. Generous black fruit, high alcohol and some pleasing residual sweetness that would really hit the spot in winter.
This wine is not for everyone but if you need a big old Aussie wine this is just the ticket at the right price.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
27th November 2023
Taste the Difference Gamay
Sainsbury's £9.00
Drinker Rating 89
When November comes around there's always a lot of hot air spouted about Beaujolais Nouveau, the first wine on the market after this years harvest. This wine has been, shall we say variable in quality over the years but I hope it's drawn attention to the better Beaujolias, labeled up as Village or Crus.
Indeed it's great exposure for the grape variety Gamay too - and this week's Drink of the Week is a Gamay, not from Beaujolais but from much further south in France, down near the Spanish border.
This has all the velvety blueberry character of its northerly cousin, but due to the warmer temperatures and longer sunshine hours it has a little more muscularity and structure.
A grape variety well worth exploring!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
20th November 2023
Vista Castelli Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
Tesco £4.75
Drinker Rating 88
So here's another miraculous sub £5 wine for the folk on TikTok to tell me is rubbish and I don't know what I'm talking about.
It is possible to still buy decent wine at this price but you have to be realistic with your expectations. This trebbiano is light and simple with pleasing freshness and easy going citrus character. Let's not pretend it's going to change your world, it isn't but it's a perfectly lovely and affordable pre Christmas payday white.
I'd buy lots of this and chill it well, serve it at your office party and no one will complain.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
30th October 2023
Deluxe New Zealand Pinot Gris
Lidl £6.49
Drinker Rating 89
For clarity Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are the same grape, but stylistically bottles labeled as such are usually worlds apart. Pinot Grigio is usually associated with the dry and fairly wines of Northern Italy, light and refreshing with a hint of stone fruit. Whereas the Pinot Gris style is usually fuller in body, more creamy and complex with flavours erring toward nutty and floral.
New Zealnad has adopted Pinot Gris as it's new white wine, the wines such as this weeks selection are deeper with tropical fruit notes.
Amazingly I reviewed this wine back in June and it was listed at £7.49 and it's now currently on the shelf at £6.49 - despite the recent wine duty increase!
You could stock up with this for Christmas, it's an absolute belter and would make a great party or winter house white.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
23rd October 2023
Found Moschofilero/Roditis
Marks and Spencer £8.50
Drinker Rating 90
I'm happy to report an increase in availability of wines from Greece. For many years Greek wine was quite fearsome stuff - ranging between over extracted whites though to retsina, which as we all know is an acquired taste.
But the standards have improved enormously and there's a bunch of new grapes for us to get familiar with - two of which feature in this little beauty from M&S. This is a really interesting blend, herbal and aromatic and it's also amazing value at £8.50.
Get down to Marks for some plate smashing fun!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
16th October 2023
Monts and Vaux Malbec
Morrisons £7.00
Drinker Rating 90
The grape variety malbec has become increasingly popular, I think it's because it's so reliably inky and fruit driven often with a nice warming spice character. Also it's so reliable and affordable and the Argentinians have really made it their own.
This malbec however is from its spiritual homeland France and the south west in particular. This wine is remarkable as it's extremely fresh and light with as much red fruit character as black. Easy red cherry and raspberry it's refreshing and delicious.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
9th October 2023
Chateau Oumsiyat Mijana
Waitrose £9.49
Drinker Rating 92
So when I recorded all my YouTube and TikTok reviews back in the summer it was before the Chancellor decided to add 44p a bottle to the duty we pay in most wine - thanks Mr Hunt.
Back in those days this brilliant Lebanese wine was £8.99 and naturally it's gone up by 50p to £9.49 - but nonetheless it still represents tremendous value for money. Ripe, earthy, tobacco leaf and herbal elements combine to make a classy, complex and interesting wine - fab stuff.
Pretty much my highlight of the season.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
2nd October 2023
Pasqua Bardolino Chiaretto Rosé
Majestic £5.99 Mix Six Price
Drinker Rating 89
This is an absolute belter of a wine and it's currently only £5.99 at Majestic and when I TokTok-ed it back in June it was £7.99 (this is the Majestic Mix Six price - a single bottle will set you back £8.99). I have no idea why it's reduced in price - might be a bin end clearance price, but whatever the reason it's a smasher.
This Veneto pink is made from Corvina - an interesting grape variety offering rose petal perfume and redcurrant freshness wrapped up in a classy looking bottle.
I'm thinking of making this my winter house rosé - so I'll race you down to Majestic before it all goes at this astonishing price!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
25th September 2023
Fairtrade Chenin Blanc
Co-op £5.50
Drinker Rating 89
There's so much decent, affordable wine coming out of South Africa right now, very often wines that will not change the world but are extremely drinkable nonetheless.
This is one such, it's a Western Cape Chenin Blanc and it's bright and effervescent with stone fruit and citrus character. If you look closely at the label there's a picture building and it's the community centre in South Africa that profits from this Fairtrade wine helped build.
So you can sip knowing your tipple is doing some real good out there in the world.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
18th September 2023
Cambalala Western Cape Shiraz
Aldi £4.75
Drinker Rating 89
There have been a lot of price increases in the sub ten pound wine selection offered by our highstreet retailers. This wine is no different, in fact since i tasted it and recded the TikTok and YouTube vids below Aldi have increased the price of this one from a staggering £4.29 to a now astronomical £4.75!
If you can tolerate this massive price hike you won't b disappointed, this wine typifies the bold fruit driven New World shiraz, intense stewed black fruit, bramble, spice and black cherry with a solid but integrated tannic backbone.
Amazing value at under £5, buy lots, these prices may not last.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
4th September 2023
Les Calcieres Pinot Noir
Sainsbury's £7.75
Drinker Rating 89
Pinot noir is a wonderful grape, able to give simple light ad fruity wines but also able to generate amazing complexity, terms like farmyard and forest floor are often used to describe older wines made with this versatile grape.
This wine is pretty much the former in style, fruit driven and quite dark and extracted, we can expect more of this style of wine as climate change ripens and intensifies red grapes grown in more northern latitudes.
Enjoy this as the seasons change, redcurrant and red cherry, like a summer pudding in a glass with just a hint of petrichor to it. Elegant and classy.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
28th August 2023
Boschendal The Rose Garden Rosé
Tesco £9.75
Drinker Rating 89
So this is the brave new world where all the wines are now more expensive, when I first tasted this at the Tesco tasting back in May it was listed at £9 a bottle and it's now £9.75. This is pretty much down to a hike in wine duty imposed by our useless and stupid Chancellor in August. Do yourself a favour next time and DON'T VOTE TORY.
So to the wine, Boschendal are a fab pproducer from South Africa and this wine is typical of their very apporoachable style. Light, pretty and elegant, hints of raspberry and rose petal, a perfectly lovely late summer rosé.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
21st August 2023
Carne Rojo Malbec
Asda £5.25
Drinker Rating 89
This is a wonderful expression of the malbec grape and is a little unusual as it's not all big, spicy, bramble led on the palate, there's a lovely light touch of red berry fruit to it too.
This really lightens the wine and makes it much more flexible for food matching than the label and name might suggest. I'd happily sip this with a BBQ and it would stand up to red meat but I think would be a much more flexible food partner than most commercial malbecs out there.
When I first tasted it it was listed at £4.95 but like most wines has suffered from the recent Duty rise and is now in at a still very affordable £5.25.
Enjoy your bank holiday BBQ.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
14th August 2023
Bordeaux Superieur
Lidl £6.49
Drinker Rating 90
When I go to wine tastings and see Bordeaux at under a tenner my heart sinks as the wines in this bracket have been pretty dire. This wine however....
I think it's been selected well by the good folk of Lidl and also the impact of climate change is evident in much riper fruit, not jammy but much more voluptuous and still with some lovely green and black pepper character. It's got enough structure to stand up to red meat and enough character to keep you and your guests interested.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
7th August 2023
Fleur de Lise Saint Mont Rosé
Marks and Spencer £6.00
Drinker Rating 91
I hear summer's on the way - apparently an hour and a half this Thursday is all we're getting this year. So quick! Get out there and get some roseeeeeeee!
This is a belter from M&S whose wine list is changing at a rate of knotts - this lovely rosé is only £6 right now and represents such brilliant value I wouldn't blame you if you whipped down there right now and bought the lot.
Red cherry elegance, pretty and easy going - top stuff!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
31st July 2023
Klein Street Sauvignon Blanc
Morrsisons £6.00
Drinker Rating 91
We don't judge the book by the cover do we - no of course not but a lovely cover does help sell the book. I think this wine has a fab label and I know plenty of folk who often buy bottles based on pretty branding - so they're right in this week with this amazing value sauvignon blanc.
This is a wine from South Africa, a country that's really taken to this grape, producing increasing amounts of really reliable wine year on year. This is fresh and zesty and just the right price at the time when the cost of a bottle looks like it's about to soar.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
24th July 2023
Vibrant & Grassy Chilean White
Waitrose £4.99
Drinker Rating 91
We all excercise prejudice occasionally - with me it's the assumption that all wine in Waitrose is expensive! For some folk, according to my TikTok channel all wine under £6 is awful, undrinkable vinegar or worse (you should see the comments!).
So here's a wine to disprove both, a perfectly lovely sun five pound white - it's a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc called Vibrant and Grassy and guess what? It's vibrant and grassy, a perfect and affordable patio wine for the summer.
Super stuff, go on, what have you got to lose?
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
17th July 2023
Krasno Pinot Bianco
Majestic £7.99
Drinker Rating 91
This is a cracker from Slovenia - possibly Europe's most interesting up and coming wine producing nation. If you think about it, situated at the top end of the Adriatic, wedged between the Italian Alps and Croatia it's got the perfect longitude for grape growing and you add the softening influence of the sea and the possibility for higher altitude vineyards this all adds up to the potential for a long ripening season and complexity in the grapes.
This is pinot bianco a wonderful grape variety that does really well in cooler climates, and it produces a wine with lemon and honeysuckle aromas backed up by fresh acidity and some lovely mineral notes.
Perfect stuff from Majestic.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
10th July 2023
Castellore Pinot Grigio Sauvignon Blanc
Aldi £6.99
Drinker Rating 91
How about this - a blend of the two most fashionable grapes on the market? You don't often see pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc together but they work remarkably well, the grigio brining the fresh acidity and the sauvignon the floral tropical notes.
This remarkable wine is under seven quid and worth every penny, balancing wonderful floral notes with zippy citrus bite. An absolute belter.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
26th June 2023
Finest Prosecco
Tesco £8.50
Drinker Rating 89
You know you don't have to wait for a celebration to open a bottle of fizz right? There's so much really decent stuff at great prices out there you should get popping right away. That said there's quite a lot of very average stuff out there too - but it's my job to find you the crackers.
This is on such - Tesco Finest has really improved in recent months in the wine department and this is a belter at the price.
Light, easy and fresh, just a hint of tinned peach sweetness but not enough that you'd notice, Prosecco as it should be.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
19th June 2023
Rustica Sicilian White
Marks and Spencer £6.00
Drinker Rating 90
They say every day's a school day and I had just that experience when i fist encountered this wonderful Sicilian white from M&S. It's a blend of caricante, greciano and ansonica - no, me neither!
So that's the first point of interest here, next up is it's beautiful citrus dominated nose and palate, like a little citrus fruit salad explosion in your mouth.
Perfect patio or party wine this summer - when you consider its greatest asset - it's only £6 a bottle!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
12th June 2023
Taste the Difference Jurancon Sec
Sainsbury's £7 (down from £8) £8.99
Drinker Rating 90
Hailing from the south west of France this wonderfully refreshing white is a blend of Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng - not household names and neither is Jurancon. But there is a long heritage of winemaking from this part of the world and with these grapes.
This is a superbly crafted wine, golden in hue, with a lovely lemon sherbet nose and it becomes quite floral with a hint of tropical sweetness on the palate.
Perfectly balanced and great value.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
5th June 2023
Loved and Found Albarossa
Waitrose £8.99
Drinker Rating 90
I'm loving the Loved and Found range at Waitrose right no -really interesting wines made from grapes you may not have heard of or from regions you're unfamiliar with andthis weeks drink is right up there.
Albarossa is a new-ish grape variety being created in the 1930s - and it really does the biz - it's got that wonderful Italian red morello cherry character and there's also something earthy and spicy there too - this balances with some mouthwatering acidity making a perfect food wine.
Fab price, great wine and every day's a school day!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
29th May 2023
Pringle Bay Pinot Noir
Majestic £7.99 (Mix Six Price)
Drinker Rating 90
I often think that pinot noir is the perfect 'between the seasons' wine. A light fresh red, can be chilled, can be room temp', not too hefty and angular but still enough to carry with whatever the season's menu can throw at it.
This is a real beauty from South Africa, and is all about the light cherry and soft spice, one to try ever so slightly cooler if it's a hot day - it's so great at such an affordable price, fill your boots with this little lovely.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
22nd May 2023
Extra Special Cotes du Gascogne
Asda £6.50
Drinker Rating 90
Another little seasonal smasher this week. Lovely grassy, herbal white, fresh and crisp like our spring eventings. This Cotes du Gascogne is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Colombard and Gros Manseng and is wonderfully characterful with notes of, hedgerow and tropical fruit.
At £6.50 it won't break the bank and it'll be a real crowd pleaser of you've got company over the Bank Holiday weekend.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
15th May 2023
Trivento Malbec Rosé
Morrisons £7.00
Drinker Rating 89
Trivento is about the biggest brand name in wine in the UK right now. Based in Argentina they make fab wines - predominantly with Argentina's signature grape, malbec.
This wine really shows the versatility of the variety and also the craft and care with which Trivento select the grapes from different sites and altitudes in order to get consistency and solidity in style.
This rosé is really well priced and extremely reliable, it's fresh, dry and light with just enough redcurrant character to keep us interested.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
1st May 2023
Grapevine Malbec
Aldi £3.89
Drinker Rating 93
When I recommend really cheap wines such as this one there's often a bit of disbelieving feedback on-line as to whether you can produce wines of any quality at under £4 - well I'm here to tell you it is possible - I just don't know how.
Once you take the duty and VAT, the cost of packaging and shipping and the labour needed to make it, let alone anyone making a profit, it simply isn't possible to make wine at this price.
But somehow Aldi have sourced it and offer it up at £3.89 and the miracle on top of it all is that it's a really lovely drop. Simple black currant and cherry character, easy drinking patio or Wednesday night wine.
Trust me and try it, what have you got to lose? Well, £3.89!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
24th April 2023
Ca' Del Lago Rosato - La Rosa delle Dame
Lidl £5.99
Drinker Rating 93
So we're hurtling toward a double bank holiday and as the weather gets warmer (hopefully) we'll need a lovely drop of pink of drinking in the garden.
This is a perfectly lovely rosé, pale and pretty. It comes in a whopper of a bottle that might make you think it's a fizz - but it's not - this is still and haunted with the aromas of strawberry and rose petal with a lingering raspberry finish.
At £5.99 this is a fantastic party wine, all you need to do is add the sunshine.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
17th April 2023
Kanonkop, Kadette, Cape Blend
Tesco £12.00
Drinker Rating 93
I've covered a whole load of really easy drinking and affordable wines in the last few months so now it's time fro something a little classier and of course that means a little more expensive.
The cost of a wine is a very complex affair but in this case it's justifies by the quality of the grapes used, the practices in the winery and the ageing in oak barrels which drives cost.
Is £12 a lot for a bottle of wine, well it all depends I suppose, I think this wine is worth every penny, full on bramble fruit, complexity on the nose and palate, coffee, tobacco, savoury spice - it's got the lot this really has.
Go on! Treat yourself!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
10th April 2023
This is...Soft and Tropical Chardonnay
Marks andSpencer £5.50
Drinker Rating 89
There's still a whole bunch of great value to be had on the supermarket wine shelves right now - and who'd have thought Marks and Spencer would be leading the way?
'This is...' is a little collection of wines showing great value and varietal typicity across the range. This 'This is...' wine is a chardonnay from South Africa, which is wonderfully zesty and tropical, dry and very easy drinking and look at the price!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
3rd April 2023
Sainsbury's Rosé Cava
Sainsbury's £6.00
Drinker Rating 89
With the Easter weekend coming up it's time for a celebration - getting together with friends or family or simply enjoying the spring weather on a long bank holiday weekend.
So you'll need some bubbles - but as with all my recent reviews you'll want keenly priced interesting wine offering great value for money.
This rosé cava really fits the bill, beautiful to look at, fresh and dry with a mouthwatering raspberry character and only £6.00!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
27th March 2023
Blueprint Chilean Merlot
Waitrose £7.99
Drinker Rating 90
Merlot takes a bit of a battering doesn't it - it's in part because of the 2004 film Sideways where one of the characters is so dismissive of the grape in favour of pinot noir, "if anyone orders the merlot I'm leaving". People often get a little gem like this and stick with it, vowing never to touch another.
Well I'm here to tell you tat rules like this never help and a closed mind is not the best path to happiness. So why not give merlot a little go?
This Blueprint from Waitrose is very much an entry level wine, it's pretty and fruit driven and quite simple and it's priced accordingly.
Perfectly drinkable, acceptable wine, very solid.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
20th March 2023
Bienbebido Polpo Alabarino
Majestic £7.99 (Mix 6 Price)
Drinker Rating 90
It's not just the big supermatkets that offer really interesting wines at affordable prices, wine specialist Majestic has been really active in the sub £10 category too.
The last wine I recommended from Majestic was their Fizzy and Fruity Italian sparkler at under £5 - you can check this out on my seasonal review link below.
This week I have a lovely Albarino, it's Spanish and comes in at under £8. This wine is light, fresh and fruit driven, elements of lemon verbena and it's mouth-watering and beautifully dry.
Check out my TikTok review here
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
13th March 2023
Burdizzo Chianti Riserva
Asda £6.25
Drinker Rating 89
Asda continue to provide one of the very best affordable wine selections of all the supermarkets. Pretty much all of their Extra Special range is spot on for typicity and price.
This week's wine isn't from that range but it is a beautifully made Chianti with a little bit of extra age on it and this really comes through on the nose with a wonderfully oaky savouriness. As you'd expect from Chianti the palate is all black and red cherry, again savoury and peppery.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
6th March 2023
Isoletta Nero D'Avola
Morrisons £5.50
Drinker Rating 89
The relentless search for affordable interesting wines continues, this week with this cracking Nero D'Avola from Sicily.
This little island is really punching above its weight for great quality mid-priced wines right now and this is a great example. Sweet plum, damson and a hit of black pepper spice - really well balanced and under six quid.
Morriosns keep on turning out affordable wines at this level and you can see my seasonal review of six wines all under a tenner on the YouTube link below and see my review of this wine here on TikTok.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
27th Feb 2023
Animus Portuguese Red Blend
Aldi £4.49
Drinker Rating 90
Still on the cgharge for well priced interesting wines and where better to look than Aldi - check out my seasonal recommendations vids on the YouTube link below - hey, why not even subscribe?
Here we have a wonderful red blend, no grape varieties listed but it's likely to include tinto roriz and touriga nacional - may even contain bastardo - yes, look it up!
The wine is much lighter than I was expecting, easy tannins and more red than black fruit character - could work well chilled if you're that way inclined. TikTok review here.
Easy, refreshing and light, and under a fiver!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
20th Feb 2023
Merlot Reserva Privada Valle Central
Lidl £5.49
Drinker Rating 90
As we continue to search for the very best affordable wines this season we have two inevitable destinations, firstly the discount supermarkets and both Aldi and Lidl are first rate here and secondly the home of low cost quality wine - Chile.
So this is a beautiful Chilean merlot from Lidl, it comes in at £5.49 which is a miracle and it's full of character.
The nose opens up with primary black fruit and a hint of vanilla slice. The the palate delivers more of that intense stewed black fruit, some coconut and end with a really intersting herbal and liquorice finish.
At the price this is a first rate wine see my vids on YouTube below for ore recommendations from the discounters.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
13th Feb 2023
Marques de los Zancos Rioja Blanco
Tesco £5.25
Drinker Rating 90
There seems to have been a real improvement in the standard of white Rioja in the last couple of years and best of all the price point has not yet caught up with the quality.
So we're now able to get hold of really fun and interesting wines at really pocket friendly prices. This is just the ticket giving us green apple and lemon sherbet on the nose and fresh citrus and some tropical fruit on the palate.
Super wine - interesting and affordable.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
6th Feb 2023
Tapa Roja Old Vine Monastrell
Marks and Spencer £7.50
Drinker Rating 89
So as we continue to look for great value I'm looking toward the classier retailers - yep even the top end supermarkets are upping their game in the sub ten pound bracket, this week Marks and Spencer.
This is a lovely Spanish number, complex nose, herbal and new bandages, lovely ripe plum on the palate finishing with spicy black pepper. A real candidate for your house red - perfect winter/spring drinking.
Great value and really interesting.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
30th January 2023
Taste the Difference Pecorino Terre di Chieti
Sainsbury's On offer £6.00
Drinker Rating 89
On our continued quest for great tasting wines at affordable prices how about this little beauty. Pecorino di Chieti from the Taste the Difference range at Sainsbury's - easy, light and fresh with just enough almond and pear character to keep it the right side of interesting.
Right now there's £1 off a bottle so it sits at a very tidy £6 a bottle, get to Sainsbury's and buy lots of this - chill well and share.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
23rd January 2023
Cotes de Duras Sauvignon Blanc
Waitrose On offer at £6.49
Drinker Rating 90
Payday may be approaching so to celebrate here's a discounted little number from Waitrose. Cotes de Duras is in south western France and they make fab wines down there. This is a little belter with so much aromatic fruit character, almond cherry bakewell and beech hedge with fresh gooseberry acidity,
So much going on at £8.49 (usual price, currently £6.49), lots of wine for the money, complex, fresh and interesting.
Top stuff.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
16th January 2023
Majestic Fizzy and Fruity
Majestic £4.99
Drinker Rating 89
Keeping with the lower priced wines as it seems like pay day is still a million days away - this time Majestic.
We don't often associate Majestic with the affordable end of the market but like all the retailers they're having to move heaven and earth to keep their prices down.
This is a super drop of fizz and it does what it says on the tine - it's Fizzy and Fruity, at under a fiver this smashing little Italian sparkler has all the hallmarks of a good party.
Light, fresh and entertaining, it's made from the Glera grape, which what they use to make Prosecco, it's everything it should be and UNDER A FIVER!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
9th January 2023
Le Manoir du Baron Viognier
ASDA £4.95
Drinker Rating 89
So deepest January, the festivities are a distant memory and payday looks a mile off - what we need is a little cheer at an affordable price.
Good old Asda are really holding their end up in this department and this is a fab viognier from France, it's a really interesting wine, lovely summery elements of peach, melon and pineapple will bring a bit of liquid sunshine into your life when you need it most - and at under a fiver it's fantastic value for money!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
2nd January 2023
Morrisons Cabernet Sauvignon
Morrisons £4.35
Drinker Rating 89
So we're looking at the affordable end of the market for wine recommendations in this early difficult part of the year. Morrisons have this bracket pretty much sewn up - and believe me not all sub £5 wine is poor.
Check out all my pages and vids and you'll find a whole range of interesting and affordable wines this season.
Let's kick the year off with this - really poorly packaged but really lovely £4.35 cabernet sauvignon. Let's not judge the book by the cover as this is a beauty. Coming from Moldova it has a really lovely cherry (red and black) note, light easy structure and very drinkable.
Proper bargain, get down to Morriosns.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
18th December 2023
Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt Whisky
Lidl £17.99
Drinker Rating 91
This is a real whisky time of year, it's getting colder and darker so it's a really wonderful opportunity to sit by the fire with friends and a single malt. You'll see on my Magnificent Seven Whisky Picks vid on YouTube (link below) that it doesn't have to be massively expensive - and also it doesn't always have to be scotch - my little vid highlights English, Welsh, Irish and American whiskies too!
This Ben Brecken however has all the Islay character that you'd want, loads of iodine and smoky bonfire notes and at under £18 it's a steal for the whisky lover in your life or simply for your home shelf. The Ben Bracken Speyside is excellent too.
Enjoy your Christmas tipple and please drink responsibly.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
4th December 2023
The Reprobates
Aldi £7.49
Drinker Rating 89
So with the cold weather ongoing we need a hearty winter warmer to bring some sunshine into our lives.
This wine is the Aldi homage to 19 Crimes and has all the big, Aussie, in yer face-ness that youd expect from this style. Generous black fruit, high alcohol and some pleasing residual sweetness that would really hit the spot in winter.
This wine is not for everyone but if you need a big old Aussie wine this is just the ticket at the right price.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
27th November 2023
Taste the Difference Gamay
Sainsbury's £9.00
Drinker Rating 89
When November comes around there's always a lot of hot air spouted about Beaujolais Nouveau, the first wine on the market after this years harvest. This wine has been, shall we say variable in quality over the years but I hope it's drawn attention to the better Beaujolias, labeled up as Village or Crus.
Indeed it's great exposure for the grape variety Gamay too - and this week's Drink of the Week is a Gamay, not from Beaujolais but from much further south in France, down near the Spanish border.
This has all the velvety blueberry character of its northerly cousin, but due to the warmer temperatures and longer sunshine hours it has a little more muscularity and structure.
A grape variety well worth exploring!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
20th November 2023
Vista Castelli Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
Tesco £4.75
Drinker Rating 88
So here's another miraculous sub £5 wine for the folk on TikTok to tell me is rubbish and I don't know what I'm talking about.
It is possible to still buy decent wine at this price but you have to be realistic with your expectations. This trebbiano is light and simple with pleasing freshness and easy going citrus character. Let's not pretend it's going to change your world, it isn't but it's a perfectly lovely and affordable pre Christmas payday white.
I'd buy lots of this and chill it well, serve it at your office party and no one will complain.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
30th October 2023
Deluxe New Zealand Pinot Gris
Lidl £6.49
Drinker Rating 89
For clarity Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are the same grape, but stylistically bottles labeled as such are usually worlds apart. Pinot Grigio is usually associated with the dry and fairly wines of Northern Italy, light and refreshing with a hint of stone fruit. Whereas the Pinot Gris style is usually fuller in body, more creamy and complex with flavours erring toward nutty and floral.
New Zealnad has adopted Pinot Gris as it's new white wine, the wines such as this weeks selection are deeper with tropical fruit notes.
Amazingly I reviewed this wine back in June and it was listed at £7.49 and it's now currently on the shelf at £6.49 - despite the recent wine duty increase!
You could stock up with this for Christmas, it's an absolute belter and would make a great party or winter house white.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
23rd October 2023
Found Moschofilero/Roditis
Marks and Spencer £8.50
Drinker Rating 90
I'm happy to report an increase in availability of wines from Greece. For many years Greek wine was quite fearsome stuff - ranging between over extracted whites though to retsina, which as we all know is an acquired taste.
But the standards have improved enormously and there's a bunch of new grapes for us to get familiar with - two of which feature in this little beauty from M&S. This is a really interesting blend, herbal and aromatic and it's also amazing value at £8.50.
Get down to Marks for some plate smashing fun!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
16th October 2023
Monts and Vaux Malbec
Morrisons £7.00
Drinker Rating 90
The grape variety malbec has become increasingly popular, I think it's because it's so reliably inky and fruit driven often with a nice warming spice character. Also it's so reliable and affordable and the Argentinians have really made it their own.
This malbec however is from its spiritual homeland France and the south west in particular. This wine is remarkable as it's extremely fresh and light with as much red fruit character as black. Easy red cherry and raspberry it's refreshing and delicious.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
9th October 2023
Chateau Oumsiyat Mijana
Waitrose £9.49
Drinker Rating 92
So when I recorded all my YouTube and TikTok reviews back in the summer it was before the Chancellor decided to add 44p a bottle to the duty we pay in most wine - thanks Mr Hunt.
Back in those days this brilliant Lebanese wine was £8.99 and naturally it's gone up by 50p to £9.49 - but nonetheless it still represents tremendous value for money. Ripe, earthy, tobacco leaf and herbal elements combine to make a classy, complex and interesting wine - fab stuff.
Pretty much my highlight of the season.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
2nd October 2023
Pasqua Bardolino Chiaretto Rosé
Majestic £5.99 Mix Six Price
Drinker Rating 89
This is an absolute belter of a wine and it's currently only £5.99 at Majestic and when I TokTok-ed it back in June it was £7.99 (this is the Majestic Mix Six price - a single bottle will set you back £8.99). I have no idea why it's reduced in price - might be a bin end clearance price, but whatever the reason it's a smasher.
This Veneto pink is made from Corvina - an interesting grape variety offering rose petal perfume and redcurrant freshness wrapped up in a classy looking bottle.
I'm thinking of making this my winter house rosé - so I'll race you down to Majestic before it all goes at this astonishing price!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
25th September 2023
Fairtrade Chenin Blanc
Co-op £5.50
Drinker Rating 89
There's so much decent, affordable wine coming out of South Africa right now, very often wines that will not change the world but are extremely drinkable nonetheless.
This is one such, it's a Western Cape Chenin Blanc and it's bright and effervescent with stone fruit and citrus character. If you look closely at the label there's a picture building and it's the community centre in South Africa that profits from this Fairtrade wine helped build.
So you can sip knowing your tipple is doing some real good out there in the world.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
18th September 2023
Cambalala Western Cape Shiraz
Aldi £4.75
Drinker Rating 89
There have been a lot of price increases in the sub ten pound wine selection offered by our highstreet retailers. This wine is no different, in fact since i tasted it and recded the TikTok and YouTube vids below Aldi have increased the price of this one from a staggering £4.29 to a now astronomical £4.75!
If you can tolerate this massive price hike you won't b disappointed, this wine typifies the bold fruit driven New World shiraz, intense stewed black fruit, bramble, spice and black cherry with a solid but integrated tannic backbone.
Amazing value at under £5, buy lots, these prices may not last.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
4th September 2023
Les Calcieres Pinot Noir
Sainsbury's £7.75
Drinker Rating 89
Pinot noir is a wonderful grape, able to give simple light ad fruity wines but also able to generate amazing complexity, terms like farmyard and forest floor are often used to describe older wines made with this versatile grape.
This wine is pretty much the former in style, fruit driven and quite dark and extracted, we can expect more of this style of wine as climate change ripens and intensifies red grapes grown in more northern latitudes.
Enjoy this as the seasons change, redcurrant and red cherry, like a summer pudding in a glass with just a hint of petrichor to it. Elegant and classy.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
28th August 2023
Boschendal The Rose Garden Rosé
Tesco £9.75
Drinker Rating 89
So this is the brave new world where all the wines are now more expensive, when I first tasted this at the Tesco tasting back in May it was listed at £9 a bottle and it's now £9.75. This is pretty much down to a hike in wine duty imposed by our useless and stupid Chancellor in August. Do yourself a favour next time and DON'T VOTE TORY.
So to the wine, Boschendal are a fab pproducer from South Africa and this wine is typical of their very apporoachable style. Light, pretty and elegant, hints of raspberry and rose petal, a perfectly lovely late summer rosé.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
21st August 2023
Carne Rojo Malbec
Asda £5.25
Drinker Rating 89
This is a wonderful expression of the malbec grape and is a little unusual as it's not all big, spicy, bramble led on the palate, there's a lovely light touch of red berry fruit to it too.
This really lightens the wine and makes it much more flexible for food matching than the label and name might suggest. I'd happily sip this with a BBQ and it would stand up to red meat but I think would be a much more flexible food partner than most commercial malbecs out there.
When I first tasted it it was listed at £4.95 but like most wines has suffered from the recent Duty rise and is now in at a still very affordable £5.25.
Enjoy your bank holiday BBQ.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
14th August 2023
Bordeaux Superieur
Lidl £6.49
Drinker Rating 90
When I go to wine tastings and see Bordeaux at under a tenner my heart sinks as the wines in this bracket have been pretty dire. This wine however....
I think it's been selected well by the good folk of Lidl and also the impact of climate change is evident in much riper fruit, not jammy but much more voluptuous and still with some lovely green and black pepper character. It's got enough structure to stand up to red meat and enough character to keep you and your guests interested.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
7th August 2023
Fleur de Lise Saint Mont Rosé
Marks and Spencer £6.00
Drinker Rating 91
I hear summer's on the way - apparently an hour and a half this Thursday is all we're getting this year. So quick! Get out there and get some roseeeeeeee!
This is a belter from M&S whose wine list is changing at a rate of knotts - this lovely rosé is only £6 right now and represents such brilliant value I wouldn't blame you if you whipped down there right now and bought the lot.
Red cherry elegance, pretty and easy going - top stuff!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
31st July 2023
Klein Street Sauvignon Blanc
Morrsisons £6.00
Drinker Rating 91
We don't judge the book by the cover do we - no of course not but a lovely cover does help sell the book. I think this wine has a fab label and I know plenty of folk who often buy bottles based on pretty branding - so they're right in this week with this amazing value sauvignon blanc.
This is a wine from South Africa, a country that's really taken to this grape, producing increasing amounts of really reliable wine year on year. This is fresh and zesty and just the right price at the time when the cost of a bottle looks like it's about to soar.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
24th July 2023
Vibrant & Grassy Chilean White
Waitrose £4.99
Drinker Rating 91
We all excercise prejudice occasionally - with me it's the assumption that all wine in Waitrose is expensive! For some folk, according to my TikTok channel all wine under £6 is awful, undrinkable vinegar or worse (you should see the comments!).
So here's a wine to disprove both, a perfectly lovely sun five pound white - it's a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc called Vibrant and Grassy and guess what? It's vibrant and grassy, a perfect and affordable patio wine for the summer.
Super stuff, go on, what have you got to lose?
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
17th July 2023
Krasno Pinot Bianco
Majestic £7.99
Drinker Rating 91
This is a cracker from Slovenia - possibly Europe's most interesting up and coming wine producing nation. If you think about it, situated at the top end of the Adriatic, wedged between the Italian Alps and Croatia it's got the perfect longitude for grape growing and you add the softening influence of the sea and the possibility for higher altitude vineyards this all adds up to the potential for a long ripening season and complexity in the grapes.
This is pinot bianco a wonderful grape variety that does really well in cooler climates, and it produces a wine with lemon and honeysuckle aromas backed up by fresh acidity and some lovely mineral notes.
Perfect stuff from Majestic.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
10th July 2023
Castellore Pinot Grigio Sauvignon Blanc
Aldi £6.99
Drinker Rating 91
How about this - a blend of the two most fashionable grapes on the market? You don't often see pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc together but they work remarkably well, the grigio brining the fresh acidity and the sauvignon the floral tropical notes.
This remarkable wine is under seven quid and worth every penny, balancing wonderful floral notes with zippy citrus bite. An absolute belter.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
26th June 2023
Finest Prosecco
Tesco £8.50
Drinker Rating 89
You know you don't have to wait for a celebration to open a bottle of fizz right? There's so much really decent stuff at great prices out there you should get popping right away. That said there's quite a lot of very average stuff out there too - but it's my job to find you the crackers.
This is on such - Tesco Finest has really improved in recent months in the wine department and this is a belter at the price.
Light, easy and fresh, just a hint of tinned peach sweetness but not enough that you'd notice, Prosecco as it should be.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
19th June 2023
Rustica Sicilian White
Marks and Spencer £6.00
Drinker Rating 90
They say every day's a school day and I had just that experience when i fist encountered this wonderful Sicilian white from M&S. It's a blend of caricante, greciano and ansonica - no, me neither!
So that's the first point of interest here, next up is it's beautiful citrus dominated nose and palate, like a little citrus fruit salad explosion in your mouth.
Perfect patio or party wine this summer - when you consider its greatest asset - it's only £6 a bottle!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
12th June 2023
Taste the Difference Jurancon Sec
Sainsbury's £7 (down from £8) £8.99
Drinker Rating 90
Hailing from the south west of France this wonderfully refreshing white is a blend of Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng - not household names and neither is Jurancon. But there is a long heritage of winemaking from this part of the world and with these grapes.
This is a superbly crafted wine, golden in hue, with a lovely lemon sherbet nose and it becomes quite floral with a hint of tropical sweetness on the palate.
Perfectly balanced and great value.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
5th June 2023
Loved and Found Albarossa
Waitrose £8.99
Drinker Rating 90
I'm loving the Loved and Found range at Waitrose right no -really interesting wines made from grapes you may not have heard of or from regions you're unfamiliar with andthis weeks drink is right up there.
Albarossa is a new-ish grape variety being created in the 1930s - and it really does the biz - it's got that wonderful Italian red morello cherry character and there's also something earthy and spicy there too - this balances with some mouthwatering acidity making a perfect food wine.
Fab price, great wine and every day's a school day!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
29th May 2023
Pringle Bay Pinot Noir
Majestic £7.99 (Mix Six Price)
Drinker Rating 90
I often think that pinot noir is the perfect 'between the seasons' wine. A light fresh red, can be chilled, can be room temp', not too hefty and angular but still enough to carry with whatever the season's menu can throw at it.
This is a real beauty from South Africa, and is all about the light cherry and soft spice, one to try ever so slightly cooler if it's a hot day - it's so great at such an affordable price, fill your boots with this little lovely.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
22nd May 2023
Extra Special Cotes du Gascogne
Asda £6.50
Drinker Rating 90
Another little seasonal smasher this week. Lovely grassy, herbal white, fresh and crisp like our spring eventings. This Cotes du Gascogne is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Colombard and Gros Manseng and is wonderfully characterful with notes of, hedgerow and tropical fruit.
At £6.50 it won't break the bank and it'll be a real crowd pleaser of you've got company over the Bank Holiday weekend.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
15th May 2023
Trivento Malbec Rosé
Morrisons £7.00
Drinker Rating 89
Trivento is about the biggest brand name in wine in the UK right now. Based in Argentina they make fab wines - predominantly with Argentina's signature grape, malbec.
This wine really shows the versatility of the variety and also the craft and care with which Trivento select the grapes from different sites and altitudes in order to get consistency and solidity in style.
This rosé is really well priced and extremely reliable, it's fresh, dry and light with just enough redcurrant character to keep us interested.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
1st May 2023
Grapevine Malbec
Aldi £3.89
Drinker Rating 93
When I recommend really cheap wines such as this one there's often a bit of disbelieving feedback on-line as to whether you can produce wines of any quality at under £4 - well I'm here to tell you it is possible - I just don't know how.
Once you take the duty and VAT, the cost of packaging and shipping and the labour needed to make it, let alone anyone making a profit, it simply isn't possible to make wine at this price.
But somehow Aldi have sourced it and offer it up at £3.89 and the miracle on top of it all is that it's a really lovely drop. Simple black currant and cherry character, easy drinking patio or Wednesday night wine.
Trust me and try it, what have you got to lose? Well, £3.89!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
24th April 2023
Ca' Del Lago Rosato - La Rosa delle Dame
Lidl £5.99
Drinker Rating 93
So we're hurtling toward a double bank holiday and as the weather gets warmer (hopefully) we'll need a lovely drop of pink of drinking in the garden.
This is a perfectly lovely rosé, pale and pretty. It comes in a whopper of a bottle that might make you think it's a fizz - but it's not - this is still and haunted with the aromas of strawberry and rose petal with a lingering raspberry finish.
At £5.99 this is a fantastic party wine, all you need to do is add the sunshine.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
17th April 2023
Kanonkop, Kadette, Cape Blend
Tesco £12.00
Drinker Rating 93
I've covered a whole load of really easy drinking and affordable wines in the last few months so now it's time fro something a little classier and of course that means a little more expensive.
The cost of a wine is a very complex affair but in this case it's justifies by the quality of the grapes used, the practices in the winery and the ageing in oak barrels which drives cost.
Is £12 a lot for a bottle of wine, well it all depends I suppose, I think this wine is worth every penny, full on bramble fruit, complexity on the nose and palate, coffee, tobacco, savoury spice - it's got the lot this really has.
Go on! Treat yourself!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
10th April 2023
This is...Soft and Tropical Chardonnay
Marks andSpencer £5.50
Drinker Rating 89
There's still a whole bunch of great value to be had on the supermarket wine shelves right now - and who'd have thought Marks and Spencer would be leading the way?
'This is...' is a little collection of wines showing great value and varietal typicity across the range. This 'This is...' wine is a chardonnay from South Africa, which is wonderfully zesty and tropical, dry and very easy drinking and look at the price!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
3rd April 2023
Sainsbury's Rosé Cava
Sainsbury's £6.00
Drinker Rating 89
With the Easter weekend coming up it's time for a celebration - getting together with friends or family or simply enjoying the spring weather on a long bank holiday weekend.
So you'll need some bubbles - but as with all my recent reviews you'll want keenly priced interesting wine offering great value for money.
This rosé cava really fits the bill, beautiful to look at, fresh and dry with a mouthwatering raspberry character and only £6.00!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
27th March 2023
Blueprint Chilean Merlot
Waitrose £7.99
Drinker Rating 90
Merlot takes a bit of a battering doesn't it - it's in part because of the 2004 film Sideways where one of the characters is so dismissive of the grape in favour of pinot noir, "if anyone orders the merlot I'm leaving". People often get a little gem like this and stick with it, vowing never to touch another.
Well I'm here to tell you tat rules like this never help and a closed mind is not the best path to happiness. So why not give merlot a little go?
This Blueprint from Waitrose is very much an entry level wine, it's pretty and fruit driven and quite simple and it's priced accordingly.
Perfectly drinkable, acceptable wine, very solid.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
20th March 2023
Bienbebido Polpo Alabarino
Majestic £7.99 (Mix 6 Price)
Drinker Rating 90
It's not just the big supermatkets that offer really interesting wines at affordable prices, wine specialist Majestic has been really active in the sub £10 category too.
The last wine I recommended from Majestic was their Fizzy and Fruity Italian sparkler at under £5 - you can check this out on my seasonal review link below.
This week I have a lovely Albarino, it's Spanish and comes in at under £8. This wine is light, fresh and fruit driven, elements of lemon verbena and it's mouth-watering and beautifully dry.
Check out my TikTok review here
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
13th March 2023
Burdizzo Chianti Riserva
Asda £6.25
Drinker Rating 89
Asda continue to provide one of the very best affordable wine selections of all the supermarkets. Pretty much all of their Extra Special range is spot on for typicity and price.
This week's wine isn't from that range but it is a beautifully made Chianti with a little bit of extra age on it and this really comes through on the nose with a wonderfully oaky savouriness. As you'd expect from Chianti the palate is all black and red cherry, again savoury and peppery.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
6th March 2023
Isoletta Nero D'Avola
Morrisons £5.50
Drinker Rating 89
The relentless search for affordable interesting wines continues, this week with this cracking Nero D'Avola from Sicily.
This little island is really punching above its weight for great quality mid-priced wines right now and this is a great example. Sweet plum, damson and a hit of black pepper spice - really well balanced and under six quid.
Morriosns keep on turning out affordable wines at this level and you can see my seasonal review of six wines all under a tenner on the YouTube link below and see my review of this wine here on TikTok.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
27th Feb 2023
Animus Portuguese Red Blend
Aldi £4.49
Drinker Rating 90
Still on the cgharge for well priced interesting wines and where better to look than Aldi - check out my seasonal recommendations vids on the YouTube link below - hey, why not even subscribe?
Here we have a wonderful red blend, no grape varieties listed but it's likely to include tinto roriz and touriga nacional - may even contain bastardo - yes, look it up!
The wine is much lighter than I was expecting, easy tannins and more red than black fruit character - could work well chilled if you're that way inclined. TikTok review here.
Easy, refreshing and light, and under a fiver!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
20th Feb 2023
Merlot Reserva Privada Valle Central
Lidl £5.49
Drinker Rating 90
As we continue to search for the very best affordable wines this season we have two inevitable destinations, firstly the discount supermarkets and both Aldi and Lidl are first rate here and secondly the home of low cost quality wine - Chile.
So this is a beautiful Chilean merlot from Lidl, it comes in at £5.49 which is a miracle and it's full of character.
The nose opens up with primary black fruit and a hint of vanilla slice. The the palate delivers more of that intense stewed black fruit, some coconut and end with a really intersting herbal and liquorice finish.
At the price this is a first rate wine see my vids on YouTube below for ore recommendations from the discounters.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
13th Feb 2023
Marques de los Zancos Rioja Blanco
Tesco £5.25
Drinker Rating 90
There seems to have been a real improvement in the standard of white Rioja in the last couple of years and best of all the price point has not yet caught up with the quality.
So we're now able to get hold of really fun and interesting wines at really pocket friendly prices. This is just the ticket giving us green apple and lemon sherbet on the nose and fresh citrus and some tropical fruit on the palate.
Super wine - interesting and affordable.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
6th Feb 2023
Tapa Roja Old Vine Monastrell
Marks and Spencer £7.50
Drinker Rating 89
So as we continue to look for great value I'm looking toward the classier retailers - yep even the top end supermarkets are upping their game in the sub ten pound bracket, this week Marks and Spencer.
This is a lovely Spanish number, complex nose, herbal and new bandages, lovely ripe plum on the palate finishing with spicy black pepper. A real candidate for your house red - perfect winter/spring drinking.
Great value and really interesting.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
30th January 2023
Taste the Difference Pecorino Terre di Chieti
Sainsbury's On offer £6.00
Drinker Rating 89
On our continued quest for great tasting wines at affordable prices how about this little beauty. Pecorino di Chieti from the Taste the Difference range at Sainsbury's - easy, light and fresh with just enough almond and pear character to keep it the right side of interesting.
Right now there's £1 off a bottle so it sits at a very tidy £6 a bottle, get to Sainsbury's and buy lots of this - chill well and share.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
23rd January 2023
Cotes de Duras Sauvignon Blanc
Waitrose On offer at £6.49
Drinker Rating 90
Payday may be approaching so to celebrate here's a discounted little number from Waitrose. Cotes de Duras is in south western France and they make fab wines down there. This is a little belter with so much aromatic fruit character, almond cherry bakewell and beech hedge with fresh gooseberry acidity,
So much going on at £8.49 (usual price, currently £6.49), lots of wine for the money, complex, fresh and interesting.
Top stuff.
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
16th January 2023
Majestic Fizzy and Fruity
Majestic £4.99
Drinker Rating 89
Keeping with the lower priced wines as it seems like pay day is still a million days away - this time Majestic.
We don't often associate Majestic with the affordable end of the market but like all the retailers they're having to move heaven and earth to keep their prices down.
This is a super drop of fizz and it does what it says on the tine - it's Fizzy and Fruity, at under a fiver this smashing little Italian sparkler has all the hallmarks of a good party.
Light, fresh and entertaining, it's made from the Glera grape, which what they use to make Prosecco, it's everything it should be and UNDER A FIVER!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
9th January 2023
Le Manoir du Baron Viognier
ASDA £4.95
Drinker Rating 89
So deepest January, the festivities are a distant memory and payday looks a mile off - what we need is a little cheer at an affordable price.
Good old Asda are really holding their end up in this department and this is a fab viognier from France, it's a really interesting wine, lovely summery elements of peach, melon and pineapple will bring a bit of liquid sunshine into your life when you need it most - and at under a fiver it's fantastic value for money!
Cheers!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
2nd January 2023
Morrisons Cabernet Sauvignon
Morrisons £4.35
Drinker Rating 89
So we're looking at the affordable end of the market for wine recommendations in this early difficult part of the year. Morrisons have this bracket pretty much sewn up - and believe me not all sub £5 wine is poor.
Check out all my pages and vids and you'll find a whole range of interesting and affordable wines this season.
Let's kick the year off with this - really poorly packaged but really lovely £4.35 cabernet sauvignon. Let's not judge the book by the cover as this is a beauty. Coming from Moldova it has a really lovely cherry (red and black) note, light easy structure and very drinkable.
Proper bargain, get down to Morriosns.
Cheers!