Inhospitable weather and darker evenings underline what we have been trying to ignore – that the winter months are on the way.
And each passing month means that another Wine Tour arrives in the wine aisles of Lidl.
These are, of course, time limited options and, invariably, some of them will sell through quickly.
As last time, though, there seem to be variations in what is offered in different parts of the UK, so I have concentrated on those I think are most widely available.
That provides about a dozen, with prices up to £11.99 – but at least six are at £6.99.
As we know, hitting the high spots generally at under £7 is a challenge and, to me, many of October’s offering seem in the “reliable” rather than “exceptional” category.
I have picked out three, however, that I think may work for you.
Other news items are included today as I broaden the scope of these Thursday posts.
As is normal here, pictures and hyperlinks are provided where possible to guide you straight to the right wine on shelf or web page.
Wine Tour Star Buy
2022 Gestus Malbec + Malbec (£8.99 at Lidl while stocks last and 14% abv):
This slightly unusual Argentinian malbec is a Wine Tour regular but, to me, the 2022 vintage has matured significantly since it was featured six months ago.
The “plus” sign indicates that it is a clever fusion of malbec from high altitude vines with the same variety grown at lower levels.
Blending seems to overlay the richness emanating from vineyards enjoying relatively high average temperatures with the freshness its mountain based cousins can offer.
Almost black in colour with attractive aromas of soft fruit, this result has a mineral edge that works well with the wine’s firm tannin, balanced acidity and its mint and liquorice driven texture.
All that marries together well to provide complex support for the wine’s centre-piece smooth but smoky plum and loganberry flavours.
Options from the Rest.
2022 Bonot Père & Fils Pinot Noir (£6.99 while stocks last, and 12.5%):
This Vin de France offering is a real “marmite” wine.
Fans of food-friendly pinot with firm tannin and powerful savoury bite will warmly approve, but lovers of fruit forward reds will be rather less impressed.
Whichever camp you are in, the foundation on display here is aniseed influenced, medium bodied raspberry and red plum flavours.
These are coupled with sharp acidity and aromas of violets.
And for a white
2023 Alsace Riesling (£6.99 while stocks last, and 12.5%):
No typical Alsace crispness and minerality here but it remains pleasant, well-priced, all-purpose, white wine that will offend no one.
Undemanding with a pleasingly clean finish (boosted by lively acidity) it provides fresh melon, pineapple and cooked apple flavours.
The background components combine traces of rosemary with “taste bud challenging” lime influences.
Where has all the Stilton gone.
Did you see that one of the long-standing Stilton factories in Melton Mowbray is about to close?
As one who loves good Stilton, I was sad to see that.
I understand the reasons given – competition with other blue cheeses, increased trade barriers reducing export demand and downward pressure on “elite” cheeses during cost-of-living crises.
Can I perhaps add one other general potential cause (not related to the specific one due to close)?
Personally, I struggle to find widely available Stilton that is a joy to eat.
Too many are over dominated by salt and ammonia influences or lack the creamy, mildly sweet texture that I find so attractive.
In truth, I often switch to Gorgonzola which can provide that creamy sweetness I have just described.
For sure, speciality cheese shops do provide top level Stilton but, for understandable reasons, they are not cheap.
With wine, supermarkets manage to find inexpensive options to sit alongside luxury versions.
Can someone not do the same with Stilton – or am I missing it?
Any MidWeekers able to nominate a favourite, widely available creamy, textured one without excess salt or other unattractive elements?
A sting in the tail
As a final item, I know that MidWeekers enjoy quirky vineyard tales especially where nature is used to control nature.
So here is another one, courtesy again of The Drinks Business.
Vergelegen is a South African producer, often seen on wine shelves here, with a wide range of red and white wines.
Despite the usually helpful feature of vineyards not far from the coast, they do have problems with disease.
Leafroll virus is one – causing grapes to ripen unevenly and slowly – and mealy bugs play a major role in the spread of the virus.
So, in conjunction with two partners, Vergelegen have developed a surprising response.
Drones from one of those partners drop about 500 wasp pupae per flight from about 30m above the vineyard.
Once mature, the wasps lay eggs inside the mealy bugs and that new generation – in the ruthless way that nature often works – destroy their hosts, and in doing so, keep the vines healthy.
No sprays or chemicals involved.
So to vineyard sheep, ducks and geese, we can now add wasps to the list of “wine drinkers’ friends”.
Call in again on Monday when the spotlight falls on Top Tips that offer especially good value at a store near you.
33 responses
Bats and wine.
The perfect combination?
If a vineyard has a wildlife corridor and artificial roosts for bats,it can go a long way to reducing pesticides,diseases and promoting biodiversity.
Bats eat grapevine moths and leafhoppers and many other troublesome insects that affect vineyards.
One bat in one hour can eat 1,000 mosquitoes.
Our pipestrelle bats need to weigh 42g in order to survive hibernation and winter.
They usually stay in one patch for 15 minutes,work out a figure of 8 flying pattern and then switch the ultrasound to hunter mode.
So raise a glass of red ? wine the next time you see a swooping bat.
Any suggestions as a suitable red wine to go with bat spotting?
Impressive stuff Paul and good to see the case for bats put so eloquently. Their reputation suffers from those urban myths about being caught in ladies’ hair and join swans breaking arms and banana skins being extra slippery in that implausible gallery. As for bat spotting wines, surely port is the companion for the gathering darkness and reducing temperatures of dusk in the early autumn.
Brian, I’ve been absent for a while just being very busy. But I’m so glad to feel inspired to respond to your latest post.
Thank you for doing the work for us on the latest Lidl Wine Tour. That Malbec definitely sounds like a punt as does an always appreciated Alsace.
Sad to see a Stilton producer closing. I’ve not yet been able to appreciate Stilton as much as I do a Roquefort. That cheese with a Sauternes for me is an absolute match made in heaven.
Lastly, what a fascinating story about wasps at Vergelegen! So interesting and a clever idea. We lived in two coastal villages close to historic Vergelegen called Gordon’s Bay and the Strand for our last 10 years in South Africa.
The beautiful Helderberg mountain there provide an almost amphitheatre to the farm and the valley. Vergelegen was founded around 350 years ago by one of the early Dutch East India governors. And near neighbours Morgenster produce award winning olive oil that offer tastings and is in fact available in the UK at Waitrose. This isn’t intended as an advertisement, only to add depth to your post. Please keep up the good advice you offer.
Thanks Julian for the olive oil recommendation, I will get a bottle. I have some interest in olive oil after a Lay & Wheeler wine tasting, many years ago, started with an Italian olive oil tasting. On a recent “Cork Talk” podcast Tim Atkin interviewed Elizabeth Berger, who is an olive oil and wine expert. Worth a listen, especially as she highlights the importance of buying the current year’s crop. I always look at the production date on olive oil bottles, even good supermarkets have bottles filled several years previously!
Hello Richard,
It also depends how the olives are processed.The modern method uses hundreds of tiny mechanical hammers to make the olive paste.
The more traditional method uses stone grinding and Matt pressing,the Matts are reused.This is more labour intensive and costly.
I was lucky enough to try both in an organic agriturismo near Bari.Even after a few glasses of Susumaniello, the traditional method tasted sweeter with a little more acid.All the locals who brought their olive harvest to the mill,insisted on stone grinding.
Good to hear from you again Julian and I am glad that your nose can now rise enough from the grindstone to think about wine and cheese. Cannot argue with sweet wine and roquefort but, on its own, it often seems a bit sharp for me.
Olive oil point is certainly not seen as advertising and has indeed prompted thoughts from Richard and Paul.
I’m with you with regard to finding good Stilton. The only one we ever buy is Colston Bassett, which is consistently good and melt-in-the-mouth. We buy the prepacked stuff at Waitrose or M&S (yes, I know…) We washed a chunk of it down last night with a bottle of Santodeno Sangiovese. We know how to live! The same creamery makes the sublime Beauvale, a modern soft blue cheese which packs a real punch. Best of all, if you can get it before it starts to darken round the edges, is Stichelton, which is Stilton in all but name except that it’s made using unpasteurised milk, not allowed if you want to call your cheese Stilton.
Of course, if you want punchy and creamy, there’s always St Agur…
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Hi Steve, Your response resonates with me on a number of counts, except for the fact that I have concluded over the years that I don’t really like Stilton. I don’t mind Roquefort or Gorgonzola and particularly appreciate Dolcelatte on the basis that it is less ‘sharp’, softer and creamier. But I am always rather cautious about sharing this view though, not least because my sister lives in Colston Bassett! [The truth is out now, but I am pretty sure she won’t be a MWW subscriber!!]
I also think softer blue cheeses work well for cooking. As it happens I’m scheduled chef for this evening’s meal and have one of my regular easy recipes lined up – Tagliatelle with Chicken and Dolcelatte sauce. It’s not the healthiest of options but tastes marvellous. And, as you propose, according to which is cheaper, I regularly replace the Dolcelatte with Saint Agur (The blue cheese, not the blue crème variety)
Interesting to hear both you and Steve mention Saint Augur which always seems best to me as part of a beetroot, red apple and blue cheese combination that is a standard first course Chez Nous.
Are you willing to give a recipe and how you make it?
Thank you for the recipe and you are so very precise and its flirting with veganism I think so is conducive is to extended life.
Yes, regarding wine there is only so much you can buy and even if you set the lower quality bar of say 88/100 and an upper price bar of £10 a bottle then to spend say £200 a month thats just 20 to 25 bottles. Thats not much if there’s 2 people involved. The Tories made wine mega expensive! What silly plonkers! What economic plonkers!
I muddied the water a bit by buying whisky to lower my wine consumption. There are fabulous whiskies at under £35/bottle so allowing for abv% lets say these are £32 to £40 a bottle. You can drink these neat, add water ice etc or if blends turn them into a cocktail. This for me sets a very low upper ceiling for wine prices. Lets imagine £15 a bottle.
True Italians would chuck you out for making a cheesy chicken pasta, but I too make a similar dish (using Gorgonzola dolce) and I love it! I refuse to make pasta dishes on non-drinking nights. I must have a pasta-buster red for such dishes. The Santodeno ones are just great for that!
Have been struggling of late to get excited about much of what Lidl is throwing up in its Wine Tours. I wonder if this particular style of promo’ had run its course especially at some of the prices being asked when I think there are cheaper stock bottles at Lidl that are more engaging and offer better value that don’t get a lot of ”press”.
A case of not taking for granted that which is always available when as you rightly say Brian what comes with the advertising of the Tours does not always relate to what comes into the “crates”. And then again anomalous stuff that appears from nowhere without any advertising at all. Can’t keep up sometimes!
For those who follow Decanter recommendations, their Weekday Wines red choice this month is Sainsbury’s Lisboa, a regular on our table. While TWS have just emailed me to say they have a limited supply parcel of Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc called Kimi that looks to be a “steal” at £6.95. For members no charge for delivery on even just one bottle and a guarantee to refund if not liked, being exactly the case as I’ve find out recently worked to my advantage with something I didn’t enjoy..
As for cheeses white Stilton has long been an English favourite for us with its slightly crème of tartre freshness, even cheaper-end varieties delivering well of which Morrisons loose wrapped offering seems most representative. Have always thought the price was very reasonable.
And though there was always a joke attached years ago to Gorgonzola and sweaty socks … something in “that name” in truth is not fair when limited pungency only attaches with a fresh offering and it would be my go-to blue vein more than enjoyable Blue Stilton itself. Not forgetting how light and creamy Roquefort, Cambozola and Dolcelatte can be as well.
But quite into basic, unfussy English cheeses more these days at amazingly affordable prices at stores like Lidl and Aldi for their Wensleydale, Lancashire, Red Leicester etc. generics, as well as cheddars of all persuasions. There’s usually a Blue Stilton on the shelf and something more exotic from France and Italy. We just finished a Stratford Blue £2.69 from Aldi, that my wife especially likes. And they have lovely Shropshire Blue for a bit stronger bite. In fact Aldi have lots of cheese bases covered that are very approachable at reasonable prices compared to what I have to pay at a very good deli supermarket, Campbells of Leyburn, that I use in the Yorkshire Dales for a Coverdale, a derivative of farmhouse Wensleydale and another cracker from them called Harrogate Blue.
I take you point about Lidl Wine Tours but did wonder whether the October one was “marking time” ready for a Christmas splash.
Yes, I used to enjoy white Stilton but forgot about it when folk started mashing fruit into it (a capital offence, surely). I will try the Morrisons one. I agree about the discounters’ cheese quality. It was the Lidl Gorgonzola that convinced me that those “sweaty socks” biases were well and truly over.
Hi Eddie, I’ve tasted Kimi, and it is a cracking wine for that price.
Yes Richard great price but I’d suggest even for lovers of the most out- there NZ-SBs this is way more than standard fare! I expect and enjoy minerality and flintiness but the salinity that attaches to this one is quite something. Not that I don’t like it. It pairs up really well with a hearty fish soup amongst other things
Yes, I recommended this to Brian last Thursday …
“ Kimi Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 @£7.95. To me this had good NZ style but toned down a bit – perhaps down to the slight oak plus 3 months on lees. 11.5%. Note that this is on offer @ £6.95 until 18th October – which is seriously good value!”
I would have recommended it @ £7.95! Goes to show that there are always genuine bargains around – and Brian’s site facilitates us lucky MidWeekers taking advantage!
Wednesday night is our cheese and wine night. Last night was Stilton (Colston Bassett) and Wookey Hole cheddar, with a glass of Floreal white (from Tesco) to start with to go with our olives and nibbly bits and the aforementioned Sangiovese to go with the cheese. The Floreal, which we’ve never tried before, grew on us (we started with it a bit too cold) but we probably won’t be buying it a lot. Wednesdays are good nights for experimenting – and they are midweek after all…
Did you try the Floreal with the Wookey Hole? Although red wine is essential with blue cheese to me, good chardonnay and mature cheddar is an excellent combination. In fact, white wine and cheese works much better than many folk imagine.
I love your wine notes Brian; please keep them coming, but you have got me going with Stilton.
I have been a lifelong Port & Stilton man and the King of Cheeses” has never been the same since they started to pasteurise it in 1989. I believe that the sharpness and amonia too often found in supermarket stilton is down to poor storage conditions. Cheese keeps best in cheese and this particularly applies to stilton so once it’s cut and wrapped in film it deteriorates rapidly. To enjoy it in it’s prime you need it fresh from a cheesemonger who knows how to store it. It isn’t by accident that my 6 piece cheese servers from Robert Welch includes a Stilton scoop. I have fond memories of family Christmas with perhaps twenty of us round a freshly cut half stilton, usind a spoon in the absence of a proper scoop to gouge the ambrosia from the middle. Then a half glass of port in the resulting depression to keep it perfect until Boxing day evening.
The only cheese to taste like the stilton we remember is the result of a colaboration between Randolf Hodgson of Neals Yard and Joe Schnieder, made from unpastuerised, organic milk from Friesian cattle on the Welbec Estate in Nottinghamshire. Because it does not conform to EU rules it can’t call its self Stilton so it is Stichelton. Like a really good artisnal wine it is hand made in small batches and can be a bit variable but at it’s best it is sublime. The cost might scare some MWWers
Back in the real world, I mourn not the departure of Arla in the guise of Tuxford and Tebbut. Colston Basset and Cropwell Bishop are both far superior if only a faint shadow of their former selves. Big respect to Steve, who clearly knows his cheese. I would love to meet him some wednesday evening!
Good to hear from you Edwin and to get your take on cheese – on which both you and Steve are obviously professors.
I fondly remember Christmas stilton too from the unpasteurised days – but always kept the port in the glass. I will do a comparison between Colston Basset and Cropwell Bishop on your recommendation…. As for Steve, it also sounds as though “Friday Eve” is not so dusty in the Shaw household.
Hi again Brian,
Much as I love your wine notes I have really enjoyed this thread as well. I wish you luck with your comparison between my two top stiltons. From my experience the result will depend, not on the creamery but on the particular cheese your samples are cut from.
My family made farm house Cheshire in the late 1940s / early ’50s (yes, I remember it) and every cheese (about 8 wheels a day) was graded by a professional cheese grader before it left the farm. They went to a cheese factor but where thay went from there depended on the grade. The very best went to London hotels.
I have tried to broaden the scope of these Thursday posts so am pleased that this one has struck a chord with you. Yes variability is an issue but, like vintage variation in wine, is one of the joys of authenticity.
Great to see another vote for Stichelton! As Edwin says, it’s a variable beast. A few months ago we visited an amazing cheese shop in London, the lady behind the counter telling us that batches of Stichelton are alarmingly variable. They’re also pretty hard to track down. We were very happy with what we bought from her. The most amazing Stichelton we ever had was bought from the cheese counter at the renowned Gloucester Services on the M5. The last lot we had was from Darts Farm near Exeter, which was good but not of the gold standard. You need a good nose and you need to watch it being cut – it should smell good, not farmyardy, and it shouldn’t be crumbly. The rind should be substantial but not too thick and dried out, and the cheese behind the rind shouldn’t be blackening much. If it’s wrong, it’s probably not Joe Schneider’s fault, more the fault of its being too old or badly stored. Like wine really! It’s pricey, so you should expect it to be good – again, like wine!
As I’d had a hard day today, I resorted to that damn corkscrew this evening (anyone else use that excuse?) and had a large glass of the pink Mucho Mas. It’s ballsy and robust for a rosé (and a screw cap, actually), then a good glug of the red Mucho. An unsophisticated yet very enjoyable evening! My excuse to my wife was that today is, after all, Friday Eve!
One of the joys of cheese is its variability and the way it can reflect what the cows have been eating. That re-connects us to the seasons and, hence, nature – in the way Mother Nature’s stormtroopers in yellow and black jerseys can replace the spray gun as covered in another part of that recent post!
For a good modest priced Stilton we choose Sainsburys own. Friends have raved about how good it is! So definately one to try to see if it might work for you.
Thank you Rose – in which I think is your first post here. So, you are very welcome and I will certainly try out the cheese you recommend.
That variability definitely applies to the few unpasteurised Westcountry farmhouse cheddars – one day joy, the next day disappointment. I’m talking Gould’s, Keen’s, Montgomery and Westcombe (may have missed a couple…). But I agree that the variability is something to celebrate. The Davidstow creamery (which resembles a POW camp) is just 20 minutes from us. Their tankers collect milk from around 300 farms and they sure know how to make consistent (yawn) products. Some are marketed as premium products by the likes of Waitrose and M&S. Admittedly, some don’t taste too bad. Our favourite for many years has been Wookey Hole, but Barbers cheeses are pretty good (though sold suspiciously en masse by several major supermarkets) and I have a soft spot for the Snowdonia Black Bomber. Speaking of variability, some wine websites don’t emphasise enough the potential differences between vintages. I remember from a few years ago an Argentinian Malbec (can’t remember its name now) that was a Morrison’s “The Best” that was great (for us) from one vintage but too woody by half the next! Personal taste, of course, but there was no denying the difference, and it was a case of caveat emptor. A spot check of the label with Vivino gives their score out of five, which can be faintly useful when you’re in the shop, though vintages are hardly emphasised, and the user “reviews” are best avoided!
Good to see a shout for Gloucester services Steve. I was born a few miles from Tebay and have the greatest admiration for what John Dunning, and now Sarah have achieved.
As I just mentioned to Brian, artisnal cheese is by definition, variable. Vive la diference!
I don’t put Black Bomber there. I have a Welsh friend who thinks it is made in heaven but I find it a tad acidic- and VERY consistent.
Yes. Miles ahead of any Service area they do not run and a far from obvious “gap in the market”.
In addition to the 3 Lidl wines that head Brians article here is 2 more that are very enjoyable. The white is “Cuvee de Brieu Sauvignon Blanc” Pays d’Oc 2022 from the Rhone with decent acidity so well able to stay fresh. It has a lovely inviting bouquet and a tingle on the tongue and 90 Bampfield points. It’s had sufficient fermentation to extract ample flavour for the palate. Decent finish to end so 90 Bampfield points. £6.99.
There is also an enjoyable Bordeau Château Malausanne Cuvée Tradition 2021 with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with an initial punch of black currant flavours. Brilliant value at £6.99 Also at Lidl
Thanks for the update, Chris., on what tickled your palate. Only a couple of weeks to go before the next Lidl Wine Tour so let’s see what that one holds.
There are several brilliant buys by Lidl and here are 3 to get you focussed. They are all inexpensive. They are independtly score at a minimum of 87/100. All three tastes delish!
First Bolgrad Select Collection Duo (Chardonnay and Sukholimansky) 2023 a Ukrainian dry medium body still White wine. Tropical Honeysuckle Nose, citric palate and a lemony finish , with a conspicuous orange label. Deserving of 87 an independent Master of Wine Richard Bampfield points and additionally 88 points from Decanter.com. Costs only £7.99
Their is a Sister Bolgrad Ukrainian medium body Red wine made from Saperavi grapes. £7.99. Morello Cherry palate and Lidl suggests pairing it with Fish and Chips?
If you like Saperavi there is also a Georgian example this time full bodied, and in a “post office box” red label. All 3 of these wines receive 87 Bampfield points and all cost £7.99
All purchases will also benefit the economies of these of eastern ex-Communist countries trying to divest themselves of Russian aggressive shackles.