As you will gather, many of these Thursday posts are stratified into three levels (Gateway Selection, Sweet Spot and Aspirational Choice).
These offer a convenient shorthand that navigates readers straight to a place that suits their budget as well as providing a ladder for anyone on a voyage of discovery.
It occurs to me, however, that may leave a bit of a gap.
Average budget prices circle the £8 price point while the “sweet spot” probably begins in the early teens.
This used to be for wines I dubbed “Friday Treats” – right for celebrating the end of the week but below my “Sunday Best” choices.
Consequently it is an important stepping stone, so here are several of those “inbetweenies” that are lovely wines which would not be out of place at Sweet Spot prices.
Another news item “extra” is tucked away at the end of the main feature.
Adopting my traditional format, images and, where possible, hyperlinks accompany the assessments of the wines.
Starting in South America
2020 Aresti Trisquel Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc (from £11 at Slurp and 13% abv):
Maturation laws in Chile are not as rigid as those in, say, Spain.
However, Chilean “Gran Reserva” does indicate wines the producer considers of exceptional quality, and which has been aged in both oak and bottle.
Perfumed with a lingering finish, this four-year-old sauvignon displays textured baked apple, quince and peach flavours.
These are coupled with lively grapefruit and sherbet acidity and herbal influences – together with a trace of sweetness.
Here is a link to the retailer’s website … https://www.slurp.co.uk/aresti-trisquel-sauvignon-blanc-2020
On to Spain
2023 Clea Verdejo (£12 at WoodWinters and 13%):
Spain’s Rueda region produces excellent white wines from the verdejo grape, but inexpensive versions can often have short lives.
However, catch them young, like this one, and the results can be brilliant and delightfully fresh.
Grassy but with emphatic tobacco aromas, this offers us medium bodied pear and green apple flavours.
That foundation is built on with tingly grapefruit acidity and suggestions of citrus pith and fennel to round out its lingering finish.
Here is a link to the retailer’s website … https://woodwinters.com/product/clea-verdejo-2023/
Then back nearer home
2021 English White (£12.99 at Adnams and 11.5%):
While Sussex steals many of the headlines surrounding English wines, the warm and dry Crouch Valley in Essex is also a rising star.
Consider this example from there, which has a bit of aging and contains just a whisper of the bruised apple flavours usually associated with sherry.
Bold and textured, it brings us grassy, greengage flavours with background nuttiness, sharp acidity and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Here is a link to the retailer’s website … https://adnams.co.uk/products/adnams-english-white-crouch-ridge-england
Moving to reds now
Casal Sobreiro (£10.99 at Virgin Wines and 13%):
Underlining the exceptional value that Portugal is currently offering, this tasty, non-vintage red from that country’s Lisboa region hits the spot well.
It is a shrewdly configured blend of the local castelão grape with the internationally known tempranillo.
Dense with enticing aromas, its centre piece is rich cherry and plum flavours garnished with firm tannin.
This is counterbalanced by lively acidity and seasoned with touches of chocolate, cinnamon and cedar.
Here is a link to the retailer’s website … https://www.virginwines.co.uk/wine/Z38990102951/Casal-Sobreiro-Tinto
Finally from Portugal to Spain
2021 Bodegas Piqueras Old Vines Garnacha (£11.95 at Vintage Roots and 14.5%):
Vintage Roots is one of the UK’s top retailers of organic wines, and here they have unearthed a brilliant Spanish red from an area inland from Alicante.
It uses garnacha tintorea grapes (not to be confused with straight garnacha, and also known as alicante).
Medium bodied but with rich aromas, the result has a core of plum, cherry and loganberry flavours.
Supplementary support comes in the form of good acidity – but limited tannin – coupled with hints of vanilla, aniseed and mocha.
Here is a link to the retailer’s website … https://www.vintageroots.co.uk/bodegas-piqueras-old-vines-garnacha-75cl/
The Strength of Feeling
Earlier this year, Dan Farrell-Wright of Wickham Wines spoke here of the number of wines with lower alcohol at the Prowein Trade Fair.
He saw evidence that some producers seemed to be reducing alcohol to keep products in a lower duty band in the UK.
A recent issue of Drinks Business picked up the theme and discussed it with several of our large supermarkets – the actual article can be found here … Are ‘sessionable’ wines the answer to the duty increases? (thedrinksbusiness.com)
There is a suggestion that the UK may be following brewers with their “session beers”.
In essence, that is approachable beer with modest alcohol that could comfortably form part of extended drinking sessions with less effect than versions with a higher ABV.
Two things are clear, however.
- Lowering alcohol is an effective way to mitigate the rising price of wine generally.
- And, perhaps as a result, the number of 11% or lower wines is increasing.
Retailers seem to feel it is not that simple as they sense a broad interest in lower alcohol wines unlinked to price.
And I can see that health might be something driving things in that direction.
My problem is that alcohol and texture seem to be inextricably linked.
Dense and intense wines with real depth are, to me, important parts of the scene but one that low alcohol wines often struggle to provide.
Call me old fashioned, but hearty food accompanied by wines with the texture of fruit juice does not seem to work.
Wine buyers seem to think along similar lines – insisting that lower alcohol wines must earn their place in wine aisles on quality and authenticity, not price alone.
They recognise, too, that constraining alcohol is a potential problem for producers – possibly resulting in wines that its traditional supporters would find hard to recognise.
All that seems to indicate a cautious approach, but there is some good news.
These wines are getting noticeably better and, thus, potential benefits for health and wealth may be coming a little closer.
Join me again on Monday to see what I am I recommending as the latest Top Tips among High Street retailers.
11 responses
Hi Brian
Just a note to say how much I enjoy your column . Always interesting. My work takes me to Spain and Germany where I have noticed prices are now less than half the UK price from the cheapest Lidl upwards . I appreciate your Spanish mid range …even more when I’m in Spain Thanks again for a great column Best Mark4
Thank you, Mark. I really appreciate those kind words in what, I think is your first comment here. Do keep them coming – especially as it is Lidl Wine Tour time next Thursday with wines that may also appear in Europe but (given travel complexities and different duty arrangements) at the kinder prices you mention.
Alcohol- or more correctly ,ethanol- C2H50H- is in pure form, colourless and odourless and completely miscible with water.Once mixed it is very difficult and expensive to separate them*
Yet this small molecule has a huge effect on the taste and feel of wine.A Chianti or Ribera del Duero would not be as harmonious at lower alcohol levels.Ageing would also be a problem as higher alcohol levels inhibit unwanted microbes.I have yet to find a convincing red wine under 12%abv.
Wines ,in general, have been transformed in quality since the 1980s.Thanks partly to climate change, but mainly better and healthier grapes, better wine making, riper and higher sugar levels and a modest increase in alcohol have all played a part.The last thing we want is a return to insipid, uninspiring and mediocre wines.
I don’t for one moment believe the Drinks Business claim” that lowering alcohol is an effective way to mitigate the rising price of wine generally”.The price of low or no alcohol wine is likely to be the same as normal wine or even more expensive*
It does seem to me quite remarkable, that evolution over the millennia has equipped us with two liver enzymes that specifically breakdown alcohol and in my many years of studying chemistry ,a far stranger molecule than ethanol with frankly weird properties is H20- a surfeit of which is deadly.
Perhaps the lesson is not to overdo it, don’t just drink high alcohol wines, have some days in the week with no alcohol, and better to drink with food and talkative company?
Brilliant stuff and really helpful – thank you Paul. Just to be clear, those words about mitigating price increases are mine, not from Drinks Business – and I just had the reduced duty in mind.
I am glad, though, that you have provided erudite scientific support for my instinct about the importance of texture in wine. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Hello Brian
I enjoy “sweet spot” wines or Sunday Best choices as much as the next man /woman and will pay £15 plus for a quality bottle. However, I do not buy from wine merchants via the internet…….I have no wish to buy a case of 6 or 12 and pay delivery charges. So, in future Thursday posts could you recommend some wines that are more accessible.
Regards Ron
Good to hear from you Ron and I do accept that minimum purchase quantities and delivery charges are a big inhibitor.
That said, independent or “off-piste” wine merchants are an important part of the scene. They can access parcels of excellent wines that are too small for supermarkets to feature. In addition, they can provide expert advice to help you buy the right wine when supermarkets cannot. It is essentially the difference between a sommelier and a waiter that just brings you a bottle of “house” wine.
For all those reasons, I feel they deserve a place on a website like this even though their prices are inevitably higher – as they do not have a host of other products to help cover overheads.
Some, like The Wine Society, have however eliminated delivery charges and do not have minimum orders – while others seem to be following suit.
A long-winded reply I accept, Ron., but a bit of detail was needed as I know that others feel as you do. Acceding to your point, however, I will try to tuck a more expensive supermarket wine into my selections from time to time when the quality on offer justifies it.
Do please keep providing your thoughts on this forum, it is a broad church where a range of opinions are always welcome.
Hi Brian,
Enjoyed your post very much, thanks.
Talking of 11% wines, in Jane MacQuitty’s article in last Saturday’s Times she recommended the 2023 Interlude Pinot Noir 11% from southeastern Australia, on offer at the Co-op for £7.15, reduced from £8.65. And it was actually at that reduced price in my East of England Co-op store! I cannot better her description.
“I’ve had my eye on this juicy, oak-chipped, lower-alcohol Aussie pinot noir for a while now. What you get is masses of carefully crafted, light, floral, gamey pinot noir fruit, topped up with a dollop of shiraz, plus a zingy cranberry finish. Also enjoys a dip in the ice-bucket.”
This had the slightly “earthy” character that I like in a PN. It probably won’t convert anyone not keen on the grape, but for others £7.15 is VG value. I think the lighter reds like some PNs or Gamays can be fine at low alcohol levels, but not sure how well it works for the more robust red wines?
She also recommended “The Misfits” on offer at Tesco, a favourite of mine, and Morrisons’ The Best Assyrtiko White Wine at £8.50 – but unfortunately the shelves were bare!
Hello Richard,
Agree with you that the Co-op Pinot Noir is tasty and very good value..However the information on this wine provided by the Co-op says it is 13% abv.?
However just an update on two Rosé wines that have impressed me.
I do agree with Tim Atkin that many rosë wines seem to come from a giant vat in the Provence.I think he was trying to say that they were following an Identikit formula and were almost indistinguishable from each other and whisper it,rather boring.
These two examples are the complete opposite:
Famille Perrin ‘Le Triangle d’or Rosé 2023 13% Luberon ,France Majestic £9.99 on mix six deal.Delicious creamy white and redcurrant notes.Available in store.
Arc du Soleil Rosé 2023 Languedoc,France. 12.5% Morrisons £9.50 Cranberry, strawberries and grapefruit.Made by……Famille Perrin in the Carmargue.
I also very much like the look of Found Susumaniello Rosé Puglia, 12.5% Italy M&S £9.
All at a decent alcohol level!
Hi Paul,
Yes, I noticed that the web site stated 13%, but the actual bottle shows 11%, which I would regard as definitive. The bottle also has rather fanciful words on the back label which neither mentions the addition of shiraz nor the oak treatment. I assume Jane got that from a rather more useful trade description.
I drank a bottle of the Found Susumaniello Rosé back in May – my consumption note states “a good food rose” – which, in my speak, is a good endorsement!
From their Vielle Ferme (on offer at the Co-op until next week incidentally) upwards the Perrin family do a great job.
Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference buy 3 and get 25% off running for more than 2 weeks now!! Their in house magazine on Readly app suggesting amongst many of our old favourites Val de Loire Blanc 7.50 … St Chinian £9.50 … Chile Maipo Cabernet 10.50 …. And …. House Torla Rioja 5.50. Pignoleto fizz too and Cremant D”Alsace … Stocking up time on a couple of worthwhile suggestions maybe.