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Happy New Year
It’s great to be back after what I trust was an enjoyable and healthy Christmas break.
Temporary freedom from the “Two sizeable posts a week” routine certainly allows me time to reflect on the bigger picture such as freshening up the site and tying it more closely to its subscribers’ main priorities.
More about that in the future.
This time, though, I am mirroring the classic Top Tip posts I used throughout 2021 with a look at recommendations to make exhausted wallets smile – along with a supporting review of supermarket promotions.
As ever, use any images or hyperlinks shown to help make things a bit easier when browsing online or shopping.
Top Tips
Today’s spotlight goes on a Romanian white that continues to provide some of the best value on the High Street and this is joined by a Portuguese blend that represents sensational wine for its price
Revisiting a Star from the East
Don’t let its unpronounceable name deter you, this lovely wine from a hugely impressive operation in Romania is brilliant fare whether as a “drink anytime” tipple or to accompany gently spiced oriental food.
Light bodied (with just 11.5% alcohol) and delightfully perfumed, 2020 Wine Atlas Feteasca Regala (£5 at Asda) has soft pear, apricot and red apple flavours coupled with modest sherbet influenced acidity, floral elements and hints of sweetness.
Now to the western end of Europe
Perhaps because it is led by a little-known Portuguese grape variety (trincadeira), this red blend is astonishing value for money, easily outperforming most similarly priced offerings in sight.
Smooth and medium bodied, 2018 Mimo Moutinho Portuguese Blend (£3.99 at Aldi and 13%) delivers rounded loganberry and bramble flavours supported by clove, cocoa and vanilla components, gentle acidity and minimal tannin.
Current offers and promotions
At Tesco
A range of wines are currently on discount at Tesco (but almost exclusively for Clubcard holders) and involve reductions of a pound or two with discounted prices starting at £4.50.
These deals are available online and in Tesco Main Estate stores but most end on 24 January 2022 athough most wines discounted to £4.50 go up to £5 a week earlier (on 17 January).
At Sainsbury's
Promotions at Sainsbury’s run though until 18 January (or a day or so earlier online) and apply to main stores but not Sainsbury’s convenience stores. The current promotion reduces prices by, typically, £1- £2 on around 100 items with 40 of them from the “Taste the Difference” own label range.
Once again, here is a helpful link to allow you browse through the options yourself.
At Asda
Deals at Asda do seem extensive, but many involve beers (often on a “4 for 3” basis where such deals are possible). Details on expiry dates for promotions are sparse but this link will allow you to look through what is available.
At Morrisons
Like Tesco, deals at Morrisons do not end until the week after next (25 January). As their website illustrates, they seem to have a wide range of discounts (tailored to exclude – or only available in – Scotland and Wales).
Most reductions are in the 11% to 40% range – Charles Rousseau Sauvignon Blanc (down from £10 to £6 being the biggest). Once again, here is a link to an appropriate page on the retailer’s website; this one covers white wine but you can arrow back to find others.
At Waitrose
The latest promotion at Waitrose also runs to 25 January and offers discounts on around 120 items – bringing some down to £4.99 with cash reductions (such as the one pictured) along with discounts of 20%, 25% or 33%.
Once again, here is the link to what is a well set out promotions page.
At Co-op
In contrast to most others, Co-op deals apply to the whole of January but are nicely themed to separate out low alcohol and Veganuary promotions from the others.
The Co-op structure with (often autonomous) local groupings make all-encompassing web coverage – and, indeed, talking about discounts – difficult so a summary of their promotion appears at the foot of this page but, as ever, check the price in your local store before committing yourself.
At M&S
M&S have taken a broader view, highlighting what they see as overall trends and relating those to wines they have on offer.
As with the Co-op, showing all that online is not so easy given the link M&S have with Ocado, so here are some of the reductions available in M&S physical stores for the rest of January.
Check before putting anything in your basket though – the price on the shelf is the definitive one.
| Was | Now | From | Until | ||
| Bordeaux White | 2020 | £7.00 | £6.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Bordeaux Rouge | 2020 | £7.00 | £6.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Tierra Y Hombre Pinot Noir | 2020 | £7.00 | £6.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Tierra Y Hombre Sauvignon Blanc | 2021 | £7.00 | £6.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Garganega Pinot Grigio | 2020 | £7.00 | £6.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Puglia Rosso | 2020 | £7.00 | £6.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Pheasant Gully Sauvignon Blanc | 2020 | £7.00 | £6.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Gold Label Chardonnay | 2020 | £7.00 | £6.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Tapa Roja Old Vines Monastrell | 2020 | £7.00 | £6.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Wave Break Merlot | 2019 | £7.00 | £6.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Terre Di Chieti Pecorino | 2020 | £8.00 | £6.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Spier Bay View Sauvignon Blanc | 2021 | £9.00 | £7.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Laurent Miquel Languedoc Chardonnay | 2020 | £9.00 | £7.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Norton Malbec | 2021 | £9.00 | £7.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Norton Chardonnay | 2021 | £9.00 | £7.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| La Bonita Lisboa Portuguese Red | 2019 | £9.00 | £7.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| La Prendina Estate Pinot Grigio | 2019 | £9.50 | £7.50 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| De Martino Cabernet Sauvignon | 2019 | £10.00 | £8.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Lirac Les Closiers | 2020 | £10.00 | £8.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
| Notte Rossa Primitivo di Manduria | 2019 | £11.00 | £9.00 | 3rd Jan | 31st Jan |
And those promised Co-op promotions:
| CO-OP WINE DEALS RUNNING FROM 05 JANUARY TO 01 FEBRUARY INCLUSIVE | NOW (£) | WAS (£) | SAVE (£) |
| Villa Garducci Pinot Grigio Trebbiano (Italy) Available in Co-op stores nationwide | 5.00 | 7.00 | 2.00 |
| Eagle’s Pass Chardonnay (South Africa) Available in selected Co-op stores nationwide | 5.00 | 7.00 | 2.00 |
| Las Moras Barrel Select Malbec (Argentina) Available in Co-op stores nationwide | 6.25 | 8.25 | 2.00 |
| Leyda Valley Syrah (Chile) Available in selected Co-op stores nationwide | 8.00 | 10.00 | 2.00 |
| Finca Traversa Tannat Merlot (Uruguay) Available in selected Co-op stores nationwide | 7.00 | 8.00 | 1.00 |
| Montes Reserva Chardonnay (Chile) Available in selected Co-op stores nationwide | 7.00 | 8.00 | 1.00 |
| Vintales White (South Africa) Available in selected Co-op stores nationwide | Only 5.00 | – | – |
| Vintales Dry Red (South Africa) Available in selected Co-op stores nationwide | Only 5.00 | – | – |
| The Reckoning Old Vine (U.S.A) Available in selected Co-op stores nationwide | 6.50 | 7.50 | 1.00 |
| Vale Dos Pombos Vinho Verde (Portugal) Available in selected Co-op stores nationwide | 5.50 | 6.00 | 0.50 |
Join me again next Thursday when the focus will be the annual review of what to drink at those Burns Suppers on or around the bard’s birthday on 25 January.
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Brian Elliott
Brian Elliott is an established wine journalist, taster, judge and writer with a weekly column in Scottish newspapers.
Comments
6 Comments
Good to have you back Brian. A lot of work there to put all that together. When I discovered that Aldi Portuguese blend almost the first week it came onto the shelf I was a little suspicious. The brash attraction of the label and the “blend” seemingly looking for an entry level audience to sell them another bottom shelf bottle of something that is cheap and maybe cheerful enough to pass muster too. Being a big fan of Portuguese offerings of most anything I was still happy to try it regardless that what is in the bottle must have actually cost cents more than euros!! It’s a belter of a blend and astonishing it can be only £3.99. Aldi have done something akin before with their Carcassonne at £4.49, now sadly departed but the excellent Aimone at £4.99 is still there. Hopefully this Mimo Moutinho can retain its quality and be with us to enjoy for a good while yet at this money, through a period of troublesome domestic financial issues. Best for now …
Hi Eddie and I hope all goes well with you. Let’s hope this guy (or something like it) is here for the long haul but, as you say, prices will be a major doubt as we go through 2022. Some forecasters are expecting inflation and other issues to push up wine prices by one, or even two, pounds.
Welcome back, Brian. I look forward to trying the Feteasca Regala and the Portuguese blend.. Aldi had a Feteasca Regala last year (also 11.5%) which you highlighted and which I much enjoyed. Sadly not seen it around lately, so it is good to have an alternative.
Yes that (dearly departed) Aldi version was great value. There is one though in the M&S Found range that is available on their bricks and mortar stores or, via Ocado, online.
The Aldi Mimo Moutinho red is currently unavailble online – only the Mimo Moutinho white and rose ones are
Thanks Mike, Midweekers often tell me that Aldi products do sell out quite early online but can still be found in physical stores. I hope that proves so with this one as it really does offer exceptional value.
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