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This week’s top tips and current promotions
Read on for my top tips to add to your supermarket trolleys or online baskets this week. They include a Spanish star from the shelves of Iceland and a soft, creamy Chenin Blanc currently on offer at Morrisons. And, talking of offers, you will also find details of new wine promotions at Asda and M&S plus a round up of discounts at the other major retailers.
2019 The Best Chenin Blanc (£6 – instead of £7.50 until 1 June at Morrisons)
Here is another illustration of Morrisons great partnerships with selected South African producers, this time involving a white wine.
Soft with creamy depth, this guy brings us peach, baked apple and ripe pear flavours neatly complemented by good lime acidity and suggestions of ginger and honey.
2019 Marques del Bravo Tempranillo Bobal (£5.95 at Iceland)
Iceland store wine lists may not be the most eye-catching but the retailer does sell two outstanding Iberian reds: Portugal’s Rabo de Gala (that I recommended in March) and this great value Spanish choice from Utiel-Requena.
Herbal and medium bodied, it has appealing raspberry, cherry and red plum flavours, good acidity, firm tannin and a savoury background with touches of aniseed too.
My thanks to MidWeeker Eddie for the tip off about this one.
Current promotions
At Asda
A new promotion started last week at Asda (although we don't yet have an end date). This Extra Special red, which made our Best Value Malbec list back in April, is included among the offers:
- Extra Special Malbec (£6 each or two for £10)
At Marks & Spencer
Another new promotion is underway at M&S, running until 7 June. I have yet to try it but this newcomer may well be worth a go at the discounted price:
- La Bonita Lisboa Portuguese Red (Drops to £7 until 7 June)
At Co-op
The current set of offers finish tomorrow at the Co-op. This ever-popular Sauvignon (highlighted among our Sunday Best selection last week) is one to snap up before the discounts end:
- The Ned Sauvignon Blanc (Down from £9.50 to £7.50)
At other retailers
Promotions continue this week at Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Morrisons, see last week's post for details and my recommendations.
No post this Thursday so join us again next Monday for another look at my Top Tips and the promotions running in major retailers.
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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
Can’t disagree with the Spanish choice Brian, for the price (I got mine on a 2 for £10 deal) it’s great value. Lots of mouth watering acidity, some grainy tannins, smokey with an honest earthiness about it but still surprisingly fruity. Both Eddie and myself have discussed this wine in the past and for under £6 ( for a midweek tipple) what’s not to like.
Thanks Dave. I believe that the multi-buy deal runs for a little while yet but have not mentioned it as those arrangements are not permitted in some parts of the UK. I understand that I also owe you a vote of thanks for highlighting this wine as well as the mention of Eddie in the post itself. I am grateful to you both.
Good morning from me Brian! I’m not sure I can take credit here more than Dave should have it, him being more ”up” on Spanish offerings than I am and I think he identified the Iceland Bobal to me just a minute before I got there, after our mutual appreciation of the Rabo de Gala, that is fairly special for the money. I shop at Iceland a lot for frozen seafood and never fail to put a bottle of the Portuguese in my trolley. But suddenly Bobal cuvees were on our lips in more ways than one with several different bottles from other supermarkets prevalent. For me it started with the Asda Wine Atlas Series at least 3 years ago now, maybe longer. To get the Marques’ at two for £10 was a very decent deal and always worth having them on the shelf as a midweek go to.
I have added my appreciation to Dave in my reply to his comment. As you imply, Bobal is seriously underestimated and can offer sound, enjoyable wine at really good prices – despite attempts in some areas to have its vines replaced by tempranillo. Another victory then for that Wine Atlas range.
Good Morning Brian, have you had time yet to look at the new Lidl “Summer Wine Tour”, (in stores from this Thursday, 20 May). I counted 24 wines, that are listed in their current Weekly flyer, which is available from their stores.
Included are bottles from Spain (5), Portugal (4), Italy (4), France (3), Germany (3), New Zealand (1), Australia (1), Chile (1), South Africa (1), and UK (1). Prices range from £5-50 to £8-00, with one English Fizz coming in at £15.
Would be interesting to hear your views on some of these, personally from Spain they have a Godello and an Albarino, both at £8, that interest me, I appreciate Albarino can be picked up practically everywhere these days, but Godello appears to be somewhat harder to find. If it’s not an unfair question, what is your overall opinion on the quality of these “Tours”, compared to what is available at other supermarkets, they certainly seem, on average to be a few pounds cheaper than similar products at other outlets.
Hi Steve …. Sorry about the delay in responding, I have been “off watch” for a few days but am now back in harness. Yours is a good question about the Lidl Tour and it will be the subject of the main post next Thursday. I have sampled around half of the range but they do not (yet) include either of the the whites you mention. That said, Godello has featured in these promotions before and has always been excellent – well worth a try in my opinion. The German pinot blanc I have tried – and it is excellent.
You also ask about the overall quality of these “Tours”. In my view almost all of the wines are, at least, sound and, more often than not, excellent. Admittedly, those at the lower price points can be patchy but still, by and large, do represent good value for money – in my opinion ….. Best ….. Brian
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