The smartest wine choice isn’t always the cheapest – or most obvious!
I chose today’s illustrations of that point specifically because they punch above their weight, yet will not spring out from the shelves shouting “Buy me!”
While not overly expensive, they are not the lowest priced bottles in the aisle – but nor are they trying to be.
In particular, they are “good buys now” that will be well worth remembering when the next “Buy 6” promotion begins – smart investments, perhaps, rather than pulse-racing bargains.
Better yet, they are two bold, distinctive wines that announce themselves with confidence as offerings that are enjoyable – and well beyond the merely acceptable.
The images and hyperlinks provided should help you to find them in crowded displays.
First a red then
2023 Best Garnacha (£8 – down from £8.75 for this month and next with a Morrisons Loyalty Card and 13.5% abv):
Navarra has long worked in the shadow of its famous neighbour – Rioja – but it is increasingly being recognised for its excellent garnacha-based wines.
The climate and terrain in Navarra suit that variety beautifully, yielding wines with freshness, fruitiness and clarity.
While garnacha often plays a supporting role in Spain, Navarra winemakers are building reputations for their adroitness with the variety – as this example affirms.
Relatively light in body and colour, it is centred on fresh cherry and red currant flavours.
These are accompanied by firm orange-based acidity, but muted tannin, together with suggestions of caramel, cinnamon and eucalyptus.
Then an increasingly popular white
2024 Exceptional by Asda Gruner Veltliner (£8.12 at Asda and 11.5%):
Professionals and consumers alike have recognised how well grüner veltliner’s crisp pepperiness enhances food (not just accompanies it).
No doubt this helps explains its increasing popularity and why folk buy it ahead of bargain basement wines.
Its lightness and, here, limited alcohol also advance its demand for attention.
Bright and typically herbal, this example delivers lingering apple, grapefruit and pear flavours.
Additional support takes the form of sharp sherbet lime acidity and concluding hints of flinty minerality.
Bonus Item
I hear reports that Aldi’s 2024 Specially Selected Cairanne (14.5%) is down to £4.99 (from £9.99) from Thursday until 3 December.
These promotions are often hard to find (sold through quickly for example) so be a little cautious.
However, if you are successful, the wine itself is a good one – aromatic and deep purple in colour with full cherry, chocolate and cumin flavours.
Also making their presence felt are pithy grapefruit acidity, modest tannin and traces of liquorice, sage and vanilla.
Cairanne is one of the 17 prestigious “Cru” wines of the Rhône and is, I think, the latest to join that illustrious ensemble,
Drop by again on Thursday when my look at wines for Christmas begins. See you then.
13 responses
Worth noting that Morrisons are still running a “buy 6 get 25% off” scheme which makes their decent wines, many already discounted, a real bargain. They also have a good GV which comes under this banner.
Great selection today, Brian.Thanks.
Asda is on fire again with that Gruner.
Some of the most interesting modern style innovative Spanish reds are now Garnacha based.
I luckily tasted that Aldi Cairanne before release and my notes say “”Good wine at a fair price”.That was at the full price!
At £4.99 an absolute steal.
When Brian did his excellent feature on half bottles a week and a bit ago, I was tempted to ask facetiously in the comments column whether we could look forward to a future report on magnums.
Imagine my surprise, therefore, when Hannah Crosbie picked just this subject as her theme in last Saturday’s Guardian, including some interesting points about the increased ratio of wine to air in the double-sized bottle.
The only magnum I currently possess is the Wine Society’s150th Anniversary Generation Series Wachenheimer Riesling 2021, bought simply because the 75cl size I had so much enjoyed was completely sold out! I was struggling to find the right occasion for this anomaly in my small ‘cellar’, but now have it pencilled in for our family’s Christmas Eve supper.
PS. I’ve got Aldi’s start date for the half-price Cairanne as this Thursday, mentioned in a press release a few weeks ago, but as usual sharp eyes and quick wits are always needed!
I think you are right with your PS, and have amended the post accordingly. Thanks for pointing out, David, and apologies to anyone I have confused – especially those sitting on Aldi’s doorstep at 7.59 this morning.
Hi Brian,
It’s Block Series Boogie time at Morrisons!
Popped in our larger Morrisons store on Saturday, to see whether the new Block Series wines had made an appearance.
At one end of the aisle was a display case with Olly Smith’s recommendations. At the other end another display case showing a selection of Block Series wines. A mixture of some wines from the first series and a couple from the new series.
All of the wines were discounted, AND included in the 25% off 6 (Multiples of 6, only). Note that the discounted prices are not shown on their website. So the excellent Chenin Blanc (from the first series) is down from £15 to £10, and the new 2023 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon down from £25 to £15. (I have tasted this and, despite its hefty 14.5% enjoyed it) With the additional 25% off can’t really go wrong with these.
Note that only the larger Morrison stores stock the Block Series. Morrisons’ store pricing can be inconsistent, but worth a trip, to try the Block Series Boogie.
Thanks for the heads up Richard, I’ll get down to Morrisons when I can and see what they have Block series wise, if any.
I’ll also try and pick up a bottle of that Garnacha Brian mentions.
And don’t forget that Asda have a 25% off deal until18 Dec, so the GV is only £6.09 at the minute. I have just picked up six bottles at that price
Yes, for me, Asda was the surprise star for wine in 2025.
In Jane MacQuitty’s “50 top bottles under £10” in Saturday’s Times, I notice the the top 3 outlets were:
Lidl 8 wines featured; Asda 7; Co-op 6. Followed by Aldi, Tesco and M&S all with 5 mentions. Not definitive, I know, but nice to know that good value bottles can be found in most outlets.
Decanter issued a recent 2025 league table of awards they had given to supermarket wines.
Asda was top, and by a considerable distance.
Brian great timing with your recommendation of the Asda GV at the 25% off discount for 6 bottles what a lovely glass of wine. As regards the Aldi cairanne this is the 3rd year running they have massively discounted this wine just prior to Christmas. But be warned they have in the past restricted customers to 2 bottles each bah humbug
Thanks Andy – for the endorsement and for the warning!
Plenty of 2024 Specially Selected Cairanne available in my local Aldi this morning. Just one point I was not aware of – as it is a “wine of the week” – the maximum number of bottles you can purchase is two! However the friendly checkout supervisor then ppointed out that if I paid for two I could buy two more on a new transaction. Sigh.
Thanks for coming on to the Comments section Keith and for the warning about multiple purchases. You obviously found the right checkout buddy there!