Lidl’s monthly Wine Tours remain a regular – and welcome – part of the wine landscape.
Building on the massively popular “Claret Offensive” just over 10 years ago, these Wine Tours have helped sustain Lidl’s reputation in the UK wine market.
They offer two big advantages:
- The prices are invariably keen and this has had instant appeal to budget sensitive customers.
- Better still, though, the tours often feature good examples of wines from regions or grapes that are not immediately familiar.
Wrap all this in the urgency of limited availability and the reason for their popularity is readily apparent.
The latest Tour – which started last week – continues this trend and seems to have broadened its scope across Europe to meet those two bullet points.
For instance, there is a Greek assyrtiko under £8 – illustrating the value for money aspect.
Similarly, an unfamiliar Hungarian red wine grape and, among the whites, the use of German gewurztraminer shows that the capacity to surprise remains alive.
Most of the wines fit into the “sound” category – rather than the startling one – but I have picked out some highlights I think you will enjoy.
As is normal here, pictures and hyperlinks are provided where possible to guide you straight to the right wine on shelf or web page.
Typical South of France Red
2022 Cuvee du Menhir (£7.49 at Lidl while stocks last and 13% abv):
From an area NW of Beziers comes this uncomplicated Languedoc red –a combination of (I surmise) grenache, syrah and carignan.
Ostentatious or superstar it is not, but it does offer a straightforward, easy drinking red wine that is typical of the region.
Dark with a liquorice edge, it has smooth cherry, plum and olive flavours.
These are supplemented by firm tannin, fruity orange based acidity together with traces of aniseed, herbs and cocoa.
What Portugal does well
2023 SEM Reservas (£7.49 at Lidl while stocks last and 13.5%):
The headline catching Portuguese region of Lisboa features again with this substantial but nicely smooth red.
It blends the frequently used suspects of castelão, alicante bouschet and tinta roriz (tempranillo) in the way that Portugal does so well.
Dense in colour with port like aromas, the result delivers full, damson and bramble flavours.
In addition, that framework is neatly supported by firm tannin and rich touches of thyme, chocolate and cinnamon.
Now for something lighter.
2024 Schieber Trilogia Kadarka (£7.49 at Lidl while stocks last and 12.5%):
Looking for a relatively light red with an unusual flavour range for summer?
If so, this is a good candidate and is made from the (unfamiliar over here) kadarka grape – gamza in Bulgaria – that, in its robust form, was once used for “Bull’s Blood”.
Light and bright, this version exhibits intricate raspberry, cherry and cranberry flavours.
Here, they are partnered by firm acidity – but little tannin – and neatly coupled with suggestions of incense, cola and milk chocolate.
Switching to the whites
2023 Assyrtiko PGE Zent Griechenland (£7.99 at Lidl while stocks last and 12.5%):
Although the Greek name on the label may fox you initially, this is assyrtiko – the country’s current white wine poster child.
And this is a good example of the style even if it does not quite match the elegance (or price) of the crisp, mineral and somewhat volcanic versions of Santorini.
Fresh with a lovely clean mouth feel, it brings us fresh apple, melon, peach and mango flavours.
These are nicely rounded out by lemon acidity and a mild mineral edge that also has saline components.
This is Wine Tour’s top offering.
2023 Tete-á-Tete Riesling & Gewürztraminer (£8.99 at Lidl while stocks last and 11.5%):
Compared to Alsace, gewurztraminer production in Germany is small but, here, winemakers in the Pfalz region have skilfully blended it with riesling.
The result – to me – is the best wine of this promotion and one ideal for drinking all on its own throughout the summer.
Sweet edged and attractively textured, it provides oriental fruit, tangerine and peach flavours.
A zesty, tongue tingling, prickle of acidity and contrasting savoury twist that includes suggestions of ginger, complete the picture.
Finishing on a (slightly) sweeter note
2024 Chateau Dereszls Amethyst Tokaji Furmint (£8.99 at Lidl while stocks last and 12.5%):
Lidl have been great champions of Hungary’s furmint grape and, particularly – as here – the dry (or slightly drier) versions that are now gaining prominence.
While taking nothing away from the delightful sweet wines that the grape produces, wines like this demonstrate furmint’s versatility.
Just off dry with appealing floral aromas, it contains cooked apple, rhubarb and quince flavours.
Additional embellishments come in the form of lively orchard fruit acidity and a red pepper crunch.
Call in again on Monday when the spotlight falls on Top Tips that offer especially good value at a store near you.
12 responses
Hi Brian,
Pleased to see you recommending the 2024 Schieber Trilogia Kadarka. I haven’t bought much at Lidl for a while, but the description of this appealed. I drank this just very slightly chilled, and thought it was like a funky Beaujolais. So a pleasant and useful wine style. Very unusually for me, I am going to get another bottle when I am next in Lidl!
Funky Beaujolais sums it up perfectly, Richard
I love the Lidl wine tours and with your reviews alongside the Bampfield points have given me some real treats over the years.However,I do have a major issue with them..over the last year the shelf management has just become chaotic and poor…wines often in the wrong shelf,no Bampfield notes…my last Lidl visit..yesterday..(monmouth for heavens sake) I walked out in frustration..all the wines above there,all mislabelled,no Bampfield points ..its as if they have created a great option then sabotage it..i’ve .had the same problem elsewhere..Hereford,Erdington, so it’s not one store but they don’t do themselves any favours..any one else have similar experiences?
Not noticed that in my local store but has any other MidWeeker found this problem?
The Riesling /Gewürztraminer white is also a funky blend and intriguing.A terrific wine.
I had not come across the term “Feinherb” on the label before.Apparently it is an unregulated term that means somewhere between dry and off dry- although I like the suggested translation of “harmoniously dry”.
It might be a hard sell but deserves to be a success.
I am a big fan of Greek Assyrtiko for its precise, linear minerality – the Co-op also does a good one: https://medium.com/@tomsk71/two-off-piste-wines-from-the-co-op-4704f1203862
The Riesling & Gewürztraminer blend does sound an interesting prospect. Given that you describe it as sweet edged and suggest it as a summer aperitif wine I wonder whether it’s quite similar to wine made from the Pálava grape that I came across in the Czech Republic? Palava is a cross between Gewürztraminer and Müller-Thurgau. And Riesling is one of the parents of M-T isn’t it?
I’ll have to get down to Lidl and see
I bought 2 bottles of the Riesling & Gewürztraminer blend and having tried one I was left disappointed. This had the potential of being a very fruit driven, even floral wine and yet I could get almost nothing on the nose and the palate revealed a limited stone fruit nuances in a pleasant off dry style. A non offensive wine but maybe I expected too much from two of my favourite grapes.
Didn’t buy anything in Lidl yesterday, or Asda, because of a mega delivery from TWS coming next Tuesday of wine en Primeur now out of bond. But eventually will have the Portuguese Lisboa here spoken about by Brian before the May Wine Tour finishes. So many more bottles in the May crates in-store that never make the listings anywhere???? What’s all that about? Except there is an Austrian Müller rosé that looks to be the real deal, £7.49 and 90/100 points. Into the trolley next time out.
I worked a couple of times for a guy who had a pub in Radebeul near Dresden in old East Germany, on the banks of the Elbe. He gave me locally produced stuff to take away, his house wine, litre bottles as Deutsch tafel wein is often sold. It’s close to the Czech Republic there in Saxony but the grapes were predominantly Müller-Thurgau with some Riesling. Seems from Wiki’ the following applies. Copy and paste .. ”Located in southeastern Germany near the border with the Czech Republic, the region has a continental climate that is tempered somewhat by the Elbe. The granite and gneiss based soils of the area are similar to the Austrian Wachau wine region.” An unsuspecting pleasure it was.
Last evening I was aperitifing on this rosé. …
Cannot speak more highly of the Aldi own label Bowler & Brolly English Pinot Noir & Precoce from Lyme Bay Winery 12% abv nv that I bought months ago for less than £10. If we speak of growers wanting to offer inspirational wine to the more discerning customers at higher prices because of the provenance they themselves attach, here we have well-inspirational at a sensational and affordable price even to me. Not exactly the same bottle but there is another B&B rosé at £8.69, hopefully the same and as good as the one I had.
This to me is really a “worth it” purchase if you are a fan of terrific rosé, wanting to buy English, or wanting a chilled white substitute of greater character and interest than straightforward bottles from the Aldi, or anywhere shelves. It’s pure class and will rock any French offering that fancies its chances.
Lovely to see an off dry wine being recommended in the 2024 Chateau Dereszls Amethyst Tokaji Furmint. Thank you Brian – more please for those of us with a sweeter palate. And, it was not bad at £8.99!
I thought about giving you a name check when I wrote about that one but will keep signalling up less dry wines when I encounter them. That Riesling Gewurztraminer blend may be worth a look. It is somewhere between dry and off-dry.
Hi Brian,
Intrigued by the Riesling Gewurztraminer wine, so bought a bottle. Thought your description of between dry and off dry was accurate. I am not usually a fan of Gewurtz, not that I don’t like it, but pairing with food doesn’t come naturally to us. So drank this with no preconceptions of picking out grape characteristics. We both enjoyed it. I thought it was rather like a grown up vino verde, if that makes sense. I love a well chilled vino verde – and this was a touch more serious, but still fun! Thanks, always good to try, and enjoy, a wine a little out of one’s “comfort zone”!