You don’t need me to tell you about the general rise in prices. With changes in alcohol duty, as well as general inflation, wine has been particularly affected.
I shall return to this theme another day, but I do find that what is left at lower prices often has quality or other problems and, thus, is wine I cannot recommend.
While I scour wine lists for (and sometimes find) exceptions, one effect seems inescapable: oftentimes, I must climb the price ladder a bit to find wines I can confidently commend as Top Tips.
Today is one such day.
Both examples this time, however, fully justify digging a little deeper and – at the moment – are helped by useful discounts.
Let’s start in France.
2025 Irresistible Provence Rosé (£9.75 – down from £10.75 until 25 August – at the Co-op and 12.5% abv):
One slightly unexpected result of the hot summer of 2003 was the triggering of a significant and sustained upward trend in the sales of rosé.
As that August saw the UK’s first (now easily surpassed) 100°F temperatures, thoughts turned to places where heat at that level was more normal.
Provence was one and over the succeeding years, its rosés acquired a faithful following – possibly as a contrast to the sweeter versions that, often, had been imported from America where they were already increasingly popular.
Its basic dryness and delicacy made Provence versions excellent food wine in a way that “drink anytime” options struggled to match.
Since then, rosé has developed into a year-round food wine and other areas (notably, but not exclusively, Languedoc and Spain) are producing impressive dry versions too.
However, Provence always seemed to offer premium versions. Inevitably, though, its prices reflected that status.
So, it is good to find a well-made version slipping in just under the £10 mark – for the next week or so anyway.
It embodies the style’s traditional characteristics and is made by a long-standing and very successful Provence co-operative.
A soft flush of rose petal on the nose gives way to a palate built around red apple, peach and red currant flavours. The fruit is kept energetic by a streak of lemony acidity, before a gentle, spicy note creeps in on the finish.
I know that the Co-op’s commercial structure can make finding offers difficult, but this will repay the effort.
NB:- The website may not reflect the offer currently in place in some stores.
Switching to a red.
2022 Carnivor Zinfandel (£10 – down from £11 until 30 August – with a Morrisons Loyalty Card and 14.5% abv):
It took years before DNA evidence established that Europe’s primitivo grape and zinfandel were one and the same.
By then, “zin” had become California’s red wine signature grape.
Climatic conditions and winemaking traditions meant that versions from over the Atlantic differed in style from, for instance, those from Puglia.
The US retail scene meant that relative prices also differed, with zinfandel usually more expensive than primitivo on many UK wine shelves.
Wines from both places tend to be powerful and dominated by black fruit flavours but, typically, Californian options are riper and often have higher alcohol levels.
This example, though, is medium bodied but does have that extra ripeness derived from California’s warmer growing conditions.
Inviting berry aromas set the tone, and the palate follows through with the same energy — bramble and mulberry fruit shot through with a streak of butterscotch.
As I say, medium in weight, it is carried by soft tannin and just enough acidity to keep the sweet-fruited core in check, while cocoa, toasted oak and a dusting of cinnamon also join the party.
These add a layer of complexity to what is, at heart, a generously sweet-edged glassful.
BUSY SHOPPER SUMMARY
Which wine should I buy? 2025 Irresistible Provence Rosé
Where, how much and what abv? (£9.75 – down from £10.75 until 25 August – at the Co-op and 12.5% abv):
Why should I buy it? A well-made, delicate rosé currently at an especially good price.
What does it taste like? Apple, peach and red currant flavours with a dash of lemon acidity.
And its partner
Which wine should I buy? 2022 Carnivor Zinfandel
Where, how much and what abv? (£10 – down from £11 until 30 August – with a Morrisons Loyalty Card and 14.5% abv):
Why should I buy it? Well priced, medium bodied zinfandel with classic ripeness.
What does it taste like? Bramble and mulberry centred supported by cocoa, oak and cinnamon elements.
BONUS ITEM
A few months back, I recommended Las Pinzas Garnacha which was then an Aldi Wine of the Week.
Coming up shortly is another of their Wines of the Week that I think deserves your attention.
South Australia’s 2023 Cracked & Ground Shiraz has a list price of £7.99 at Aldi but is advertised as being on offer from 20-26 August. In some parts of the UK it could be down as low as £4.99 but do check with your local store before committing yourself.
It has a rust-red colour and is full-bodied with raspberry, red plum and blackcurrant flavours coming through generously.
Structure is provided by its mellow tannin but lingering suggestions of chocolate, leather and clove add to its attractions – as does the firm balancing acidity.
Pretty good value at £7.99 but something of a “must try” at a discounted price.
Next Monday sees more Top Tips but don’t let this week slip past without seeing what is exciting the team on our sister site – MidWeek Wines Guild.
23 responses
Absolutely agree about paying a bit more can mean a big difference in quality, interest and even ethics at times.
Just want to highlight at the moment the Co-op are offering 20% off two selected white wines. I suggest the two below are well worth considering. I do struggle with recommending Co-op wines, not because of their quality- there are very good wines at a fair price in the Co-op range- it is just their availability which is at best patchy and can be frustrating.
Irresistible Alvarinho 2024 Co-op 12% abv £8.65 full price
Miluna Vermentino 2024 Salento Co-op 12.5% abv £10 full price
Apply the discount and it is £6.92 and £8 .Bargains.
More information about these two wines on our sister site under Paul’s Ponderings.
… And a really good read Paul.
Aldis wine of the week at £ 4.99
Is a Zinfandel at 14.5abv drinks
Lovely. Don’t know how they do it
ALDI have excellent wine of the week
Can’t stop buying it.
As you, say, Micky some of the prices are unbelievably low. Availability can be an issue though and some wines tick more boxes than others.
How do you get advance notice of Aldi wine of the week??? I’m straight on it Thursday mornings. Is it in their leaflet?
Funny, I was drinking Carnivor Zin only last night – I bought a couple of bottles when it was last on offer in Tesco. One of my regular picks. I love a good Zin, and this hits the spot (oddly, I’m not a fan of European Primitivos!)
Thanks for getting touch, Mike. As you imply, the style can be quite different to European versions and this is a particularly good example of zinfandel for its price.
By the way, Carnivor Zin is currently on offer at both Tesco (with a club card) and Ocado at £10.50.
Thanks for the heads up. It will help shoppers considerably.
I’ve been an avid buyer of the Carnivore Zin for several years! Please note that it is usually also available at larger Tesco stores and often down to £9 there. It is my go-to red for entertaining a mixed group of people as it is very drinkable with than slight “sweet” edge and spice undertones.
Good point, Sue., about its adaptability to meet differing tastes. That little edge of sweetness you mention is becoming increasingly popular with drinkers
Hi Brian, nothing wrong with spending a little more, especially if the quality is better. Funny enough I hosted a wine tasting on Friday and I featured a Californian Zinfandel, had mixed reactions but still ended up being the one of favourites of the night only beaten by a Pet Nat.
Comments were mainly about the sweetness and Alcohol levels ( a lot were concerned about the higher abv levels, sign of the times maybe).
I like the look of that Aldi Shiraz, thanks to you Brian my ‘to buy’ list is getting longer and longer.
Hi Brian,
Certainly some of the Aldi wine deals are remarkable – and sometimes obviously loss-leaders.
Last month I drank my last (of just 2!) bottle of the 2021 Cairanne Cru Côtes du Rhone, Chassaux et Fils. This was a “Wine of the Week” at Aldi in December 2023 at £3.49 – reduced from £8.99! It was lovely, and benefited from a bit more bottle age.
I would think that any cru Côtes du Rhone 2 years old, would be very suitable for keeping for a while.
Perhaps you could give your views on the aging potential of such bargains? When on sale at such silly prices, worth while buying a few, and stretching out your enjoyment!
Agree, Richard, a nicely aged Southern Rhone red is a joy indeed. Cru Côtes du Rhone should be pretty safe but the basic CdR appellation covers over 150 communes and considerable variation is possible. A good tip is to buy a cheap one on offer, open it, drink some and leave less than half the bottle for two or three days. If it still tastes as good then, that is a good sign about aging potential.
That’s a great tip, Brian. Thanks
How do Aldi sell quality wine at £4.99 and more importantly why?
The Wine of the week promotion is for a short period only. Aldi makes a razor-thin profit or sometimes zero,as it is a loss leader and is cross-subsided.
As you walk to the wine section at the back of the store, Aldi makes sure you pass by tempting high margin items such as cheese,meat and chocolate.
Aldi does not waste money on advertising and relies on social media buzz for promoting that wine.
They have huge upfront bargaining power as they buy a season’s worth of wine direct from the vineyard – no middlemen costs.
Aldi have much less choice of wines than a traditional supermarket and hope that by selling quality wine at £4.99 they build up trust so customers on their next visit will trade up to the increased prices in their core £7 to £9 range-same as many trad supermarkets -where profit margins are much healthier.
I’ve read (part of their promo material) from Naked Wines that with all the various costs, a “supermarket” wine at less than £4.50 has about 50p of grape (£4 of other costs such as duty, VAT, bottling, transporting, marketing, etc.) whereas a £9 bottle has over £1.50 of grape -> three times the grape quality for double the price).
As a rule of thumb, I work on the theory that anything at less than £5 would effectively be sold at a loss (or after significant discounting achieved with the producer).
That said, some Aldi wines can be true gems – loss leader or not!!!
Good to hear from you Nilesh and thanks for joining in the Comments section. As Naked Wine imply and with alcohol duty as it is, it is hard to unravel the economics of some wine pricing. Perhaps, the simplest thing is simply to enjoy what is put in front of us when it does what our taste buds want.
Brian I’ve tried to save money lately by buying a lot of the Aldi wine of the week promotions. On the whole I’ve not been disappointed. What I’ve noticed is that they introduce a lot of these wine of the week promotions a week before at the higher price and then drop down to the reduced price. Unfortunately the wine of the week will then disappear from the shelves because it’s not part of their core range. Having said that the cracked and ground shiraz you have recommended bucks that trend because it’s been on the shelves for quite a while.. I would just like to sum up by saying that the Zinfandel currently on offer is probably the best wine of the week they’ve had for a while as per Mickey
Yes, Andrew, these are indeed short term additions and that can cause availability issues but I am glad you are getting value from these promotions. Any tips for David (in this comments section) about finding out in advance what is on offer?
Unfortunately I’ve not come across any advance notification regarding Aldi’s wine of the week. It does not tend to appear in their weekly leaflet either. The only place it’s usually highlighted is on a advertising billboard as you enter the store. I believe a new wine of the week starts on a Thursday.
Hi Brian, I’ve been into my local Aldi in Bournemouth this morning. The WoW was their Kookabarra Barosa Shiraz rather than the Cracked & Ground. I didn’t risk the WoW & bought the C& G at £7.99.
That was not on the original list but Wine of the Week availability can be an issue. That said, I think the Cracked and Ground is still good value at its undiscounted price. Thanks very much for getting in touch Alan.