Great wine doesn’t have to mean a hefty price tag if you know where to look.
This week brings two genuinely tempting deals, each offering real quality at a discount.
In addition, Aldi’s primitivo rosé shows that a grape famous for bold reds can also charm when dressed in pink.
Meanwhile Sainsbury’s Bruce Jack Chenin Blanc proves lower alcohol needn’t mean sacrificing texture or flavour.
And there’s a bonus tempranillo bargain from Morrisons – but time is running out for that one.
Starting with an unusual rosé.
Which wine should I buy? 2025 Primitivo Rosé
Why should I buy it? As already indicated, this is a slightly unexpected pick. Primitivo is the grape behind Puglia’s boldest reds – but as Jancis Robinson has pointed out – it’s also capable of producing rosés with real depth and seriousness.
What does it taste like? Supporting that contention, this has mouthwatering strawberry, watermelon and peach flavours, neatly balanced by crisp acidity and background herbal touches.
Where, how much and what abv? At Aldi, priced at £7.99 although on discount in some places; 12.5% abv.
Moving now to South Africa.
Which wine should I buy? 2025 Bruce Jack Chenin Blanc.
Why should I buy it? Bruce Jack has a great record in the South African wine industry and here he shows his winemaking expertise by keeping the abv to a modest 11% without sacrificing the wine’s texture.
What does it taste like? Apple and citrus on the nose give way to flavours of pineapple, melon and peach, with a zingy lemon curd acidity running through it.
Where, how much and what abv? At Sainsbury’s, £7.25 with a Nectar card (down from £9 until 30 June); 11% abv.
BONUS ITEM
2022 Best Astado Toro Tempranillo (£9 – down from £12.25 until 23 June – with a Morrisons Loyalty Card and 13.5% abv:
Another short notice promotion I am afraid, but one that is far too good to miss.
In my newspaper column, I praised a Toro tempranillo from Morrisons a week or two back, but this one is, if anything, even better.
It is from the prestigious Bodegas Fariña who were one of the first to secure international recognition for tempranillo from Toro – a high and harsh part of Spain.
Opening with fragrances of soft fruit, this version goes on to provide black cherry and raspberry flavours of real depth.
These are complemented by firm tannin, balanced acidity and hints of cinnamon, cedar and vanilla.
Like the background material here? Then nip across to our sister site – Midweek Wines Guild – for much more of the same. But remember to be back here for more Top Tips next Monday.
14 responses
The Bruce Jack will cost you only £5.44 as Sainsburys have a 25% off promotion on 6 or more at the moment.
Absolute bargain, Dave, and full marks to Sainsbury’s for allowing a “double dip” during Buy 6 weeks.
Last week, June 11th – 18th, the Primitivo Rose was Aldi’s Wine of the Week, reduced to £4.99. It’s back to full price now, unless you are very lucky
Yes, I just missed getting a recommendation in before the promotion ended, but felt it was -nevertheless – a good buy at its list price.
Aldi Macclesfield (Barracks Mill) have it at £5.49; today (23/06/26).
Thank you, John. Sharing that sort of information is one of benefits of a site like this. I am delighted to see you use it and would encourage other subscribers to do so too. It is impossible for me to keep up with all the price changes centrally, so MidWeekers are important as outriders and scouts.
I always smile when I see a Bruce Jack wine on the shelves. One, because I remember Jack Bruce, the bass player and singer of the legendary band “Cream”. I saw Jack live at the Ipswich Corn Exchange, I think his last gig before he died.
And two, because Bruce Jack was the guest of Diana Thompson on an interactive Zoom call, some time back. He was extremely knowledgeable, engaging and very amusing. I recall his Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz were both more of a “European” style – which he said was his intention. I typed in a comment asking why he didn’t call his wine Syrah, then? He read out the comment, paused and said “Ummm good point!”.
I just checked and he now does a “Bruce Jack Wines, Tumbleweed Big Sky, Overberg, Syrah” at a pleasing 12% abv. But it seems to be only available at Indies, rather than supermarkets.
Looking forward to trying his Chenin Blanc – an underrated grape!
I remember that Zoom session too. Bruce suggested that some of the poor wines surfacing in the UK were down to bottling problems in the UK with wine shipped in bulk rather than those bottled under the winemakers supervision or by a UK bottling operation enjoying a long standing collaboration with the winemaker. Hard to know how big that problem is but Bruce’s view certainly provides food for thought.
There are only two major glass bottle companies in South Africa and they suffer greatly from frequent, with often little or no notice ,electricity outages that can last for hours. Glass furnaces need to run 24 hours a day at high temperatures. It must be incredibly frustrating for them and the wineries awaiting bottles.
Nice Brian
Always enjoy Bruce Jack wines, still reasonably priced as well, good no nonsense wines.
That Morrisons Tempranillo intrigues me , not noticed it yet, I will grab a bottle in store, a Spanish wine that has escaped me, now there’s a rarity
Rarity or not, I think you will approve.
Just to say that I managed to get several bottles of the Primitivo Rose in Aldi, Horsham, this evening for £5.49 a bottle.
I rather hoped there might be some “remainders” in local Aldi stores so pleased to hear that Keith. In some places, it appears at that price on the Aldi website but that may depend where you are.
Sorry. The Primitivo Rose that is…