SPARs new Exclusives wine range is on special offer throughout the summer with £1 off most bottles. The ten whites, fourteen reds and one rosé are sourced from seven countries with some of the more interesting wines coming from Romania – which seems to be pulling its socks up on the winemaking front after a bit of a slump following a huge fanfare in the 90s when it first hit out shelves.

The wines are all good drinkers and worth the £1-off promotion price and selling for between £5.50 and £6.50 a bottle. We will have to wait to see whether the SPAR wine-buying public think the wines are worth the extra pound when the promotion period stops in the autumn – or perhaps more promotions will follow?

The new whites are all light tasting and make excellent choices for summer drinking, while the reds have a bit more hearty fruitiness going on but have some stiff competition among similarly priced wines from Aldi and Lidl.

This is a good range and a continuation of SPAR’s improvements in its wines as a whole.

PG SPAR Exclusives Wine Reviews

Wildflower Romanian Pinot Grigio
£5.50 SPAR promotion price
The pretty bottle label encourages investigation of this light apple and pear tasting white.

Garganega Pinot Grigio 2017 blend, Italy
£5.50 SPAR promotion price
Aromas of pear, apple and pineapple followed by light pear and apple flavours.

Garganega Pinot Grigio 2017 blend, Italy, Rosé (blush)
£5.50 SPAR promotion price
The same varieties of the previous wine are used to make a light salmon pink blush-style wine (this is possible as Pinot Grigio grapes are light purple in colour and added to the wine pot unlike in the white version) which is light and fruity in flavour. Nice.

Brindle Ridge Romanian Chardonnay
£5.50 SPAR promotion price
A slight fizz in this wine (known to winemakers as a ‘spritz’) may not be deliberate but the flavours of creamy pear, apple and melon are.

Tino Pai French Sauvignon Blanc 2017
£6 SPAR promotion price
Fresh, fruity and light white wine. A nice Sauvignon with only 11.5% alcohol.

Jean-Marie Garnier French Chardonnay 2017
£6 SPAR promotion price
Another light white with gentle flavours of apple and pear.

Brindle Ridge Romanian Merlot
£5.50 SPAR promotion price
Jammy flavours of raspberry and mocha. Nice but expensive.

Wildflower Romanian Pinot Noir
£5.50 SPAR promotion price
Plum, raspberry and milk chocolate flavours cut through with cranberry sharpness.

Legendary French Malbec 2016
£6.50 SPAR promotion price
Plum and redcurrant flavours with a hint of tar. Okay but had better Malbecs at this price.

Costieres de Nimes 2016, French red
£6.50 SPAR promotion price
Aromas of spicy plum and coffee cake followed by flavours of strawberry jam and blackberry.

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