Paula Goddard’s Wines of the Week starting 18th November 2019
It’s that time again when I review the year’s wines and pronounce my Top Ten lists. This week it’s the Top Ten Wines of 2019 Under £6. There’s been lots of changes in this category from last year – not least the increase in wines under £5. There has been so many this column was almost labelled the Top Ten Under £5 – but not quite enough made the final cut. Perhaps next year? Well let’s see who made it into the Top Ten list of bargain wines.
All the supermarkets are here – no one name is dominating which is a change on the last few years where the Co-op, Aldi and Lidl have been strong. Now SPAR is flexing its muscles with new ranges (including a vegan range Vine & Bloom) and there’s a new entrant with Iceland supermarket. Iceland may only have a small wine range of just a few hundred wines but these are well priced and a match to their food range.
Marks and Spencer is here too with its own-label Vino de Tavola wines at £5 a bottle. These wines are of variable enjoyability but are good stand-bys if you find yourself wondering what to match with M&S pizza or M&S lasagne. If this range is to survive then M&S need to pull their socks up a bit to compete with the choices of the all the other supermarket wine buyers.
Okay so here goes in price order:
The Top Ten Wines of 2019 Under £6
1. Grapevine Spanish Cabernet Sauvignon
£3.79 Aldi
Flavours of black cherry, black pepper and liquorice.
2. Tesco Spanish Tempranillo 2017
£4.15 Tesco
Cherries and choc.
3. M&S Italian Vino de Tavola Bianco
£5 M&S
Pear, melon, bit of honey and a grassy tinge. Sophisticated.
4. Sullivan’s Creek Australian Shiraz 2018
£5.25 Sainsbury’s
Not as overly fruity as many Aussie Shiraz. This one has flavours of nutmeg and cherry.
5. SPAR Vine & Bloom vegan Italian Merlot 2018
£5.50 SPAR
Lightly fruity with flavours of damsons. Rather like a French Pinot Noir.
6. SPAR Vine & Bloom vegan Italian Pinot Grigio 2018
£5.50 SPAR
A pleasant wine with a floral tinge to the apple flavours.
7. Rabo de Galo Portuguese red
£5.95 Iceland
Smooth and fruity. A nice wine with flavours of cherry and bramble.
8. Val de Salis French Grenache Noir 2018
£5.99 Lidl
Spicy blackberry. Warming.
9. O Grande Chilean red
£5.99 Aldi
Blackberry jam at one end and a meat filling at the other. It’s a traditional Cornish pasty!
10. Sentador Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
£6 Co-op
Spicy raspberry, plum, cherry and choc. There’s a lot going on.
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© Paula Goddard 2019 www.paulagoddard.com
