8 bottles to buy from Lidl's Spring 2021 wine tour

It’s good to find that Lidl hasn’t given up its regular ‘wine tours’ which liven up the range every couple of months. Prices aren’t as keen as they once were, admittedly but if you’re in search of something more interesting than the general supermarket offering (or their own standard range) they’re still good value.

Here are eight I think are worth snapping up, bearing in mind that stocks are limited:

Duca di Sasseta Puglia Negroamaro Bianco 2019 13% £5.99

Negroamaro is normally red but this white version is very fresh, crisp and appealing, like a more characterful pinot grigio. They describe it as ’off-dry but it tastes pretty dry to me. Good with simple fish and shellfish dishes.

Duca di Sasseta Vermentino Blanco Toscano 2019 12.5% £7.49

Vermentino is one of my favourite Italian grape varieties - nicely smooth with a touch of white peach. It would be lovely with pasta primavera (with spring vegetables)

Falanghina Beneventano 2019 Sassi del Mare 13% £7.99

Another really appealing crisp fruity Italian white which they recommend with feta salad (do they mean Greek salad? Yup, that would work) light seafood dishes and smoked salmon (Hmmm, not so sure about that). I’d go for grilled fish myself and light veggie dishes

Duca di Castelmonte Zibibbo Terre Siciliane 2019 12% £7.49

I love this wine for its name - Zibibbo - as much as anything. It’s basically a member of the muscat family so expect a floral, fragrant, elderflowery white that would be lovely to drink in the garden on a warm spring afternoon.

Vicarius Furmint 2019 12.5% £7.99

Lovely clean, crisp, almost Chablis-like Hungarian white which will go, they suggest, with fennel risotto and leek and potato gratin. Spot on, I’d say.

Haraszthy Sauvignon Blanc 2020 13% Etyek-Budai £7.99

I wouldn’t agree with the observation on Lidl’s website that this Hungarian sauvignon blanc is ‘less exuberant’ than New Zealand ones. To me it’s totally in that vein and if you like that big boisterous Kiwi style it’s a really good example. Drink with big-flavoured salads.

Fleurie 2019 Collin-Bourisset 13.5% £7.99

Delicious. light, cherry-flavoured Fleurie: a must for Beaujolais fans. Would be great with glazed ham

Bastide Miraflors 2018 Vieilles vignes Cotes du Roussillon 14.5% £8.99

This Rhone-ish grenache-syrah blend is a bit of a belter. They recommend it with chilli con carne, game, burgers or dishes such as mushrooms in red wine which covers most bases. And stews, I’d say.

The wines were sent by Lidl as samples

Two good Portuguese wine buys from Lidl

Lidl’s latest ‘wine tour’ focuses on Spain and Portugal this month so I tried out a few wines from the selection. These two Portuguese wines struck me as the best buys, not least because they were slightly cheaper than the others. It’s ironic that as other retailers madly scramble to reduce their prices Lidl is steadily creeping up theirs.

Encostas de Caiz Vinho Verde Avesso 2019 12.5% £6.49

Vinho verde seems to get better and better with much more character than the cheap 11% examples that use to be standard. This is deliciously fresh and fruity (I picked up starfruit, kiwi, grapes and green apple) - almost springlike in its appeal so perfect for light fish dishes and salads.

Torre de Ferro Reserva Dao 2017 13.5% £7.49

A full-flavoured, mellow, oaky red that should appeal if you like rioja. Ideal for a Sunday roast or a steak. Great value.

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Agramont Old Vine Garnacha 2019, Navarra 14% £7.99

A more modern juicy, fruity style of Spanish red that would go with big, hearty pork and bean dishes or a chilli. Could definitely handle a bit of spice

But I’m less keen on

CEO Godello Monterrei 2019 £8.49

If you like a rich chardonnay you should enjoy this Godello with its touch of tropical fruit. It’s not especially cheap though. Doesn’t really rock my boat.

Salneval 2019 Val do Salnés Rias Baixas £7.99

I like albariño but it rarely delivers that lovely fresh saline hit at this price. This is just a bit dull. Buy the Vinho Verde instead!

10 wines to buy from Lidl

With supermarket wine aisles looking severely depleted it was good to hear this week that Lidl was going ahead with its usual bi-monthly Wine Tour in the UK, starting today. Not all the wines might be available in all branches and there may be restrictions on the number you can buy but take advantage while you can.

Here are the ones I picked out from the recent tasting - the whites on the whole being better than the reds

WHITES

Poggio Civitelle Orvieto Classico 2018 £5.99

Classic neutral food-friendly white from underrated Orvieto in Umbria. Ideal with spring vegetable pastas and risotti

Sassi del Mare Vermentino Toscana 2018 13% £7.99

I keep on waiting for vermentino to become as popular as pinot grigio but it never seems to happen. And this is much more appealing than most pinot grigios at the price - crisp, fresh and citrussy. A good all-rounder but particularly nice with fish or other seafood.

The best food pairings for Vermentino

Corte del Drago Chardonnay 2018, Friuli £7.99

You probably don't think of chardonnay coming from Italy but this is a delicious example - as smooth and creamy as a bourgogne blanc (basic white burgundy). Would be good with chicken with a creamy sauce or a fish pie.

Nivei Rioja Blanco 2018 £5.99

A real cocktail of grapes - sauvignon blanc, verdejo, tempranillo blanco, viura, chardonnay, malvasia and maturata blanco (the last, a new one on me) - making for an appealingly fruity, easy-drinking white that’s good to drink on its own.

Dereszla Tokaji Dry 2018 12.5% £7.99

A really classy Hungarian white (furmint) - elegant and dry with a lovely crisp edge. Would be really nice with light vegetable-based starters

Scheurebe Halbtrocken, Nahe 11% £6.99

Lush German white made from the lesser known Scheurebe grape that would make a great glass for a virtual wine hangout on Zoom. Or drink it with some south-east Asian-style noodles.

REDS

Domaine Couquihado Côtes du Rhône 2018 £6.49

My favourite of the reds in this release. Classic warm, generous Côtes du Rhône. Good with a beef stew or a steak pie

Dornfelder Trocken 2018 12.5% £5.99

I’ve recommended this a few times before - it’s an attractive medium-bodied dry German red that should appeal if you’re a Bordeaux fan

Piemonte Barbera 2016 12% £5.99

Ideally this would be a touch younger but it’s a decent buy for the money especially with meaty pasta dishes like a bolognese or lasagne

Top food pairings with Barbera

Terre Siciliane Appassite 2018 £7.99

A rich, slightly porty ripasso-style red. Bit sweet for me but if you’re an Amarone or Apothic fan you’ll love it. And it would go really well with blue cheese.

6 wines to buy from Lidl’s Spring Wine Tour 2019

You might wonder why I so regularly flag up Lidl’s season ‘wine tours’. (No, I’m not paid to do so in case you were wondering, it’s just that it’s hard to find decent wines under £7 these days and these limited edition offers are well worth snapping up.

Here are six from the spring release which which went on sale on Thursday (March 28th)

La Bien Pinta Rueda 2017 12.5% £5.99

I haven’t always been a fan of Rueda - it used to taste like a pale imitation of New Zealand sauvignon blanc - but the quality is much improved and the packaging of this bottle is really cool. A perfect mother’s day bottle for a cool mum.

Paco do Bispo Palmela 2017 12.5% £4.99

Portugal offers incredible value these days but this crisp, dry white which would work brilliantly well with Italian food, is just a ridiculously good buy. Stock up for spring.

Jamais Renoncer 2017 Côtes du Roussillon 13.5% £5.99

I’m not a huge fan of producer Bernard Magrez - his wines tend to be too heavily oaked for my taste - but this robust southern French red would make great barbecue drinking.. And you can’t fault the message in the name. Jamais renoncer means ‘never give up’ an apposite message for our tumultuous times whichever side of the Brexit argument you’re on.

Domaine Lacombe Mercière Valréas 2017 13.5% £6.99

Classic generous southern Rhône red of considerably better than basic Côtes du Rhône quality. Good with the British classics such as bangers and mash or a Sunday roast.

Tokaji Szamorodni Béres 2016 11% £6.99 for 50cl

An incredible price for Hungary’s most famous dessert wine - tuck away some for the summer (and drink it with an apricot or other fruit tart). Wicked with blue cheese too.

Malaga Virgen Moscatel 15% £6.99 for 50cl

Dark and rich with gorgeous burnt caramel flavours this is just what you need with the remains of the kids’ Easter eggs.