6 of the best English wine buys from Waitrose’s 25% off deal

I much prefer a 25% across the board discount to offers on individual wines as you can get a good reduction on the bottles you most enjoy. Waitrose does them two or three times a year and the current offer which applies off any six bottles over £5 lasts until next Tuesday, March 9th.*

Previously I've focussed on under £10 wines (see below) but I thought I’d concentrate on English wine this time as Waitrose, particularly Waitrose Cellar, has a really good selection (97 different lines, it turns out, many of which I haven’t heard of! I assume they’re stocked by local stores too.)

* Note: if shopping on Waitrose.com, the delivery date needs to be on or before the 9th March. If shopping on Waitrosecellar.com, the order needs to be placed before the offer expires on 9th March. The offer is not available in branches in Scotland, Wales or Jersey, motorway service stations, Welcome Break, petrol stations or via Deliveroo.

Lyme Bay Shoreline 2018, Devon. Waitrose Cellar only £11.24 down from £14.99

Classic light, summery, elderflowery English white that you’ll enjoy if you like sauvignon blanc. Lovely with smoked salmon.

Simpsons Estate Chardonnay 2018 Waitrose and Waitrose Cellar £11.24 down from 14.99

England is producing some impressive chardonnays these days but they don't normally come at a price as good as this. Drink with a fish pie or grilled plaice

Simpsons pinot noir rosé available at the same price but from Waitrose Cellar only is very pretty too.

Squerreys Vintage Reserve Brut 2016 Waitrose Cellar £24 down from £32

I know this is almost in champagne territory pricewise but it’s similar to champagne in quality too. A really terrific bottle of fizz

Digby Leander Pink £22.50 down from £30 Waitrose and Waitrose Cellar

I’m not sure I would pay 30 quid for this undeniably attractive sparkling rosé but it’s good value at £22. And would be perfect, unless your mum is averse to all things pink, for Mother’s Day.

Nyetimber Classic Cuvée in half bottles, Waitrose and Waitrose Cellar £14.99 down from £19.99

I confess I love a half bottle even though they come at a premium. Sometimes you don’t want more. One of the first English sparkling wines to hit the headlines and still stands up to the competition.

Bolney Estate Pinot Noir 2019 Waitrose Cellar £13.49 down from £17.99

I haven’t tried the 2019 vintage but I’ve always liked this suprisingly rich, full-bodied pinot from Bolney Estate which you could drink with duck or lamb.

Here are some other recommendations from the last Waitrose round-up I did back in November. The Corbières and the oloroso are no longer available.

I’d also buy the Crozes Hermitage from this selection which was being offered at £10 in the run-up to Christmas. It’s still good value at £11.99

Should you buy these Asda wine ‘bargains’?

I was recently sent six festive bottles that Asda has on promotion at the moment - well known classics at substantial reductions with some medal-winners among them (though it’s not clear whether these awards apply to the current vintage).

They arrived after I wrote my column for the Guardian about how some wines are habitually overrated. You can’t complain about these prices but will they live up to your expectations?

Chateauneuf du Pape 2019 14.5% £9.97 instead of £18

Slightly dubious original pricing - I’d have said it was worth more like £15-16 - and young for a Chateauneuf but undeniably attractive with a big wallop of rich spicy fruit.

Verdict: a good bottle for the Christmas table at a very fair price. Buy

Borsari Amarone della Valpolicella 2017 15% £9.97 was £13

Big and rich, but slightly coarse and clumsily oaked. Would disappoint if you’re an amarone fan

Verdict: Pass

Chablis 2018 12.5% £6.97 was £12

Not the best supermarket Chablis I’ve tasted - a bit softer, fruitier and less mineral than Chablis at its best though at under £7 you really can't quibble. Hard to see how it won a gold medal though

Verdict: Worth buying at this price as a crisp fresh white to drink over Christmas

Louis Dailly Pouilly-Fumé 2019 14% £7.97 was £12

There are a couple of weird things about this wine. One is that it’s labelled Grand vin de Bourgogne and bottled at Saint-Jean-d’Ardières in the Rhône. The other is that despite being 14% - high for a sauvignon blanc especially from the Loire - it tastes quite thin. There’s a lot of sauvignon blanc about at this price - most Touraine sauvignons would have more flavour - so don’t rush to buy it just because the offer looks good.

Verdict: Not impressed.

Louis Bernard Vintage Brut Extra Special 2008 12% £22

Rich, toasty and complex as you’d expect from a champagne of this age but is that necessarily what you want? if you’re looking for an aperitif you’d probably enjoy a fresher non-vintage style more. It would be cheaper too.

Verdict: Not a bad buy but there’s plenty of champagne on offer at the moment. I’d go for Lidl’s Comte de Senneval at £12.99 rather than this.

Filippo Sansovino Valdobbiadene Prosecco 11.5% £9 was £10

Really not exceptional either in quality or price. Even with £1 reduction they’re making a good margin on this.

Verdict: Pass. There are better buys out there if you’re a prosecco fan. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Conegliano Prosecco which is currently £8, for one.

Overall: If you generally shop in Asda I’d buy a bottle or two of the Chateauneuf and Chablis but not the others. And I wouldn’t make a special trip to go there for these wines.

Last minute buys from Sainsbury’s 25% off deal

Sainsbury’s hasn’t held a press tasting this year so I’m not totally up to speed on their range but here are some wines I’ve enjoyed in the past and which are currently on a 25% off six bottles deal until tomorrow night (December 13th 2020)

Note the offer is not available in Scotland and excludes bottles under £5 in England or £7 in Wales. It also excludes bottles 200ml and under, Sainsbury’s House wine, fortified wine, boxed wine & gift sets. Max 36 bottles. Available in selected stores.

Taste the Difference Conegliano Prosecco On offer at £8 so £6 on this deal

Always a reliable prosecco option and at £6 it’s a no-brainer

Ellercombe English sparkling wine on offer at £18 so £13.50 on this deal

One of the best inexpensive English sparkling wines I’ve tasted. Well worth snapping p at this price

Taste the Difference Douro White

75cl on offer at £8.75 but £6.56 on this deal

Appealing, crisp Portuguese white from a region better known for its reds (and port, of course) A really good bet if you want something different. Would be great with a fish pie

DV Catena Malbec on offer at £10 so £7.50 on this deal

Really nice smooth malbec. Perfect with a steak

Other wines I’d be inclined to go for though can’t vouch for the vintage

Taste the Difference Saint Chinian normally £9 so £6.75 on this deal

Saint Chinian can be quite rustic but the high proportion of syrah makes this really quite elegant despite its 14% alcohol. Good for a beef stew

The Taste the Difference Languedoc red and white are ultra-reliable too. The white which is a slightly spicy Rhône-ish blend is on offer at £6.75 so would be £5.05 on this deal. The red isn’t so at £7.50 would be £5.62. Good for everyday drinking over the Christmas period.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Courlandes on offer at £15 so £11.25 on this deal

The last vintage I tasted was the excellent 2015 but the website isn’t showing which one is available currently. At this price a younger vintage would be preferable but it’s worth a whirl not least cos it looks the part. Drink with the turkey.

Also, I can’t find it online but the Taste the Difference Ribera del Duero 2018 I recommended a few weeks ago in the Guardian at £9 is a really good buy if you find it in store and should make rioja fans very happy. I'd drink that with roast lamb.

The best buys from the 10 at £10 offer at Waitrose, December 2020

Waitrose is running its annual 10 wines under £10 offer until December 16th. All are good reductions but, in my view, having tasted them, some are better than others. Here’s what I’d go for, assuming they’re in stock - some are already out of stock online

Best whites

Esprit de Chablis Premier Cru 2018 originally £17.99

A really big reduction on this classic Chablis which is drinking well now but will easily keep a couple of years. Think simply prepared seafood like oysters, scallops and grilled or panfried fish. *****

Hauts de Perrière Pouilly Fumé 2019 originally £16.79

Another good classic - crisp elegant sauvignon blanc from the Loire. Also good with seafood like prawns and especially smoked salmon ****

Best reds

Cave de Tain Grand Classique Crozes Hermitage 2018 originally £15.99

If you’re a fan of Northern Rhone syrah this young Crozes is a steal from the ultra-reliable Cave de Tain. Drink with a steak or even a winter barbecue *****

Bodegas Manzanos El Piadoso 2011 Gran Reserva originally £16.99

A brilliant price for a gran reserva and still quite vibrant despite its age. Would be great with roast lamb, game or a cheeseboard. *****

Luigi Bosca Seleccion de Vistalba Malbec 2018 originally £16.99

Lusciously rich and velvety - ideal for malbec-lovers though there is a fair amount to chose from around the £10 mark. Drink with steak, obviously but roast beef too. ****

Also worth considering

Villa Cafaggio Chianti Classico 2016 originally £13.99

A pukka-looking mature chianti - smooth and elegant. Would go with an Italian style roast or steak, lasagne or a good ragu. ***

Chateau Muret 2012 Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois originally £14.99

If you’re a fan of mature Bordeaux this should hit the spot. Past the first flush of youth (aren’t we all?) and quite tannic and oaky though so needs to be drunk with food. A good wine for a Sunday roast ***

Mirabeau Pure Rosé 2019 originally £14.99

According to Waitrose’s latest trends report we’re drinking rosé all year round these days so if you like that classic pale pink Provençal style it's worth snapping up at this price. Pretty bottle too. Good with party-type food (appreciating we’re not having parties this Christmas) or mildly spicy food. ***

Kopke Reserve Tawny Port originally £14.99

Not as good as tawny ports with an age statement (e.g. 10 or 20 years old) but quite a bit cheaper. Warming, spicy and sweet - would be good with mince pies or chocolate. Looks the part too

And I personally wouldn’t bother with

Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir originally £15.99

A decent reduction on this stylishly packaged Aussie bubbly but it’s a bit thin and not as good as it was a couple of years ago. Buy a cheap bottle of champagne instead.