10 good wine buys from the current Sainsbury’s offer

In anticipation of a England World Cup win that sadly didn’t happen Sainsbury’s is running a 25% off six bottles deal this weekend (with some exclusions* including sherry which I normally hoover up when they have one of these promotions). But there are plenty of other good deals

Here are 10 I think are worth snapping up before the offer closes on Sunday night - note you only have to buy six bottles in total not six of the same wine. (I'm recommending these on the basis of the vintage I've most recently tasted so look out for the vintages given here)

Taste the Difference Conegliano Prosecco in magnum - usually £21, on promotion at £16.50 and £12.38 a bottle when you buy 6 - i.e. £6.19 a standard bottle
One of the most reliable own label proseccos - well worth buying if you’re a fan.

Taste the Difference Blanc de Noirs champagne - normally £18 but £13.50 a bottle when you buy six
Rich and toasty - not quite as good as it once was, maybe, but hard to complain at this sort of price.

Taste the Difference Barrihuelo Rioja Blanco 2017 - normally £7.50, reduced to £6.25 and £4.69 a bottle when you buy 6
Nicely rounded smooth white rioja that you could drink with seafood, tapas or paella

Taste the Difference Austrian Riesling 2017 £8.50 reduced to £6.38 if you buy six bottles
There’s just a touch of sweetness in this Austrian riesling but not as much as you’d expect from a German one. Pretty, floral and crisp - great as an aperitif or with Cantonese or south-east Asian food.

Taste the Difference Cotes du Jura Chardonnay 2016 - normally £11, reduced to £8.25
Jura chardonnay doesn’t taste like chardonnay from anywhere else - its minerality is Chablis-like but it’s got an earthy edge that’s almost like a natural wine. Complex and textured - it would be great with roast chicken with a white wine sauce or with Comté cheese. If you’re interested in alternative flavours definitely give it a try - it’s a bargain at this price.

La Terrasse Rosé 2017 - normally £10, £7.50 on this deal (also available in magnum)
Not super-cheap but a fair price for a darker-than-usual full-flavoured rosé that would be great with a barbecue (or Sunday's world cup final). Also spot on with a nice chunk of Brie and a baguette.

Baron Gassier Provence Rosé 2017 in magnum - normally £24 a bottle but £18 if you buy six bottles
If you like rosé in magnum this is a cracking buy (though I’m not sure I’d pay the full price for it). Classic pale, pink/gold Provence rosé - it would be lovely with a salad niçoise

The best food pairings for rosé

Taste the Difference Languedoc Red 2017 - normally £7, on promotion at £6.25 and £4.69 a bottle when you buy 6
One of the most consistently reliable own label reds, a classic blend of southern French grapes (grenache, syrah, carignan and mourvèdre) Great everyday drinking, now and through the autumn.

Taste the Difference Lisboa Portuguese Red 2016 - normally £7, £5.25 on this deal
Appealing, juicy, quaffable Portuguese red - perfect for barbies or a Friday night pizza

Taste the Difference Gigondas 2015 - normally £14, reduced to £10.50 when you buy six
It’s also worth taking advantage of this sizeable discount to buy wines you might not normally feel justified in splashing out on. A big ripe Chateauneuf-style red from the excellent 2015 vintage. Save for a Sunday roast

*Excludes bottles of wine under £5, bottles 200ml and under, all House wine, all fortified wine, boxed wine and gift sets. Subject to availability. Selected stores only. While stocks last. Offer excludes centrals and locals. Offer available online. Offer applies to online orders delivered from 11 July 2018 until and including 15 July 2018.

7 good wine buys from Waitrose

I was going to recommend an English sparkling wine this weekend (what else with THE wedding of the year?) but came across some other good deals at the Waitrose tasting this week I thought you might want to pick up as well

First of all, the fizz:

There’s 25% off the Leckford Estate Brut 2013 which brings it down to £19.99 - a decent price for English sparkling wine these days. It’s made from the classic champagne blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier but, intriguingly, comes from grapes grown on Waitrose's own farm in Hampshire and is made at Sussex sparkling wine specialists Ridgeview. I wouldn’t say it was quite as good as the Ridgeview wines - yet - but it’s a classy sip and perfect for watching the royal wedding (with a few smoked salmon sandwiches I suggest)

6 other good wine buys from the current Waitrose promotion (which runs until June 5th.

Reds

Chateau Pey La Tour 2015 14.5% on offer at £7.49 until 05/06

A lush, posh-looking claret from an excellent vintage. Well worth snapping up if you’re a Bordeaux fan

Remy Ferbras 2016 Ventoux 14% on offer at £5.99

Simple, gluggable Côte du Rhône-ish red from neighbouring Ventoux. Good midweek glugging or with a charcuterie plate.

Santa Julia Malbec 2017 Valle de Uco 13% on offer at £6.99

Another bright, breezy glugger - slightly lighter than your usual Argie malbec but gutsy enough to stand up to a barbecue. Wouldn’t pay the full price for it though (£9.39)

The Cubist Garnacha 2017 Catalayud 14.5% on offer at £7.99

Big rich lush porty red that you’ll like if you’re a fan of passito wines or off-dry Californian reds like Apothic (though it's not as sweet as that). Would be good with barbecued ribs. Handsome bottle too. Note website is still showing the 2016 which I can't vouch for not having tasted it recently.

Whites

Les Andides Chenin Blanc 2017, Saumur 12.5% on offer at £6.99

A crisp, fresh dry Loire chenin - think muscadet or picpoul rather than South African chenin blanc. Perfect for seafood like fresh crab or prawns. Note website is still showing the 2016 vintage.

Laurent Miquel Vendanges Nocturnes Viognier 2017 Pays d’Oc 13% on offer at £6.99

Classic rich apricotty fruit from one of the best viognier producers outside the Rhone. Try it with a korma

And - of course - gin!

There's also a gin promotion on at Waitrose with several top gins discounted from their usual prices. But take care to check the prices elsewhere. With £8 off Gin Mare is a good buy £31.50 and Daffy's at £29 but Silent Pool at £35 isn't much cheaper than other retailers are charging despite the claimed £4.50 saving. I'm also a big fan of the Audemer Pink Pepper Gin (on offer at £36) which is a bit cheaper than elsewhere.

Valpolicella Ripasso 2013 Cantina Valpantena

If you’re on holiday in the wilds of nowhere chances are your only shop - in the UK at least - is a Spar. I would at one point have said that spelled death to the chance of a decent bottle of wine but was recently sent a selection which really wasn’t half bad.

And the good news is that all are on promotion at one point or another in the next couple of weeks

The best - and the most expensive - is a 2013 Valpolicella Ripasso from Cantina Valpantena (13.5%) which is normally £10 but on promotion at £8 until August 20th. Ripassos are more intense and sweeter than basic valpolicellas - they chuck in the skins that are used for making amarone - so it’s more of a wine to drink with a steak or a stew or, better still, a cheeseboard than a plate of pasta but it would be just the thing for the sort of wet windy evening that is a regular feature of an English summer holiday.

Another good Italian buy, and the best white I tasted, was the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi 2014 from the reliable Monte Shiavo (12.5%) which is currently £8 but goes down to £6.50 from August 21st. Ignore the naff curvy bottle - this is one of those immensely useful Italian whites that doesn’t taste of much but goes with practically everything, especially fishy pasta dishes. And is much, much nicer than your average pinot grigio.

I also thought the crisp, citrussy Castillo de la Mota Verdejo 2014 Rueda (12.5%) £7.50 reduced to £5.50 until 20/8 was decent. Another good one for seafood like fresh crab or, better still, fish and chips. You’ll like it if you’re a sauvignon blanc fan

And if you like Malbec - and who doesn’t these days? - try the M Malbec Pays d’Oc 2014 (13%) £7.50 but reduced to £6 from 21/8 which is a little soft for my taste but would still be a good drop with anything meaty. (I like their Argentinian one, the Rios de los Andes 2014 Argentinian Malbec less - it’s soupier still - but it’s only £6 at the moment and if it were the only one of the five available I would fall on it gratefully.)

These wines won’t, of course, be available in all Spar outlets - which may cause frustration but hopefully you’ll find at least one. With any luck the Valpolicella.