My best buys from Waitrose’s current promotion

I’ve always held that across the board discounts are the best kind of special offer, throwing up some real bargain buys along with the opportunity to get more expensive bottles at a price you can afford.

Here’s my pick from the most recent Waitrose tasting, some of which - especially the wines in the Loved & Found range - appear to be out of stock online but if you’re lucky you might pick them up in store. The promotion applies to bottles bought in store or delivered by next Tuesday November 9th.

Loved & Found

A new range highlighting less familiar grapes at really bargainous prices. I’ve writen about three of them in my Guardian column this week so you may find them out of stock

Fernão Pires 2021 £5.24 down from £6.99
Fresh crisp, aromatic white, normally from Portugal, in this case from South Africa. Would go well with south-east Asian-inspired food.

Marselan 2019 Rhône £5.24 down from £6.99
Bright, juicy, easy-drinking red. Perfect for parties.

Castelão 2019, Lisboa, Portugal £5.24 down from £6.99
Supple, ripe, easy drinking pasta wine from Portugal

Perricone 2020 Sicily £5.99 down from £7.99
Fresh, gulpable Sicilian red that would be perfect with pizza or seafood-based pasta sauces.

Other whites

The Search Grenache Marsanne Roussanne 2021 Voor-Paardeberg £7.49 down from £9.99
Smooth, creamy citrussy South African white which would work well with creamy sauces. (Note this vintage isn’t available online yet and I can’t vouch for how the 2020 is bearing up)

Viña Lareira Albariño Sobre Lias 2020 Rias Baixas £8.99 down from £11.99
Quite a fruity style of albarino that should appeal if you’re into sauvignon blanc. Great with raw shellfish and fishy salads

Waitrose No 1 Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Awatere £8.99 down from £11.99
Given the current shortage of New Zealand Sauvignon blanc it would be well worth snapping up this really good example especially at this price. Gorgeous with salads

Aslina Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Stellenbosch £10.49 down from £13.99 (NB only available in 8 shops)
Good to see recognition for South Africa’s first black woman winemaker Ntsiki Biyela. A lovely pure elegant sauvignon blanc to drink with almost any seafood.

Dr Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett 2019 Mosel £26.25 a magnum down from £35
A fantastic Christmas buy for riesling lovers - if you can fit it it in your fridge! Would be great with smoked fish.

Orange wine

Macerao Naranjo 2021 Itata Valley, Chile £6.74 down from £8.99
A chance to try an orange wine (that’s a white wine that’s left in contact with the skins, not a wine made from oranges) at a really good price. Tastes - rather gorgeously - of peaches and quince. Try it with aubergine or squash dishes.

Other reds

Palacio de Primavera Tinto Rioja 2019 £6.74 down from £8.99
A delicious young rioja in quite a modern fruity style despite the traditional label. Good all-rounder but particularly for a cheeseboard

Rustenberg Malbec 2020 Stellenbosch £9.74 down from £12.99
Argentina is the more usual place to look for malbec but this is a great example from South Africa. Steak still the obvious pairing

Moss Brothers Moses Rock Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 Margaret River £9.74 down from £12.99
A lovely fresh minty cabernet from Western Australia that would be great with roast lamb, especially with a salsa verde.

Yalumba Galway Shiraz 2019 Barossa Valley £9.74 down from £12.99
I’ve tasted some great Aussie shiraz lately and this is one of them. Really lovely, mellow and sweet-fruited. Think beef or venison.

Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato 2020 Piedmont £10.49 down from £13.99 Waitrose Cellar only
Really thrilling Piedmontese red with an exotic taste of pomegranate molasses. Would be great with Lebanese or other middle-eastern food.

Chateau Pey la Tour Réserve Magnum 2016 £18.74 down from £24.99
A really decent mature Bordeaux in magnum at a brilliant price. Perfect for a celebratory Sunday roast.

Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2019 Central Otago £19.49 down from £25.99
I love Central Otago pinot noir but it’s normally quite pricey so this discount makes it (just about) affordable. Really lovely sweet ripe fruit - would be great with crispy duck pancakes.

Sparkling

L’Atzar Cava Reserva Brut 2019 £8.99 down from £11.99
I’ve flagged this up before and still really like it. Great party fizz

Hattingley Valley Classic Reserve £22.50 down from £30
Rich and toasty - one of the most consistently reliable English sparklers so take advantage of the discount. Would be fab with fish and chips.

Sweet

Alambre Moscatel de Setubal 2012£5.99 a half bottle down from £7.99 Note, only available in 43 shops.
A lovely rich, orangey fortified wine that would be great with Christmas pudding.

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