In late March 2026, I attended the Tesco Spring/Summer press tasting in London.
Tesco was awarded Outstanding Supermarket Wine Range at the 2026 IWSC Retail Awards, recognising the breadth of its wine selection. For the new Spring/Summer season, Tesco has launched 70 new wines. There were 150 wines showcased at the tasting, including 39 new additions. There was plenty to explore, but these were the bottles that particularly caught my eye:
Nyetimber Classic Cuvée NV, 12% ABV, £42
English Sparkling made from 35% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir and 28% Pinot Meunier, using only 100% estate-owned fruit. It is aged on the lees for 36 months. Pale lemon in colour with a fine bead, it has deep aromas of lemon and green apple, with toasty, biscuity notes from the lees ageing. The taste is crisp, with lemon citrus and apple backed by pronounced acidity and brioche-ness autolytic complexity. Brut in style, with a long citrus finish.
Tesco Finest Premier Cru Champagne Brut NV, 12.5% ABV, £26
Produced by Union Champagne from 67% Chardonnay and 33% Pinot Noir. The grapes come from Premier Cru vineyards, mainly in the Côte des Blancs to the south of Épernay and the wine spends 36 months ageing on its lees. Pale lemon with a fine mousse, the aroma gives green apple, lemon and pear, followed by brioche from the lees ageing. Crisp citrus and orchard fruit lead the flavour, with added brioche complexity. Brut, high in acidity and finished with a long, chalky edge.
Tesco Finest English Sparkling Rosé Brut NV, 11.5% ABV, £22
Made by Balfour Winery in Staplehurst, Kent, from 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Pinot Meunier. The wine was left on its lees for 9 months. Floral aromas and red fruit come through clearly, then the flavour turns strongly towards strawberry. There is great length here, with fresh character, light autolytic notes and a slight, measured sweetness that keeps it balanced.
Lanson Le Rosé Création 67 Champagne NV, 12.5% ABV, £47
This Champagne is made from 52% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay and 14% Pinot Meunier, with fruit sourced from 60 Crus, including 27 Grand and Premier Cru sites. It is aged for at least 4 years. Its colour comes from a dash of red wine, including Pinot Noirs from Bouzy and Les Riceys. Rosé can often focus only on red fruit and lose the pastry-like autolytic side, but that does not happen here. Instead, there is a lovely mix of red fruit and rich, deep brioche, with excellent mouthfeel and impressive length.
Tesco Finest Marlborough Pinot Noir 2024, 13.5% ABV, £11.50
A 100% Pinot Noir from Indevin’s Waihopai Valley vineyard in Marlborough, New Zealand. This is a cool-climate expression of the grape, aged for 9 months in used French oak. Pale to medium ruby in colour, it has aromas of cranberry, thyme and a slight savoury earthiness. Red fruit sits at the centre of the taste, edged by herbal and savoury notes. Dry, with very low residual sugar, light to medium body and low to medium tannins, it feels woody yet fresh. It was best on its own rather than with the Tesco lunch, which was surprising.
Chateau Hyot Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2022, 13% ABV, £9.50
Made from 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It spends 18 months in lightly toasted oak, which gives a soft tannic structure. The colour is showing some light browning. Aromas of plum, black cherry, mocha and spice are very expressive, while the flavour is plush with dark fruit and chocolatey notes. Dry, medium to full-bodied, with low to medium tannins and a lingering plummy, spiced finish. I found this one beguiling. When re-trying, it grew on me and feels excellent value.
Maruxa Mencía Valdeorras 2024, 13% ABV, £12.50
A 100% Mencía from Valdeorras in Spain, by CVNE of Rioja fame. Floral and violet notes lift the aroma, with raspberry alongside. The flavour is red-fruited and threaded with subtle floral and mineral character. It is dry, fruity and lightly liquorice-led, with low to medium tannins. This would be very good served cool on a hot summer’s day.
Tesco Finest Viña del Cura Rioja Reserva 2021, 14% ABV, £10.75
Made from 100% Tempranillo by Baron de Ley. It is aged for 20 months in French and American oak, then given a further 16 months in bottle. Deep ruby in colour, it opens with blackberry, black plum, liquorice, cedar and clove, followed by emerging dried fruit and tobacco notes. The taste has deep cherry complexity with oak running through it. Dry and full-bodied, with medium tannins, it ends long and cedary. Excellent for the price.
Concha y Toro The Wine Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, 14.5% ABV, £12
A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah from Colchagua Valley, Chile. It is aged for 13 months in mostly French barrels to build texture and complexity. Dark in colour, it has very aromatic blackcurrant, mint (or is it eucalyptus?) and earthy cedar. The taste centres on blackcurrant with a herbal lift. Dry and full-bodied, with medium tannins, it finishes long with cassis and cedar. It feels nicely different from other Cabernet, with a slightly more earthy character. Great value, and excellent with the Tesco lunch.
All (Good) Things Shiraz 2024, 13.5% ABV, £10
Made from 88% Shiraz and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon from Western Australia. It was matured on French oak staves for 12 months. Deep purple in colour, it carries intense aromas of blackberry, plum and pepper. The flavour is concentrated, with dark fruit and a slight mineral drive. Full-bodied and dry with low residual sugar, it has low to medium tannins and a long, dark, spicy finish. Excellent value.
Tesco Finest Pinot Grigio Blush 2025, 12% ABV, £8.25
This blend is 85% Pinot Grigio, 14% Chardonnay and 1% Teroldego from Trentino-Alto Adige in Italy. It has a floral aroma with a slightly tutti frutti character. On the tongue, strawberry comes through clearly and the wine has good length. There is not too much sweetness, which works well.
2 Banks Winery Assyrtiko & Malagouzia 2025, 11.5% ABV, £8.50
Made from 65% Assyrtiko and 35% other local varieties from the mountainous region of Aigialeia in Central Greece. A short period on lees adds subtle depth, while the wine remains low in residual sugar. The aroma is full and fruity, again almost tutti frutti in style and the flavour brings plenty of pear. The finish suggests sweetness through its length, yet the wine is not actually sweet because the residual sugar is low. Unusual, novel and good value because it is not yet well known.
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Viognier 2024, 13% ABV, £12
A 100% Viognier from the Rhône in France, left on its lees in stainless steel tanks for 6 months. Medium lemon-gold in colour, it gives apricot, peach, honeysuckle and ginger on the aroma. The flavour is lush with stone fruit, yet there is more acidity and freshness than is usual for Viognier, and much less sugar than in lesser examples. This feels like a more grown-up Viognier. Excellent.
Tesco Finest Chablis Premier Cru 2023, 12.5% ABV, £25
Made from 100% Chardonnay in Burgundy by the award-winning producer La Chablisienne. Pale lemon in colour, it has intense aromas of citrus and green apple. The taste is dry, concentrated, with apple and citrus at its core and extra depth and texture from a partially oaked character. Excellent.
Aiosa Lucido 2025, 12% ABV, £8
A 100% Lucido from Sicily is produced by Orion Wines SRL. It is unoaked to keep the wine fresh and aromatic and it feels like a great affordable alternative to Pinot Grigio. Pale lemon in colour, it has aromas of citrus, apple and slight almond. The flavour is crisp, with citrus and apple joined by light herbal notes. Dry, novel and different, and at a great price.
Tesco Finest Pinot Grigio Trentino DOC 2025, 12% ABV, £8.25
Made from 85% Pinot Grigio and 15% Chardonnay from Trentino-Alto Adige by Cavit. Pale lemon in colour, it offers pear, apple, lemon and a subtle almond note. Light, clean orchard fruit shapes the taste and makes it very easy to drink. It is dry with relatively low residual sugar, and the Chardonnay gives it a slightly fuller feel than usual. Great for the price.
Tesco Finest Black Birch Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2025, 12% ABV, £15.50
This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, made by Villa Maria from grapes grown in the Black Birch vineyard, inland at Altimarloch in the Upper Awatere Valley. Pale lemon in colour, it has classic aromas of gooseberry, passionfruit, cut grass and citrus. The flavour is explosive, with crisp citrus and tropical fruit. Dry, medium-bodied and high in acidity, it ends zesty and pungent with a grassy, long finish. It is extreme in style but not heavy and musky, as some Sauvignon Blanc can be, and it went very well with the Tesco lunch. Excellent.
Folklore Sauvignon Blanc Sémillon 2025, 12.5% ABV, £10
Made from 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Sémillon by Cherubino Wines in Western Australia. It has relatively low residual sugar and is new to the range from wine legend Larry Cherubino. This is interesting and different. It suits people who find New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc too intense, because it is dialled down yet still full of flavour, softer in the mouth and long on the finish. Great value, and again both novel and different.
Andrew Peace Masterpeace Chardonnay 2025, 12% ABV, £7
A 100% Chardonnay from Victoria, Australia, rested in oak barrels for 5 months before bottling. Almost clear in colour, it has aromas of citrus, stone fruit and toast. The taste balances ripe fruit, freshness and restrained oak. Off dry, medium-bodied, it finishes with a woody note. The value is almost impossible to ignore. I tried many Chardonnays at the tasting that were a lot better, but none were better value. If cost is an issue, this is the one.
Tesco Finest Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay 2024, 13.5% ABV, £15.50
Made from 100% Chardonnay. Medium lemon-gold in colour, it has very ripe aromas of apple, pineapple and vanilla. The flavour is rich, with ripe fruit, creamy texture and oak-derived sweetness. Dry to off-dry, and medium to full-bodied, it finishes creamy and vanilla-spiced. This is the one to choose if you have the budget.
If you look back at this tasting last year, I did not mention any rosé because nothing really stood out to me. This year was very different. Just about all 15 rosés on show were full of flavour and I found it difficult to choose which ones to feature. After some deliberation, I chose the Tesco Finest Pinot Grigio Blush at £8.25, as it delivers plenty of flavour and begs the question: why spend more? In fact, during Tesco’s 25% off promotions, you would spend even less! That said, if you are looking for a brand to impress, rather than a Tesco own-brand bottle, Le Preare Chiaretto di Bardolino 2025 is worth considering at only £1.25 more, while Studio by Miraval 2025 comes in at £12, which is £3.75 more.
At tastings like this, it is easy to be drawn towards the standout bottles at the more premium end. But what about value for money? In the same spirit as the rosé category, where the question was again why spend more, I have also included Masterpeace Chardonnay and Finest Pinot Grigio Trentino. They are inexpensive, accessible wines with plenty to offer and they demonstrate Tesco’s strength when it comes to value for money at a time when cost matters more than ever. A low price does not necessarily mean poor quality or taste.
Looking at the tasting another way, there were plenty of novel and unusual wines that kept things interesting. It is great to see this when some other retailers are streamlining their ranges and becoming less experimental. For Tesco and for consumers, the added bonus is that these lesser-known grapes or less-typical blends often come with very keen pricing.
It is worth keeping in mind that not all wines are available in every store, and prices can fluctuate, sometimes dropping significantly during 25% off promotions.
