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Simon Judge

  • WineAlive London Big Christmas Wine Festival

    WineAlive London Big Christmas Wine Festival

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    In November 2025, I went to the WineAlive London Big Christmas Wine Festival. This event marked the rebranded and expanded version of the well-known Three Wine Men consumer wine tastings, now operating under the WineAlive name. The new format retains the core elements of large walk-around tastings, themed masterclasses and online interactive sessions where attendees can taste along with the hosts. WineAlive is fronted by familiar names Oz Clarke, Olly Smith and Tim Atkin MW, joined by new hosts Susy Atkins, Tom Surgey and Luma Monteiro. Susy is a respected drinks writer with many years of experience as a columnist…

  • Wilson Gunn Bellum Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

    Wilson Gunn Bellum Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

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    Wilson Gunn is a label under the RedHeads Wine umbrella, part of a wider Laithwaites family venture. RedHeads itself began life in the 1990s in McLaren Vale, launched by a band of winemakers with a rebellious streak and a mission to produce honest, small-batch wines outside the commercial mould. Henry Laithwaite, the eldest son of Tony and Barbara Laithwaite, began his winemaking journey in McLaren Vale. Around 2005, he found himself at RedHeads, working on this blend in its earlier form, building his experience with this bold style. The name Bellum draws from the Latin phrase “Aut pax aut bellum”…

  • Have We Gone Past Peak Wine Choice?

    Have We Gone Past Peak Wine Choice?

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    When I go to tastings and scan wine ranges for offers across supermarkets, I am starting to notice the same thing: the lists are slowly shrinking. People might be noticing price increases, but the real story is the gradual narrowing of what’s actually available. It prompts an uncomfortable question: have we gone past peak wine choice? Inside the trade, the mood points in that direction. The industry seems to be focussing on managing contraction rather than chasing expansion. Consolidation dominates the conversation. Large players such as Vinarchy are severely cutting down on their brands. Big distributors are turning away hundreds…

  • Best Supermarket Red Wines

    Best Supermarket Red Wines

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    Which? asked a panel of experts to blind-taste supermarket red wines from major UK grocers, priced roughly £8–£17. They cover classic regions such as Bordeaux, Rioja, Barolo, Chianti and Barossa, plus Malbecs from Argentina and lighter styles like Gamay. The selections are all supermarket own-label or exclusives:

  • Les Crus Bourgeois

    Les Crus Bourgeois

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    In November 2025 I was invited to Les Crus Bourgeois 2023 tasting in London, an event that brought together wines from the Médoc. Les Crus Bourgeois is a long-standing quality classification for estates not included in the famous Bordeaux 1855 ranking. First established in 1932, it highlights producers whose wines meet demanding standards, with blind tastings and estate inspections ensuring both quality and consistency. I have written a separate article that explores the system in greater depth, including the tiers and the châteaux involved. This tasting was the first UK trade showing of the 2025 Classification, unveiled the previous February.…

  • Moulin Rose de Malescasse

    Moulin Rose de Malescasse

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    Moulin Rose de Malescasse was one of the highlights for me at the Majestic press tasting, so I was keen to revisit it in more detail. It comes from the Haut-Médoc area of Bordeaux and is produced by Château Malescasse. The estate holds an impressive status as one of only 14 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel properties in the region, the highest level in the Cru Bourgeois classification system. For those curious, I’ve previously written more on the tiers and their significance in my article on Understanding Cru Bourgeois du Médoc. Moulin Rose is the estate’s second wine. A château’s second wine…

  • Understanding Cru Bourgeois du Médoc

    Understanding Cru Bourgeois du Médoc

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    Building upon the my previous article on Understanding Bordeaux Wines, this piece looks into the world of Cru Bourgeois du Médoc, a classification that offers high-quality yet accessible wines from Bordeaux’s Left Bank. The term Cru Bourgeois has historical roots that trace back to the Middle Ages. During this period, the term “bourgeois” referred to the citizens, or bourgeoisie, who lived in the “burgh” (bourg) of Bordeaux. These citizens, often wealthy and influential, began acquiring some of the region’s most esteemed lands for viticulture. Over time, the designation of Cru Bourgeois became associated with these holdings as these landowners cultivated…

  • Abbotts & Delaunay ‘Les Fleurs Sauvages’ Malbec

    Abbotts & Delaunay ‘Les Fleurs Sauvages’ Malbec

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    This wine comes from rising Languedoc winemaker Jeanne Delaunay, daughter of winemakers Laurent and Catherine Delaunay. She brings a contemporary outlook combined with a strong respect for nature and the Burgundian heritage that shapes her approach. The wine name reflects the care taken to protect the wild plants, les fleurs sauvages, that grow along the edges of the vines. At 13 per cent ABV, the 2022 vintage is drawn from 30 year old Malbec vines and rests in oak barrels for seven to nine months. When people think of this grape, Argentina often springs to mind, although France is the…

  • Rioja Wines

    Rioja Wines

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    There’s a new post in the Observer newspaper by David Williams expaining it’s Rioja’s centenary as Spain’s first designated wine region, which offers a moment to reflect on both its heritage and its growing diversity. The traditional, long-aged style, with its mellow savoury character and gentle notes of coconut, vanilla and tobacco, remains a defining pleasure and still delivers outstanding value in supermarket gran reservas. At the same time, a newer generation of wines is emerging, shaped by closer attention to vineyards, older vines and cooler upland sites, producing fresher, more vibrant expressions. The region now showcases a wider array…

  • New ‘Get Yourself a Glass’ Podcast

    New ‘Get Yourself a Glass’ Podcast

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    There is a new monthly podcast called Get Yourself a Glass, hosted by Victoria Moore, wine columnist for The Daily Telegraph, and Andrew Neather, former wine critic at the London Evening Standard and author of the book Rooted in Change, which I reviewed recently. In each episode, Victoria and Andrew chat about what they have been doing and drinking, all built around a central theme. This time the focus is English wine. They explore why they think Ridgeview has gone into administration and why the new Chapel Down winery has been scrapped. They also discuss the costs of wine production,…

  • 25% off Wine at Asda

    25% off Wine at Asda

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    Asda has 25% off wine, on £5.50 per bottle or more, 6 bottles or more, from 13 November 2025 until 18 December 2025. See the latest press tasting for tips on what to buy.

  • 25% Off Wine at Morrisons

    25% Off Wine at Morrisons

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    Morrisons has 25% discount on 6 or more bottles of wine, More card price, £6 or more until 18 November 2025. See the recent press tasting for my picks.

  • 25% Off Wine at Sainsbury’s

    25% Off Wine at Sainsbury’s

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    Sainsbury’s has 25% off wine for Nectar loyalty card holders, sparkling and Champagne, 6 bottles or more, £6 or more (£7 in Wales), from 13 November to 9 December 2025. See the recent Sainsbury’s press tasting for tips on what to buy.

  • 25% Off Wine at Tesco

    25% Off Wine at Tesco

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    Simon Judge

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    Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are £6 and over (£7 in Wales), from 11 November 2025 until 1 December 2025. See the recent Tesco tasting for tips on what to buy.Update: This has been extended until 18 December 2025.

  • British Consumers More Negative About Non-Alcoholic Wine

    British Consumers More Negative About Non-Alcoholic Wine

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    A new study investigates how consumers in Australia, the UK and the US perceive and evaluate non-alcoholic wine. It analyses more than eleven thousand online product reviews covering 326 products sold through major e-commerce platforms, applying sentiment analysis, topic modelling and logistic regression to identify what shapes satisfaction and how perceptions vary across markets and wine styles. The findings show that consumers are most satisfied when they feel the product offers good value for money and fits with health-led or lifestyle-driven drinking choices. These two factors have the strongest positive influence on satisfaction. Curiosity and expectations also play a role,…

  • Rooted in Change: The Stories Behind Sustainable Wine

    Rooted in Change: The Stories Behind Sustainable Wine

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    Jane Masters MW and Andrew Neather have created something different in the world of wine publishing: a serious, grounded examination of wine’s relationship with climate change, sustainability and trade. Published in 2025 and running to 248 pages, the book avoids lifestyle fluff and instead offers a sober, evidence-based account of where wine stands today and where it’s heading. Masters brings weighty authority as a Master of Wine and former Chair of the Institute of Masters of Wine, with a particular interest in sustainability. Neather, known for his decade-long stint as the wine critic at the London Evening Standard, brings clarity…

  • Wine on Cunard Queen Anne

    Wine on Cunard Queen Anne

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    At the end of October 2025, my wife and I took a short cruise aboard the Cunard Queen Anne, visiting ports in Spain and Portugal. I’d intended to take a break from writing about wine, but I couldn’t resist putting together a few reflections and tips based on the experience. Carnival, with the new ship Queen Anne, is targeting younger travellers by modernising the experience without ditching its heritage. Queen Anne shows this shift with contemporary dining concepts, livelier nightlife like the Bright Lights Society, casual venues, lighter design and wellness touches. Reports suggest more guests in their thirties and…

  • Rectoral de Amandi Mencía

    Rectoral de Amandi Mencía

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    This is a find from the Ribeira Sacra region in Galicia, in the north-west of Spain. I picked up a bottle during a visit to Spain, drawn in by its distinct look and relative obscurity, at least in the UK. What caught my eye immediately was its label, which features a bold pink tone. This choice wasn’t just about standing out on a shelf. It carries symbolic weight, matching the colour of the vestments worn by Cardinals in Rome. This creates a direct link to the heritage of the winery itself, which stands within a 17th-century rectory building. The wine…

  • Old Vine Garnacha Scientific Insights

    Old Vine Garnacha Scientific Insights

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    New research from DO Campo de Borja has provided scientific proof that old vine Garnacha produces wines with greater aging potential and stronger site-specific character compared to grapes from younger vineyards. The findings, presented at the Old Vine Conference’s Meeting of the Minds 2025 in northern California, conclude the region’s four-year Garnachas Históricas project, carried out in collaboration with the Universities of Zaragoza and Navarra and several local wineries. Led by Professor Vicente Ferreira at Zaragoza’s Aroma Analysis Laboratory, the study compared grapes from vines aged 30 to 90 years with those from younger plots. The older vines consistently produced…

  • Australian Wine Tasting

    Australian Wine Tasting

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    In early November 2025, I attended an Australian wine tasting event in London, organised by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). The tasting brought together a mix of producers and importers, showcasing a wide range of wines from across Australia. It was a busy and, at times, crowded event, with over 25 wineries represented and close to 300 wines available to taste. As expected, there was no shortage of Shiraz, but I focused on seeking out wines that offered something a bit different. Below are the highlights of what I discovered. Prices weren’t provided at the event, so I’ve…

Pick Lists


Majestic | The Wine Society | Tesco | Waitrose | Sainsbury’s | Morrisons | Co-op | Asda | Aldi | Lidl | £7 and Under | Over £20

Did You Know?

Rías Baixas wines reached more than 107 countries in 2025 and exports represented 31 per cent of the denomination’s total sales. More

Light Strike Can Cause Wine Degradation in Just One Day. More

People actively adjust their wine choices depending on who might see them. More

In the UK, 73% of Alcohol is Bought From Retail Rather Than Hospitality. More

UK wine production reached 124,377 hectolitres that year, meaning the UK accounted for roughly 0.05 per cent of world output. More

For Crémant, grapes must be harvested by hand and the wines must undergo at least nine months’ ageing before release. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More

Local UK bottling of wine represents about 40% of imported wine. More

Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More

A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More

Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More

In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More

In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More

In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More

Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More

Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More

In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More

Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More

8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More

Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More

Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More

Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More

Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More

During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More

In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More

In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More

In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More

In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More

In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More

In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More

Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More

In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More

In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More

In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More

The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More

Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More

Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More

In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More

The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More

90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More

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