Simon Judge
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25% Off Wine at Tesco
Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are £6 and over (£7 in Wales) from 24 March 2026 until 6 April 2026. See the recent Tesco tasting for tips on what to buy. Update: I have just been to the Spring/Summer press tasting which gives more tips.
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Piccini ‘Histrio’ Anfora Toscana Rosso
‘Histrio’ Anfora Toscana Rosso, by Piccini, is a blend of Sangiovese and Malvasia Nera, given 12 weeks maturing in special clay amphorae, which is where the name comes from. As a bit of context, clay is slightly porous, so tiny amounts of oxygen work their way in over time. It behaves a little like oak in that sense, but without bringing any woody character along with it. What you get instead is softer tannins, a rounder feel in the mouth and less of that hard edge as the wine settles. This is the 2022 vintage, sitting at 13% ABV. The…
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BBC Good Food – Crémant
BBC Good Food’s round-up presents Crémant as a strong middle ground between Prosecco and Champagne, made by the traditional method, generally drier and more layered than Prosecco, but usually much cheaper than Champagne. They mention that Crémant now covers sparkling wines from eight French regions, so styles vary quite a bit, from lean and citrusy to richer, more brioche-led bottles. The wines mentioned are: Kew Gardens Crémant de Loire Rosé Brut £18.99 Laithwaites. Hunter’s Miru Miru Marlborough Brut NV £19.99 Laithwaites. Roche Lacour Crémant de Limoux 2022 £15.99 Laithwaites. Arthur Metz Crémant d’Alsace Organic Brut £15 Ocado. Moillard-Thomas Crémant de…
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25% Off Wine at Asda
Asda has 25% off wine, on £5.50 per bottle or more, 6 bottles or more, from 20 March 2026 until 6 April 2026. See the latest press tasting for tips on what to buy.
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25% Off Wine at Morrisons
Morrisons has 25% discount on 6 or more bottles of wine, More card price, £6 or more until 6 April 2026. See the recent press tasting for my picks.
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Abbotts & Delaunay ‘Les Fleurs Sauvages’ Viognier
Abbotts & Delaunay ‘Les Fleurs Sauvages’ Viognier comes from Pays d’Oc in southern France, specifically the Hérault and the Aude Valley in the south of the Minervois. It takes its name from the wild plants, fleurs sauvages, that grow along the edges of the vines. This is 100% Viognier from the 2023 vintage, with 13.5% abv and it spends a few months ageing on the lees. In the glass, it has a light lemon-gold colour. The aroma brings apricot, peach, honeysuckle and ginger. On the taste, there is a strong stone fruit character, with a slightly oily texture that comes…
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Graffigna AR Malbec
AR Malbec comes from Argentina and from Graffigna, one of the country’s oldest and pioneering wineries, in fact the third-oldest winery in Argentina. The vineyards sit in both San Juan and Mendoza and this particular wine was developed exclusively for the UK market. It is the 2024 vintage, comes in at 12.5% ABV, and 20% of the wine was aged in contact with oak for three months. In the glass it has a slight purple colour. The aroma brings black plum, violets and a gentle touch of spice. On the taste, dark cherry and cocoa come through. It sits on…
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100 AWEsome Wines
100 AWEsome Wines has been updated for 2026, created by the Association of Wine Educators, or AWE. The website acts as an annual recommendation list, helping people choose bottles that combine character, quality and value. The idea behind the project is simple. Professional wine educators taste a wide range of wines through their work, so their recommendations are intended to offer informed, unbiased guidance for everyday buyers. The site is designed to make wine shopping less intimidating. Its recommendations are organised by both style and price, with categories including white, rosé, red, sparkling, prestige, no and low alcohol, sweet or…
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Kleine Zalze Cap Classique Brut
This wine from Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa, is a traditional method sparkling wine. It’s made using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes and sits at 12% ABV. In the glass it has a pale salmon colour with loads of lively, fine beads that keep on coming. Aroma wise it gives off fresh apple and citrus, with a gentle biscuit nuance. It’s dry on taste, apple and citrus upfront, then that richer depth kicks in with bright, high acidity keeping everything fresh. The finish is long, the sort that makes you want another sip before you’ve even put the glass down.…
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Vinha do Fava Touriga Nacional
Vinha do Fava Touriga Nacional comes from Casa Ermelinda Freitas, a producer going back to 1920. It is from Portugal’s Península de Setúbal and the estate has been run by three generations of women. Casa Ermelinda Freitas is also one of the biggest producers in Portugal. The estate bought this vineyard from Senhor Fava, one of their long-standing top growers, when he retired. The wine was then named Vinha do Fava in his honour. This wine has picked up 29 Gold medals across five vintages and was named Best Portuguese Wine by The Independent. It also carries a strong 4.1…
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Spring Reds From the Loire
A new Guardian Newspaper article argues that spring is a great time for light, youthful red wines, especially from the Loire Valley. Richard Godwin suggests that, while alcohol warnings are real, some reds are a better choice than others, ideally young, low in tannin, not too sweet, around 12.5% ABV, and drunk with food. Godwin says the Loire is particularly good for these fresher reds. While the region is famous for whites, he highlights its spring-friendly reds made from Gamay, Pinot noir and Cabernet Franc grapes. He notes that Loire Gamay is lively and fruity, Loire Pinot Noir can be…
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Enclos de la Clarière
Enclos de la Clarière comes from the Castillon side of the Saint-Émilion border. “Enclos” in the name points to a distinct, enclosed single vineyard parcel, and this wine comes from one such site, just six metres from some of Saint-Émilion’s most expensive Grands Crus Classés. Tony Laithwaite’s long connection with Castillon led him to buy the estate from his mentor, Jean Cassin, with the aim of showing that Castillon’s limestone terroir could stand shoulder to shoulder with neighbouring Saint-Émilion. This is the 2022 vintage, made from 100% Merlot, with a year of ageing in a mix of new and seasoned…
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Bleasdale The Wild Fig
Bleasdale The Wild Fig comes from what was the first winery in the relatively cool-climate Langhorne Creek, founded way back in 1850 and it is still owned by the Potts family. This is a Rhône-style GSM blend, Shiraz 67%, Grenache 26%, Mourvèdre 7%, spends six months ageing in large oak casks. It is 13.5% ABV and is from the 2022 vintage. It has picked up a slew of Australian wine awards. In the glass you get blueberry aroma alongside clove and pepper and a savoury nuance to it all, with the colour showing a slightly browning edge. It drinks dry…
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The Best of Rioja 2026
In March 2026, I went to Tim Atkin’s The Best of Rioja, a tasting showcasing more than 300 wines from 39 producers. It was particularly timely, coming just as Rioja had celebrated 100 years as Spain’s oldest DOC. Many of the wines were poured by the producers themselves, which made it possible to talk to them directly, giving real insight into the people and stories behind the wines. The producers present were among those featured in Tim Atkin’s Rioja Report, where he classifies bodegas and cooperatives and awards scores to their wines. While the tasting provided recommended prices for most…
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Villa Cafaggio Chianti Classico
Villa Cafaggio Chianti Classico comes from an estate in Panzano in Chianti, with a documented history reaching all the way back to 1408. “Classico” matters here because it means the wine is from the original, historic Chianti zone, before the area was expanded much more widely. This is 100% Sangiovese, given 12 months of maturation in large Slavonian oak barrels, the 2023 vintage and it sits at 13.5% ABV. In the glass it’s slightly browning. The aroma is led by sour cherry and cloves, with a light touch of oak in the background. On tasting it feels very typical of…
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Montidori Sangiovese
This one comes from Emilia-Romagna in Italy. It’s made from Sangiovese, the grape behind Chianti, with a touch of appassimento, that dried-grape technique that brings extra mid-taste richness. It has a high 4.1 scrore on Vivino and this is the 2024 vintage. You get red fruit and caramel on the aroma straight away. Full bodied, with ripe fruit, then that caramel-tinged, gently spicy, long finish that hangs around in a very satisfying way. I happened to taste it alongside a Chianti Classico and it felt much rounder, but also less oaky than the Chianti, which made it really easy to…
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In the UK, 73% of Alcohol is Bought From Retail Rather Than Hospitality
A new report from Drinkaware examines the shift of alcohol consumption in the UK from pubs and bars to the home. Around 73% of alcohol is now bought from supermarkets or convenience stores for home use, and adults are about twice as likely to drink at home weekly as they are to drink in pubs or restaurants. Although most home drinking is moderate, the report argues that risk can build over time because drinking at home is frequent and less visible. A small group of heavier drinkers account for a large share of alcohol purchases and about 8.2 million UK…
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Sinkhole Uncovers 100-Year-Old Wine Cellar Beneath Golf Course
The BBC has reported that a sinkhole at Davyhulme Park Golf Club in Greater Manchester has revealed a brick wine cellar that had been sealed for over 100 years beneath the 13th hole. Greenkeeping staff discovered the cellar while investigating what they thought was a collapsed drain. When they dug deeper, they uncovered a brick structure containing dozens of old, hand-blown glass wine bottles. The cellar likely belonged to Davyhulme Hall, a manor house built in the 12th century and demolished in 1888. It may have been a tradesmen’s entrance, and one blocked doorway could lead to additional underground rooms.…
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25% Off Wine at Sainsbury’s
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 6 March to 15 March 2026. See the recent Sainsbury’s press tasting for tips on what to buy.
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25% Off Wine at Morrisons
Morrisons has 25% discount on 6 or more bottles of wine, More card price, £6 or more until 15 March 2026. See the recent press tasting for my picks.
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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