Past Tastings
Uncovering great wines from consumer, trade and press tastings
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Majestic Definition Tasting
In late May 2026, I attended a consumer wine tasting at Majestic Wine in Woking. The evening was led by Pete, a familiar face there with 18 years of experience at Majestic and, outside of wine, an accomplished international marathon runner. The theme of the tasting was the “Definition by Majestic” range, with eight wines showcased throughout the evening. Definition is the retailer’s premium own-label collection, created to capture the classic style and character of renowned grape varieties and wine regions. The range is produced in partnership with world-class winemakers, with the aim of offering authentic regional expressions that reflect…
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Waitrose Spring Tasting
In May 2026 I was invited to the Waitrose Spring Press Tasting in London, an impressive showcase featuring 181 products across wine, fortified wine, beer, cider, spirits, soft drinks and ready-to-drink categories. I managed to taste almost all of the non-fortified wines on show, amounting to around 120 wines. One of the most notable developments was the continued expansion of the Waitrose No.1 range, with six new additions taking the total own-brand wine selection to more than 80 wines. The range continues to demonstrate the retailer’s growing confidence and ambition in premium own-label wine. Waitrose has also enjoyed a number…
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Morrisons Spring Summer Press Tasting
In mid-May 2026, I was in London for the Morrisons Spring/Summer press tasting. As usual with Morrisons, the event had a quietly polished feel. A pianist played gentle background music, lending a touch of elegance as we tasted our way through the selection. There were 106 wines on show, 20 of which were rosés. That is a sizeable showing, and a clear sign that rosé remains very much in demand at the moment. Here are the wines I found most interesting: Etienne Leclair Signature Collection Champagne 2016 12% £30Made by Champagne Gruet from 60% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay and 7%…
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The Best of South Africa 2026
In early May 2026, I went to Tim Atkin’s The Best of South Africa tasting, a curated selection of producers and wines from his 2025 South Africa Special Report. It brought together some of the best wines from the Cape, most of them presented by the people who made them. In the introduction to the tasting notes, Tim highlighted the incredible diversity of South African wine. The Cape can produce almost any style to an enviably high standard. This year’s tasting featured 346 wines from 81 producers. This time, I decided to focus only on wines priced at £25 and…
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Sainsbury’s Spring Summer Tasting
In early May 2026, I was invited to Sainsbury’s Spring/Summer Tasting in London. Trends Sainsbury’s is seeing include a growing interest in orange wine, with online searches up 100% year on year. Wines under £7 are proving popular with shoppers, as customers continue to look for good-value options. At the other end of the market, shoppers are also choosing premium wines for special occasions and gifts. Cider is also enjoying a revival, while botanical flavours are becoming increasingly popular. At this tasting, there was a strong focus on Taste the Difference wines, a range which Sainsbury’s says aims to champion…
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Asda Exceptional Tasting
In early May 2026, I attended Asda’s Spring/Summer tasting, where the focus this time was on a smaller, more selective showcase of its own-label Exceptional wines. The Exceptional range is not limited to wine. It now spans all of Asda’s categories, marking a broader shift away from the former Extra Special branding. That transition has taken around three and a half years, and in wine it has given Asda the opportunity to rethink not only the range itself, but also the way the bottles look and feel. The aim with Exceptional wines is clear: to offer quality at some of…
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New Zealand Wines of the Year 2026
In late April 2026, I went to Susie and Peter’s New Zealand Wines of the Year tasting in London. For the uninitiated, Susie Barrie MW and Peter Richards MW are a married, UK-based pair of Masters of Wine. They are well known as television and radio presenters, wine writers, event hosts, consultants and podcasters. For this showcase, they had preselected the producers, then spent time last November tasting hundreds of New Zealand wines in order to choose their Wines of the Year. The selection covered a broad range of varieties, regions and price points, with the aim of showcasing modern…
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Co-op Spring Summer Tasting
At the end of April, I was at Co-op’s Spring/Summer press tasting in London, where 74 wines were being shown. Co-op has a new Head of Wines and Spirits and she shared a few interesting insights with me. Rosé has been big for a while, and it is expected to remain so, particularly among younger drinkers. That was reflected in the line-up, with 14 rosés available to taste. White wines are the next most popular category, followed by reds. Reds, however, are going through something of a moment because of recent duty changes. Producers are increasingly looking at ways to…
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The Definitive Champagne Tasting
In April 2026, I went to The Definitive Champagne Tasting in London. Run by the Champagne Agents Association, a UK-based trade organisation representing Champagne importers and agents, the event brought together 70 Champagne houses and hundreds of Champagnes. That may sound like a lot, but there are in fact more than 2000 Champagne houses in France. Having attended last year, I wanted to approach things differently this time. I decided to concentrate on grower Champagnes, meaning producers who both grow their own grapes and make their own wine. I have explained this category in more detail in a separate article.…
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Majestic Spring Press Tasting
In mid-April 2026, I was at the Majestic Spring Press Tasting at Vagabond Urban Winery in Canada Water, London, a new venue for Majestic tastings. There were around 100 wines on show with a focus on wines suited to events and entertaining such as weddings, parties, dining and barbecues. As always, Majestic provided the most comprehensive, informative and impressive tasting booklet imaginable, which made navigating the range a pleasure. These are the wines that particularly caught my eye. Prices quoted are for a mixed six, as I honestly cannot see why anyone could walk into Majestic and buy just one…
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The Wine Society Spring Summer
The Wine Society, established in 1874, is the world’s oldest member-owned wine community. Today, it has more than 180,000 members and offers over 1,400 wines from around the world, sourced from more than 700 suppliers. With a strong focus on member interests over profit, it has built a reputation for quality, trust and value. In mid-April 2026, I was invited to The Wine Society’s Spring/Summer press tasting in London, where around 120 wines were showcased. These were the bottles that particularly stood out to me: The Society’s Champagne Brut NV 12.5% £36.50A blend of 52% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir and…
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Lidl Spring Summer Tours
On the first day of April 2026, I attended Lidl’s Spring/Summer press tasting in London, where around 50 wines were showcased from the retailer’s current April, forthcoming May and June releases, along with a small preview of its July Wine Tour. A number of bottles from Lidl’s core range, available year-round, were also available to try. Lidl’s Wine Tours typically last for around two months, giving shoppers a limited opportunity to buy these bottles before they disappear from the shelves. The most popular wines often sell out quickly, which is very much part of Lidl’s approach, keeping the range dynamic,…
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Tesco Spring/Summer Press Tasting
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, £42English Sparkling made from 35% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir and 28% Pinot Meunier, using only 100% estate-owned fruit. It is aged on the…
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Les Grands Chais de France Tasting
In March 2026, I attended a tasting for the on-trade (hospitality) and independent retail sectors, hosted by Les Grands Chais de France at Vagabond Urban Winery in London. Les Grands Chais de France (GCF) is a major French wine and spirits company and one of Europe’s leading wine merchants. Its business spans branded wines, estate wines, sparkling wines and spirits. In the UK, it is perhaps best known in supermarkets for labels such as J.P. Chenet and Calvet, some of which I have previously reviewed. GCF’s focus is strongly international. Around 80% of its turnover comes from exports, with wines…
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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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Nebbiolo Day
In early March 2026 I was at Nebbiolo Day in London, a showcase of 91 Italian producers with hundreds of wines, all made using the Nebbiolo grape. Nebbiolo is a northern Italian story, with the main wine areas being Alto Piemonte, Valtellina, Roero, Barbaresco and Barolo. It’s a grape with real detail and variation, including four different Nebbiolo clones, and it’s said that new Nebbiolo vines need around 10 years to really show their true complexity. I’m not especially interested in ageing wine, or even spending much time trying to predict how a wine will age, so I went looking…
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Welsh Wine Showcase
In early March ’26 I went to a Welsh Wine Showcase in London. It was a small, focused tasting with 7 producers showing 28 wines, with a few Welsh cheeses alongside. Despite the modest line-up, I came away with a higher-than-usual proportion of wines to be highlighted: St Hilary Sparkling White Wine 2023 11.5% £37.50From Cowbridge, this is a traditional method blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It comes from a low intervention, natural winemaker, with a natural ferment and no filtering or fining. It feels very Champagne-like, with a generous autolytic pastry character despite only 12 months…
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Taste Spain London 2026
In February 2026, I attended a new event organised by the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in London. Taste Spain brought together Spanish food and wine in a lively showcase. The Spanish Deli featured cheeses, cured meats, olive oils, vinegars and other foods, while The Spanish Cellar focused on wine. The event included Spanish wine exporters seeking UK distribution and also gave established UK importers the opportunity to present their Spanish wine portfolios. As I usually cover Red Rioja and Ribera del Duero at their respective tastings later in the year, I mainly focused on other styles on this…
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Wines of Portugal’s Grand Trade & Press Tasting
In February 2026 I was invited to Wines of Portugal’s Grand Trade & Press Tasting in London, a wide-ranging snapshot of what’s happening across Portuguese wine right now. There were 59 producers and more than 570 wines, representing 11 different wine regions. Most wines were poured by the producers themselves, which made it easy to get context and detail alongside the tasting, though there was also a Free Pour Area. That section was organised around three themes: low alcohol wines, single-varietal expressions from some of Portugal’s lesser-known indigenous grapes and Portugal’s Sustainable Wine Growing Certification. I also attended a masterclass…
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Lidl Winter/Spring Wine Tours
At the beginning of February 2026, I was invited to a press tasting in London, where a selection of wines was presented from Lidl’s February Wine Tour, currently available, as well as forthcoming releases for the March and April Wine Tours. Alongside these were a number of bottles from their core range, providing a broader view of what’s on offer. Lidl’s Wine Tours usually run for about two months, offering a limited window to pick up these bottles while stocks last. Many of the more popular choices tend to sell out rapidly, which is all part of the retailer’s strategy…
Pick Lists
Majestic | The Wine Society | Tesco | Waitrose | Sainsbury’s | Morrisons | Co-op | Asda | Aldi | Lidl | £7 and Under | Over £20
Did You Know?
Nearly a third (32%) of UK consumers say they have already used AI for alcoholic drinks advice. More
Among socially active wine buyers, 37% have bought a wine recommended online. More
In 2026, 72% of consumers now think wine knowledge is essential to appreciation, up 20 percentage points on 2025. More
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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