Past Tastings
Uncovering great wines from consumer, trade and press tastings
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Waitrose Autumn Press Tasting
In a very busy week for tastings in early October 2026, I was at the Waitrose Autumn Press Tasting in London. It came after an impressive year, with Waitrose picking up a collection of industry awards. At the International Wine & Spirit Competition National Drinks Retailer Awards 2026, Waitrose was named Best Online Wine Supermarket, Best Sustainable Wine Supermarket and Best Classic Wine Supermarket. At the Drinks Retailing Awards 2026, it took home Sustainable Drinks Retailer of the Year and Multiple No and Low Retailer of the Year. There was further recognition at the French Champion Awards 2026, organised by…
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Tesco Autumn Winter Press Tasting
In early October 2026, I headed to London for the Tesco press tasting, where there were an impressive 153 wines to work through, including more than 50 new additions to the range. It has been a particularly busy year for Tesco’s wine team, with more than 150 new wines launched throughout 2026. And it’s not just the size of the range that has been growing, the wines have also delivered Tesco’s best-ever results in wine competitions this year. Among the highlights were 11 gold medals and 76 silver medals, as well as a prestigious Platinum award at the 2026 Decanter…
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Lidl Winter Wine Tour
In late September 2026, I attended Lidl’s Winter Tasting, which showcased wines from the forthcoming Winter Wine Tour, available in stores from 29 October 2026 until 28 January 2027, alongside some wines from the core range. As I previously mentioned, Lidl’s Wine Tours have moved from a monthly to a quarterly format. With this change, there were fewer wines than usual at the tasting, with 33 on show. Here are the ones that caught my attention: Champagne Comte de Senneval Brut NV 12.5% £13.99Produced by the UCC Alliance Champagne Jacquart, Union de Coopérative de la Champagne (UCC). Pale lemon in…
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Co-op Autumn Winter Press Tasting
In late September 2026, I attended Co-op’s Autumn/Winter press tasting in London, where 71 wines were on show. Co-op is refreshing its Fairtrade range, both in terms of quality and branding. The wines will share a consistent two-panel label design, with the right-hand panel giving each wine a better space to tell its own story. Co-op became the world’s largest seller of Fairtrade wine in 2015 and remains the UK’s largest, accounting for 79% of all Fairtrade wine sold by volume in the UK in 2025. That year, Co-op sourced 15.3 million litres of wine on Fairtrade terms, equivalent to…
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Vintage Roots 40th Anniversary Tasting
In late September 2026, I attended Vintage Roots’ trade tasting celebrating 40 years since the company was founded. With 12 producer tables and more than 150 organically certified wines to taste, it was a chance to explore the range and meet some of the people behind it. Vintage Roots was ahead of its time, seeking out organic wines back in 1986, when organic wine was a much less familiar proposition. The business began with support from Margaret Thatcher’s Enterprise Allowance Scheme, which gave budding entrepreneurs £40 a week, equivalent to state benefit at the time, for a year to help…
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Asda Autumn Winter Wine Showcase
In September 2026, I was at the National Theatre in London for Asda’s Autumn/Winter Wine Showcase. Asda is continuing to focus on offering great value at every level, with most of the new wines mentioned below being launched at around the same time as the tasting. It has also been a record-breaking year for awards. Asda picked up an impressive 460 medals across the International Wine Challenge (IWC), International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) and Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), more than any other retailer. Even more impressively, 46% of the wines entered received either a Gold or Silver medal.…
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Wine With Asian Food
My previous accidental success pairing food and wine at Maki & Ramen got me thinking more seriously about Asian food and wine. Those who follow this site will know that I have a somewhat chequered history with food and wine pairing. Quite often, the wine that is supposed to work simply doesn’t, although every now and then there is a real hit. It can all feel a bit random, which is one of the reasons I generally prefer to drink and appreciate wine on its own. Then there is the wording you see on so many bottles: “great with Asian…
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Majestic Autumn Press Tasting
In mid-September, I headed to the Majestic Autumn/Winter press tasting at Vagabond St Paul’s, London, which was the venue used for the original ‘First Dates’ TV programme. Majestic, which owns Vagabond, has been busy expanding with a new store recently opened in Trowbridge and two new Vagabond bars in Soho and Canary Wharf. Over the course of the tasting, I worked my way through more than 100 wines. There was plenty to enjoy, but these are the bottles that really stood out for me: Simonsig ‘Kaapse Vonkel’ Cap Classique Brut 2024 12% £16.00From the Western Cape, South Africa, this is…
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WineGB Trade and Press Tasting
At the beginning of September, I went along to my first tasting of the Autumn season, the WineGB tasting at Old Billingsgate in London. WineGB is the national trade association representing Britain’s vineyards and wine producers, and the tasting brought together producers from across England and Wales. The venue felt particularly great this year, with lots of space and natural light compared with previous WineGB tastings. With more than 350 wines on show from over 80 producers, there was plenty to explore. While I only tasted a fraction, these are the wines that really stood out for me: Simpsons Rabbit…
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Majestic French Wine Showcase
As there are no press tastings during the summer, I sought out a consumer tasting at my local Majestic. In July, I attended a French wine showcase at Majestic in Woking. All prices quoted are based on the Mix Six offer. Devaux Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV 12% £28From the Côte des Bar and made from 100% Chardonnay, this Brut Champagne benefits from long lees ageing. Light floral and citrus aromas lead into lighter fruit than I expected, but with richer autolytic character and a pronounced almond note more commonly associated with aged vintage Champagne. Dry, crisp and refreshing, with…
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Lidl Summer Press Tasting
In June 2026, I attended Lidl’s Summer Press Tasting in London, where 54 wines were showcased from the retailer’s current June selection, forthcoming July and August releases, and a number of bottles from Lidl’s core range, which are available year-round. Lidl’s Wine Tours currently run for around one to two months, giving shoppers a limited window in which 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, encouraging customers to return regularly, and creating a sense of discovery. This…
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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.…
Pick Lists
Majestic | The Wine Society | Tesco | Waitrose | Sainsbury’s | Morrisons | Co-op | Asda | Lidl | £7 and Under | Over £20
Did You Know?
Australian wine exports to China have collapsed from around $1.2 billion to less than $10 million. More
Wine’s aroma is not determined solely by which flavour compounds it contains. More
Low-to-moderate wine consumption is associated with lower mortality. More
Moderate water stress can be part of what creates flavour and terroir expression. More
Wine appears less frequently online than other alcoholic drinks. More
Independent retailers had 9% fewer customers in March 2026 than two years earlier. More
Average spend per bottle in independents has risen by 23% since 2019, compared with 21% in supermarkets. More.
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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