
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…

According to London South East, Tesco has emerged as one of the bidders considering an acquisition of Majestic Wine Group, and at first glance it might seem like an unusual move for Britain’s largest supermarket. Look a little closer, though, and the logic becomes much more interesting. Majestic’s owner, Fortress Investment Group, began a formal sale process several weeks ago. Majestic operates more than 200 stores across the UK and Jersey, while also supplying restaurants, hotels and other hospitality businesses through its commercial operation and Enotria. One analyst suggested that Tesco could potentially pursue a deal through Booker, its wholesale…

This Finest Nero d’Avola was one my wife picked up at Tesco and it turned out to be a great choice. It is good to see the producer, Colomba Bianca, actually named rather than finding another anonymous bulk-bottled wine. This is bottled at source in western Sicily, around Mazara del Vallo and Salemi in the province of Trapani, by this wine co-operative representing some 2,480 individual grape growers. Colomba Bianca is not simply a mass wine producer either. The co-operative has been moving towards more quality-focused bottled wines, including organic ranges and wines made from selected old vineyards. The grape…

Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are £6 and over (£7 in Wales) from 15 September 2026 until 21 September 2026. See the Tesco Pick List for tips on what to buy.

I broke one of my own rules with this one, not picking up a wine simply because the packaging looks different or attractive, but curiosity got the better of me. Wine in a can is nothing unusual these days, but a full 750ml can certainly is. The can is made from recycled aluminium, with Vinca claiming it produces four times less CO2 than glass bottles. There is also a special internal lining designed to keep the wine protected from contact with the metal. The brand is Vinca Wine, founded by friends Jack Green, Zak Walters and Charlie Vass. Green’s interest…

I first came across this wine at a Tesco press tasting and it was one of those wines that immediately stood out. I was interested to see whether a full bottle at home would live up to that first impression. This 2021 vintage is made from 100% Tempranillo by Barón de Ley. It spends 20 months ageing in French and American oak, followed by a further 16 months in bottle, and finishes at 14% abv. This is the real deal. It is estate bottled, with DOCa Rioja prohibiting bulk bottling, and it comes from a renowned producer with a strong…

Viña Errázuriz was founded in 1870 by Don Maximiano Errázuriz, who introduced French grape varieties to Chile’s Aconcagua Valley in Chile. This is the 2025 vintage, made from 100% Pinot Noir. It is lightly oaked, with 50% of the wine subsequently aged for six months in French oak barrels, and comes in at 13% abv. It pours a pale red, with red cherry, strawberry and rose coming through alongside a lovely herbal character. Strawberries and cherries lead the way when drinking, followed by gentle spice and a savoury mushroom character. It is dry, with a light to medium body, although…

Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are £6 and over (£7 in Wales) from 19 August 2026 until 31 August 2026. See the Tesco Pick List for tips on what to buy.

This is a wine I first picked out at the Waitrose Spring press tasting and I’ve now returned to it for a closer look. It comes from South Australia and is made entirely from Pinot Noir. The vines are dry grown, with minimal intervention in the vineyard, while the wider approach focuses on sustainable production. A native tree is also planted for every six bottles sold. This is the 2025 vintage. Let’s talk about the packaging first. The bottle is made from 100% recycled glass, with a minimal front label that feels in keeping with the low-intervention growing and the…

This is the new 2025 vintage of the classic Mar de Frades Albariño, from the Valle del Salnés in Rías Baixas, Spain. Mar de Frades was founded in 1987 by a Galician entrepreneur in the Val do Salnés, shortly before the Rías Baixas denomination was formally established. The name means “Sea of the Friars” in Galician, referring to an inlet around the mouth of the River Umia and the Ría de Arousa. Pilgrims or friars were traditionally said to have come ashore here before continuing their journey towards Santiago de Compostela. The wine is made by Paula Fandiño, one of…

Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are £6 and over (£7 in Wales) from 15 July 2026 until 27 July 2026. See the Tesco Pick List for tips on what to buy.

Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are £6 and over (£7 in Wales) from 17 June 2026 until 29 June 2026. See the Spring/Summer press tasting for tips on what to buy.

Welcome to my bi-annual summary, which is updated every March and October to highlight the very best bottles I have discovered at Tesco. I have tasted over 250 wines from the two latest press events: the Tesco Autumn/Winter 2026 tasting and the Spring/Summer 2026 tasting. Both of these events highlighted Tesco’s impressive commitment to developing its range, cementing its reputation for providing everything from outstanding value to premium bottles. To help you navigate the wine aisles, I have organised all my picks from these tastings below. They are grouped by country, with their vintage and price. Keep in mind that…

Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are £6 and over (£7 in Wales) from 13 May 2026 until 18 May 2026. See the Spring/Summer press tasting for tips on what to buy.

Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are £6 and over (£7 in Wales) from 27 April 2026 until 4 May 2026. See the Spring/Summer press tasting for tips on what to buy.

Calvet Prestige Sauvignon Blanc Cuvée Fumée comes from Bordeaux, and Calvet is part of the large Les Grands Chais de France (LGCF) group. The Prestige name was chosen in honour of the very select “Diplôme du Prestige de France”, awarded to Maison Calvet in 1958. Cuvée Fumée is the key phrase here. “Fumée” means “smoked” or “smoky” in French, so “Cuvée Fumée” on a wine label generally translates as a “smoky blend”, although the back label describes it as fresh and oaky. The 2023 vintage comes in at 12% ABV and is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. In the glass…

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…

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.

Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are £6 and over (£7 in Wales) from 6 March 2026 until 15 March 2026. See the recent Tesco tasting for tips on what to buy.

This is a very different one, from Mexico. It’s a blend of Blue Weber Agave and Chardonnay, with the agave coming from Jalisco’s Highlands and the Chardonnay from Valle de Guadalupe. So what is agave? It’s a thick, fleshy, often spiky succulent plant, with leaves that radiate from a central stem. It’s the only plant used for producing authentic tequila. The “Weber” part of “Blue Weber Agave” is named after the botanist Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber, who is credited with deciding this was the best agave plant to use for tequila production. This wine a fairly dark colour in the…
Majestic | The Wine Society | Tesco | Waitrose | Sainsbury’s | Morrisons | Co-op | Asda | Lidl | £7 and Under | Over £20
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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