What to Buy
Other peoples’ recommendations of what to buy
-
Cabernet Masters Reveal 2026 medallists
The Drinks Business reports the results of The Global Cabernet Sauvignon Masters 2026, judged in London on 8 April at COMO The Halkin. It was a large tasting, with 151 wines assessed by 10 judges across three panels. Chile submitted the most wines, followed by Australia, South Africa, the US and Argentina, with entries also from Spain, Italy, Romania, Mexico, Portugal and India. The headline result is that the top two awards went to US wines. Alexander Valley Vineyards’ 2021 Alexander School Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma won Master, while Sequoia Grove Winery’s 2021 Rutherford Bench Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from…
-
International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) Results
The International Wine & Spirit Competition has released the results of its 2026 wine judging after two weeks of blind tastings involving more than 130 leading UK wine experts. Nearly 4,000 wines from 39 countries were judged, making it one of the competition’s broadest international editions yet. France and Italy led overall medal counts, while Spain achieved the most gold medals with 21. China stood out as a rapidly improving wine-producing nation, earning seven golds alongside numerous silver and bronze medals. Strong regional performances came from South Australia, Marlborough, Veneto, Champagne and Rioja. Fortified wines had an especially strong year,…
-
Wine Merchant Top 100 winners
The Wine Merchant Top 100 winners highlights the best-performing wines from the UK independent trade, judged by independent wine merchants . The awards cover a broad mix of styles and regions, with strong representation from Chile, South Africa, Italy, Spain and France. Here are the more affordable winners, ranked by price. Rank Wine Price Distributor 1 Viña Luis Felipe Edwards El Picador Sauvignon Blanc 2025 £9.49 Cachet Wine 2 False Bay Syrah, Coastal Region 2023 £10.99 Boutinot 3 Domaines Paul Mas Arrogant Frog Orange Organic 2025 £13.75 Domaines Paul Mas 4 Heaphy Riesling, Nelson 2024 £14.99 Boutinot 5 Emiliana Novas…
-
IWC 2026 Results Announced
The IWC says entries rose by 7%, with the results presenting a broad picture of both established and emerging wine regions. France submitted the most wines and won the highest total number of Gold medals, while England had the strongest Gold conversion rate among major wine-producing countries, with 16.48% of its entries winning Gold. The strongest major-country Gold conversion rates were England, Australia, Portugal, Italy, France, Spain and New Zealand. Smaller-entry countries also performed well: Canada had the highest overall Gold conversion rate with four Golds, while Greece, Austria, Georgia, Japan, Turkey, Lebanon and North Macedonia were highlighted as signs…
-
London Wine Competition Results
The London Wine Competition has once again highlighted the producers, regions and styles shaping the global wine scene. The 2026 results celebrate wines that combine quality, value and presentation, recognising bottles that are not only expertly made but also commercially compelling. At the top of the list is the 2026 Wine of the Year, Ernest Pinot Noir by Hasher Family Wines from South Africa. Scoring an outstanding 99 points, this 2024 vintage shows the growing strength of South African Pinot Noir on the international stage. Entered in the still wine category, it is made from Pinot Noir, also known as…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
People’s Choice Wine Awards
The results of the 2026 People’s Choice Wine Awards are in. With consumer-friendly categories, the awards welcome wines from around the world across every packaging format and price point. Submissions come from a broad mix of sources, including importers, independent retailers, restaurants, bars, supermarkets, and producers. Judging combines professional expertise with real consumer insight. Passionate wine drinkers taste alongside WSET students at all levels and experienced industry professionals. The expert panel includes leading buyers, sommeliers, importers, journalists, retailers, and wine communicators, creating a balanced and credible assessment of every entry. Here are the winners: Mindful Drinking: Alcohol Free (ABV less…
-
World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection
Wine Industry Advisor reports that the World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection has announced its 2026 results, marking the programme’s third edition. A panel of 29 sommeliers and wine directors from the World’s 50 Best Restaurants network, drawn from 17 countries across six continents and led by Kristell Monot of Mugaritz, blind tasted and debated to produce a final selection of 115 wines from 16 countries, positioned as a practical benchmark for on-trade wine lists. However, a Delicious article argues that Australia’s absence from the World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection 2026 is both surprising and revealing, presenting the list as a strong but…
-
Top 10 + 1 From The Rioja Masters
The The Drinks Business highlights the top-scoring Gran Reserva Riojas from the 2025 Rioja Masters, the UK’s largest Rioja-only blind tasting, held in London and judged by a panel including three Masters of Wine. The event showcased the very best expressions of Gran Reserva, a category known for its long ageing and classic style, with wines ranging from under £20 to £200. Ten red Gran Reservas and one white were selected for their outstanding quality, demonstrating the breadth and depth of what the Rioja region can offer. The reds displayed a range of styles, from traditional, elegant wines with dried…
-
Best from The Global Wine Masters 2025
The Drinks Business has unveiled the best of the best from The Global Wine Masters 2025. Following the assessment of nearly 4,000 wines across 33 standalone competitions throughout the year, a select group of bottles has been recognised as the finest in their category, each one a benchmark for its style and region. Here are the wines: Best Rosé – Garrus, Château d’Esclans, Provence, France (2023) – £100Best Champagne – Piper-Heidsieck 2018, Champagne, France – £80Best Sparkling Wine – Ayala La Perle 2015, Champagne, France – £140Best Prosecco – Bisol 1542 Valdobbiadene Cartizze DOCG Dry 2024, Veneto, Italy – £36Best…
-
20 Gifts for Wine Drinkers
It’s the Christmas season, which means it’s the perfect time to spoil the wine lovers in your life with gifts that perhaps go beyond ‘another bottle’. Here are twenty ideas, from stocking fillers to serious gifts: A set of lovely wine glassesGood stemware instantly makes even supermarket wine feel special. I particularly like Zwiesel. Their lower end ranges are dishwasher proof and don’t go milky. A statement decanterA beautiful decanter is both practical and decorative, helping reds open up and looking gorgeous on the table. Choose a shape that suits their style: sleek and modern for contemporary interiors, or something…
-
The Chardonnay Masters 2025
The Drinks Business is reporting on The Chardonnay Masters 2025, a major blind tasting held in London. The judges selected standout expressions from established Chardonnay regions such as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and California, while also highlighting strong value options from Spain, Turkey, Chile and Argentina. Styles ranged from lean, mineral expressions to rich, barrel-influenced wines, with several excellent wines under £20 and a few ultra-premium examples at the top end. Here is the full list of gold winning wines. The full list of medallists is also available. De Wetshof Estate Lesca Chardonnay 2024, South Africa, 13.5%, £17St Leger…
-
Best Supermarket Red Wines
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:
-
Rioja Wines
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…
-
WineGB Golden 50 Wine List for 2025
WineGB has released its Golden 50 Wine List for 2025, celebrating the top UK wines that achieved gold medals in ten national and international competitions. The initiative, now in its second year, was launched in partnership with the Vineyard & Winery Show. The list showcases 50 award-winning wines, 34 sparkling and 16 still, from across England and Wales, reflecting a particularly strong year for British wine. Notably, 2025 saw the first wine to achieve 99 points at the WineGB Awards and an English wine winning the prestigious International Wine Challenge Champion Sparkling Trophy. The wines were selected from 105 gold…
-
Portuguese Red Blends
Hannah Crosbie’s Guardian piece explores why Portuguese red blends are thriving in the UK while single varietal wines struggle. Portugal has more than 250 native grapes, but field blends dominate because old vines are planted together, making blending the natural choice. Consumers are unfamiliar with grape names such as Baga, Castelão or Touriga Nacional, which makes single varietals a harder sell. By contrast, blends feel approachable, are often labelled simply as “field blend” and offer excellent value. Sommelier Sinéad Murdoch explains that blends “fly off the shelves” because people know and trust them, whereas single grape wines tend to intimidate…
-
Top 30 Value Golds
The Decanter World Wine Awards’ Top 30 Value Golds for 2025 celebrates exceptional wines costing under £15, blind-tasted and judged by leading wine experts. These wines are awarded for delivering outstanding quality at their price point, standing out from over a hundred Gold medal Value category winners. Spain leads with eight wines on the list, followed by France with five, Portugal with four, and other notable entries from Argentina, Australia, Greece, China, Bulgaria, Moldova and more. The selection covers a wide range of styles, from sparkling Prosecco and Cava to robust reds and aromatic whites, showcasing the diversity of great-value…
-
Whispering Angel Rosé Alternatives
Whispering Angel, the popular and premium rosé from Provence, has earned cult status thanks in part to celebrity endorsements, notably from Adele, and its subtle, dry flavour. It’s made from a blend of cinsault, grenache and vermentino grapes, offering pale colour and delicate notes of orange, red berries, herbs and spice. However, at up to £25 a bottle, it sits at the more expensive end of the rosé market. With that in mind, the Independent has wine experts and sommeliers share a range of excellent and more affordable alternatives. Many of these come from similar regions in southern France, especially…
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
IMAGE WALL
Tools
Recent
Tags
25% Off Wine Aldi Amarone Argentina Articles Asda Australia Award Awards25 Bizarre Blog Books Bordeaux Bulgaria Bulk Bottling Cabernet Sauvignon Carménère Cava Champagne Chardonnay Chile Climate Change Coop Crémant Decanter Duty English Wine EPR Events Fairtrade Food France Germany Glossary Greece Health Hungary Italy IWSC Jeroboams Laithwaites Legislation Liberty Wines Lidl Low Alcohol M&S Majestic Malbec Merch Merlot Morrisons Natural News New Zealand Non-Alcoholic Ocado Old Vine Organic Past Tastings Photography Pick List Pinotage Pinot Noir Port Portugal Primitivo Prosecco Regulations Reviews Ribera del Duero Riesling Rioja Ripasso Rose Sainsbury's Saperavi Sauvignon Blanc Shiraz Sicily South Africa Spain Sparkling Supermarkets Sustainable Tax Terroir Tesco The Wine Society Unrepresented USA Valpolicella Virgin Wines Waitrose Wanderlust Welsh Wine What to Buy Wine Art WineGB WIne Glasses Zinfandel