What to Buy
Other peoples’ recommendations of what to buy
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Decanter Weekday Wines
Decanter Magazine regularly features a “Weekday Wines” section showcasing top wines under £20, along with a “Weekend Wines” section highlighting selections priced between £20 and £50. These sections focus on the more affordable end of the wine spectrum, making quality wines accessible to a broader audience. I’m pleased to say that some of the wines I’ve picked out from huge number I’ve tasted at press events over the past six months have also been recognised by Decanter. In their latest issue for August 2024, they’ve highlighted the Luis Felipe Edwards ‘Signature Series’ Viognier Reserva and the Gibson ‘The Dirtman’ Shiraz,…
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WineGB Awards 2024 Trophy Winners
At this year’s WineGB Awards, wines from 13 counties won trophies, with a record number of Gold medals awarded. The ceremony was held on 19 July at The Drapers’ Hall in London. Kent’s Chapel Down was the standout winner, claiming Supreme Champion, Top Sparkling Wine, Best Prestige Cuvée, the South East Trophy, Best Chardonnay, Joint Top Still Wine, and Best Sustainable Wine for various wines. The Trophies: Supreme ChampionTop Sparkling WineBest Prestige Cuvée Chapel Down Kit’s Coty Coeur de Cuvée 2016, Kent Joint Top Still Wine Chapel Down Kit’s Coty Chardonnay 2021, KentVagabond Wines Solena NV, London Best Red Pinot…
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Final Wine Recommendations
Fiona Beckett, the Guardian’s wine critic for nearly 14 years, is stepping down to pursue other interests, mainly travel, as she approaches her 76th birthday. Reflecting on changes since she began in 2010, Fiona notes her shift towards lighter, fresher wines, the rise of natural and orange wines and the increasing quality of English and Greek wines. She encourages readers to be adventurous in their wine choices and kind to her successor. Beckett will continue writing on her website and Substack. (I took the above photo, heavily cropped, at a recent M&S press tasting) Six wines Fiona recommends:
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Global Syrah Masters 2024
The Global Syrah Masters is an annual event celebrating the distinguished grape variety, Syrah. This year saw a high number of wines awarded with Silver, Gold and Master medals. Syrah’s traditional home is in the northern Rhône valley, but it has spread to southern regions and beyond, including Australia and New Zealand, with notable entries from South Africa, Greece, and Chile. Australia remains a significant producer, with wines exhibiting flavours of brambles, blueberry, ripe plum, and black pepper. The competition highlighted the high quality of Australian Shiraz across various price points, particularly excelling in the £30–£50 range. Australian producers like…
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Global Sangiovese Masters Winners
Italy is renowned for Sangiovese, its most planted wine grape, covering around 70,000 hectares. In Tuscany, Sangiovese is often blended with international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, except in Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino where blending is not permitted. The recent Global Sangiovese Masters showcased mainly Tuscan wines, with some from Romagna and a few from Australia and the Americas. Notable unoaked wines under £15 included Tenute Piccini’s Oro Chianti Superiore, awarded Gold for its fruity character. Sangiovese generally benefits from wood aging, adding complexity, with many excellent wines found under £20, such as Prugneto Romagna…
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Great Rosé Wines
Rosé wines have grown in popularity, particularly in the UK, where a significant number of consumers now enjoy them in bars and restaurants. This surge in popularity has led to a broader acceptance of rosé wines as versatile options for food pairing. A new article at Decanter highlights the main methods of making rosé wines and dispels the myth that the colour of a rosé indicates its sweetness or quality. It emphasises the gastronomic potential of darker rosé styles and provides a selection of 30 recommended rosé wines for summer enjoyment: Grange Saint-Sauveur, Les Arceaux Rosé, Loire, France 2020Château des…
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Wine Global Sparkling Masters Winners
The Global Sparkling Masters 2024, held on 9 May at Bellanger in Islington, London, featured high-quality judges evaluating 210 wines from 14 countries. Wines were awarded Gold, Silver, or Bronze medals, with the best receiving the title of Sparkling Master. Among the entries, Italy had the most submissions, while the US did not secure any medals. The competition awarded 36 Golds and seven Masters across eight countries, with notable successes in the sub-£10 category. Moscato d’Asti stood out, earning eight Golds and a Master, praised for its balance of sweetness, lightness, and low alcohol content. Despite Champagne and Prosecco having…
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Decanter World Wine Awards, Best Value Gold
The Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2024 has revealed its Top 20 Value Gold wines, showcasing the best wines under £15. These wines deliver exceptional quality for their price, making them ideal choices for everyday enjoyment without compromising on excellence. The judging process involves blind tastings and evaluations by regional panels and co-chairs, ensuring that each selected wine offers outstanding value. See the DWWA site for tasting notes. I’ll be searching these out in the coming months. DWWA 2024 Top 20 Value Gold Wines Angel’s Estate, Deneb Rose, Thracian Valley, Southern Region – Thracian Lowland, Bulgaria 2023 Bare Bones, Shiraz,…
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WineGB Awards Winners
The eighth WineGB Awards saw a record-breaking number of entries and gold medals, with wines from 33 counties across England and Wales receiving accolades. Over 350 medals were awarded: 177 for sparkling wines and 174 for still wines, with a significant increase in gold medals for still wines compared to 2023. Notable categories included Classic Cuvée Non-Vintage/Multi-Vintage, Classic Cuvée Vintage, and Rosé for sparkling wines, each securing six golds. The top still wines were Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, each with five golds, followed by Bacchus with four. Gold medals were awarded to wines from 10 different grape varieties, including the…
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Decanter World Wine Awards 2024
The Decanter World Wine Awards 2024 results are out, highlighting the best wines from over 18,000 entries across 57 countries. France led with the most top medals, including 12 Best in Show awards. Notable winners include Burgundy and Champagne. Other standout regions are Australia, Spain and Italy. The awards also featured impressive performances from emerging regions like Greece and Japan.
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Premium Rosés
A new article from The Drinks Business highlights twelve luxury rosés, detailing their unique characteristics and appeal to fine wine enthusiasts. The selection spans various regions and styles, emphasising high-quality production and distinctive flavour profiles. These rosés are premium choices for discerning palates, often accompanied by notable packaging and prestigious vineyard reputations. Here is the list of the wines with prices and suppliers: Is there need for premium rosés? I sometimes correspond with Mark Squires, wine writer and previously critic at Robert Parker Wine. He has an interesting question (on Bluesky, visible to logged in users): I’ve always wondered if…
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Wines for Summer
The Guardian newspaper has an article on Wines to Capture the Taste of Summer: Theopetra Estate Xinonmavro Rosé, Meteora, Greece 2022An outstanding Greek rosé with mandarin-orange tingling and ripe stone fruit flavoirs. £21.75 from corkingwines.co.uk. Gerard Bertrand Orange Gold, IGP Pays d’Oc, France 2021Stylish orange wine with gentle tannic bite, spice, and exotic fruit flavours. £19 from ocado.com, hedonism.co.uk.Arrogant Frog Organic Orange 2023 (Jean-Claude Mas)Brightly peachy orange wine. £13.50 from Independent merchants in the UK. Advini’s Gros Manseng Vin Orange, Vin de France 2022Gently apricoty. £8.25 from Asda. Celler del Roure Safrà, Valencia, Spain 2021A light red that drinks like…
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Sommelier Wine Awards Results
After a break due to the pandemic, the Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA) resumed at The Oval in London this year. This unique competition, dedicated to wines for the on trade (hospitality) industry in Britain, provides a specialised platform where the best of suppliers’ offerings can be showcased. The event is judged by professionals within the industry. This year, it was orchestrated by Agile Media in collaboration with Imbibe, with Isa Bal MS of Trivet Restaurant, which has recently earned two Michelin stars, overseeing the event. Judges included a diverse group from across the UK, such as Matteo Furlan from The…
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IWSC Results
The International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) has recently announced the results of thousands of entries judged by a team of more than 120 international experts. This panel included over 20 Masters of Wine and nearly a dozen Master Sommeliers. The results are available in an online database. Champagne stood out with a great performance, securing 11 gold medals and highlighting its enduring excellence. France led the way in the country medal tally, amassing nearly 700 medals, of which 27 were gold. Italy and Australia also impressed, ranking among the top three with nearly 550 and almost 340 medals respectively.…
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Wine Merchant Top 100
Wine Merchant magazine has recently announced its annual Top 100 wines. This year marks the first in-person judging since the pandemic, with judges from 38 independent stores across the UK participating in the selection process. The initial selection consisted of over 900 wines, reflecting a diverse range of offerings. Among the trends observed in this year’s awards, sparkling wines received a notably higher number of accolades. Additionally, the inclusion of orange wines and Greek wines highlights an increasing interest in these different wines.
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Cabernet Sauvignon Masters Winners
The Global Cabernet Sauvignon Masters 2024 took place on 17 April 2024 at The Thomas Cubitt in London. Renowned for its rigorous judging process, this prestigious event draws on the expertise of seasoned wine judges, ensuring that only the finest wines receive awards. Each wine was evaluated rigorously, with the standout entries being awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals. The competition highlighted exceptional wines across various price ranges, including an affordable category for wines under £10: Gold Medal Winners: De Bortoli Wines, Winemakers Selection – 2022, South Australia, AustraliaViña Santa Helena, Santa Helena Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon – 2023, Central Valley,…
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London Wine Competition Winners
The London Wine Competition is an annual event that recognises and rewards wines based on their quality, value for money and packaging. The competition is designed to provide consumers with a clear guide to the best wines available in the market, judged through a meticulous evaluation process. Wines are scored on a 100-point scale, and those that score 90+ points are considered exceptional. The 2024 winners have just been announced. The top winners were: Best Wine of The Year 2024: CAT AMONGST THE PIGEONS FAT CAT TAWNY, Australia.Best Winery of The Year 2024: JUSTIN VINEYARDS & WINERY, USA.Best Wine of…
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Affordable and Lesser-Known Bordeaux Wines to Try
David Williams, writing for The Guardian newspaper, highlights a range of lesser-known and more affordable Bordeaux wines as the famous wine region prepares to showcase its 2023 vintage. Here are the wines he mentions, along with their prices and suppliers: Château des Antonins Bordeaux Blanc 2022 – This white wine offers a blend of tangy grapefruit, herbiness, and creamy weightiness. It is priced at £11.90 and available from Noble Green Wines. Chosen by Majestic Claret 2022 – A red Bordeaux that features refreshing plum succulence, priced at £10.99, or £8.99 if bought as part of a mixed case of six…
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Portuguese Wines That Offer Unique and Delightful Flavours
Susy Atkins, from the Telegraph Newspaper, highlights five Portuguese wines that offer unique and delightful flavours, diverging from common varietals like Malbec or Chardonnay. These wines, originating from various parts of Portugal, showcase the rich diversity and potential beyond the well-known ports and rosés. Here’s a summary of the wines along with their prices and suppliers: Animus 2021, Douro – A red table wine made from the same red grapes used for port. It features juicy red plums and a hint of violets with a rounded texture. This wine is priced at £6.49 from Aldi. There’s also a more structured…
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Different Wine Pairings
Will Lyons in The Times, has an article on Six Wine Pairings That Break the Rules and Work. (Might be behind paywall now because is only visible for short time to get indexed by search engines). Will provides a selection of wines offering a variety of options to pair with a range of dishes, emphasising the versatility of wine pairing beyond traditional rules. Here are the wines: 2022 Cepa Lebrel Rioja Joven – Spain, 13% ABV. Priced at £4.89 from Lidl. This is a vibrant, oak-free Rioja with refreshing acidity and a notable tapenade flavour, recommended for paella or roast…
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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