Co-op Pick List

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1 October 2026

Welcome to my latest Co-op wine roundup. Over the recent Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer press events, I have tasted over 140 wines from the two tastings to find my favourite bottles available at the Co-op. This is a bi-annual summary updated every April and October, designed to help you navigate the shelves and discover everything from excellent value weekday bottles to top choices for special occasions.

Below is my curated list of top picks, grouped by country, complete with vintages, prices, and a quick tasting note for each. Please note that not all bottles are in all stores, prices may change and some of my followers have previously reported price differences between stores.

France

Les Pionniers Champagne Brut NV 12% £26.75 – A classic, refreshing Champagne with a harmonious mix of toasty brioche, apple, and citrus flavours.
Coeur de Cardeline Rosé 2025 12.5% £8.75 – A delicate, pale salmon rosé featuring lovely strawberry, pink grapefruit, and crisp white flower aromas.
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2025 11.5% £11.00 – A dry, crisp white with intense lemon, green apple, and saline aromas softened by a rounded lees texture.
Les Grand Consuls Côtes-du-Rhône 2024 13.5% £10.00 – A food-friendly red boasting ripe red and black berry fruit, herbal spice, and structured medium tannins.
Château Chapelle d’Alienor 2022 13% £15.00 – A plush, velvety Bordeaux Supérieur brimming with dark fruit, cocoa, and an elegant, truffle-accented finish.
Irresistible Viognier 2025 13% £8.65 – A dry, full-bodied white displaying intense apricot aromas, oaky vanilla, and a smooth, slightly oily mouthfeel.

Germany

Irresistible Mosel Riesling 2025 11.5% £9.00 – A pale, mineral-driven Riesling bursting with crisp green apple, lime, and white blossom notes.

Spain

CVNE ‘Maruxa’ Mencía 2023 13% £12.00 – An unoaked, floral Mencía offering bright raspberry and red fruit flavours with a subtle liquorice edge.
Muriel Tempranillo Vendimia Seleccionada Rioja 2023 14% £10.95 – A lighter, fruit-forward Rioja bursting with red cherry and strawberry aromas that is perfect served slightly chilled.
Cava Rosado NV 11% £7.75 – A lively sparkling rosé packed with vibrant cranberry and red fruit flavours that delivers fantastic value.
Baron de Ley Rioja Reserva 2022 14% £13.50 – A deep, structured Rioja showing rich blackberry, dark plum, and spice notes finished with a distinct cedary oak character.

Italy

Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore Palazzo Maffei 2021 14.5% £14.00 – A rich, velvety red with Morello cherry, dark chocolate, and spiced oak notes gained from refermentation on Amarone skins.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva 2021 13.5% £9.25 – A robust, food-friendly red loaded with deep blueberry and black cherry fruit underpinned by gentle oak vanilla.

Moldova

Casa Felina Sauvignon Blanc Feteasca Alba 2025 11% £7.75 – A bright, punchy white packed with tropical passionfruit, peach, and zesty citrus at a brilliant price point.
Casa Felina Merlot Feteasca Neagra 2024 13% £7.75 – A soft, easy-drinking red showcasing generous blackberry and plum flavours with an attractive floral lift.

Argentina

Famatina Valley Fairtrade Pinot Grigio 2026 12% £7.65 – A distinctive white with intense pear aromas leading into a characterful, juicy pear flavour profile.

Australia

Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz 2022 14% £12.00 – A concentrated, French-oak-aged Shiraz showcasing deep blackberry, plum, peppery spice, and graphite notes.
The Interlude Pinot Noir 2025 11% £8.50 – An elegant, light-bodied Pinot Noir displaying delicate red fruit and a satisfying savoury complexity.
Robert Oatley Signature Series Margaret River Chardonnay 2024 13% £14.75 – A balanced Chardonnay combining ripe citrus and stone fruit with restrained oak and toasted nougat notes.
Limestone Coast Shiraz Cabernet 2024 14.5% £9.75 – A full-bodied red displaying concentrated dark berry fruit framed by a refreshing, cool eucalyptus finish.

Chile

Irresistible Casablanca Valley Pinot Noir 2024 13% £8.95 – A ripe, cherry-scented Pinot Noir beautifully balanced by an intriguing earthy, savoury streak.

New Zealand

Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc 2025 12.5% £12.00 – A highly aromatic, crisp white combining pungent gooseberry, passionfruit, and zesty citrus.
Te Pā Signature Series Rosé 2025 12% £10.25 – A bright, off-dry rosé bursting with strong strawberry, raspberry, and subtle tropical fruit notes.
Grove Mill Pinot Noir 2025 14% £12.75 – An elegant, long-finishing Pinot Noir showing dark cherry fruit alongside a herbal, savoury edge.

England

Irresistible Bacchus 2024 12% £13.50 – A pale, crisp white loaded with English freshness, offering zesty elderflower, gooseberry, and hedgerow herb flavours.

Pick Lists

TipS – Infographics

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