At the very end of a busy month of supermarket tastings, I went to Sainsbury’s Spring Summer Drinks Press Tasting in April 2025, held in London.
Sainsbury’s has seen an 8% rise in ready-to-drink sales year on year. This includes cocktails, spritzes and wine in cans such as Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc and La Vielle Ferme Rosé. Online searches for canned wine have jumped by 51% and sales of rosé have risen nearly 50% over the past five years. Another rising category is chilled reds, with a 125% increase in year-on-year online searches.
Altogether, 79 wines were available to try, along with various ready-to-drink and alternative format options. These are the ones that stayed with me:
Taste the Difference Viognier 2024, 12.5%, £9 – This wine is made entirely from Viognier grapes and comes from Languedoc, France, produced by Laurent Miquel. It’s a new vintage with vibrant honeysuckle aromas and a fresh, expressive flavour of citrus, peach and honeysuckle.
Marlborough Heartland Sauvignon Blanc 2023, 12.5%, £12.50 – 100% Sauvignon Blanc and an Appellation Marlborough wine from New Zealand. A past favourite of mine. It’s dry and intense with the classic gooseberry and lime flavours, but with a twist, a slightly lingering finish that leans towards, unusually, apricot.
Bellingham Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2023, 13.5%, £13 – Made from Chenin Blanc grapes sourced from Cape Town and Stellenbosch in South Africa, with the Stellenbosch portion fermented in oak barrels. The wine offers a light oak, citrus and apricot aroma, with a taste that’s a beautiful mix of nectarine and subtle oak and honey. It has a rounded feel and excellent length. A standout of the tasting for me. It’s new to Sainsbury’s and available now.
Taste the Difference Crémant d’Alsace NV, 12%, £11.50 – Made from 75% Pinot Blanc and 25% Pinot Gris from Alsace, France. This one is produced by Daniel Gerold, so most likely Cave de Turckheim. It undergoes second fermentation in bottle, aged for 18 months on lees. While it has the brioche-like character you might expect, the flavour leans more towards apple and pastry. It’s sweeter than the label suggests due to the relatively high level of residual sugar. Overall, like Champagne but sweeter and exceptional value. Due to the taste and price, I forgive it the sweetness and it was my favourite of the tasting.
Taste the Difference Coolwater Bay Mid-Strength Sauvignon Blanc 2024, 9.5%, £9.50 – Another 100% Sauvignon Blanc, produced by Yealands, a producer I’ve long admired. A new vintage of a wine I’ve picked before. Despite the lower alcohol, it still delivers the tropical notes, intensity and long finish that make New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc so distinctive. This version did seem slightly sweeter than the standard Yealands.
Taste the Difference Ellercombe English Sparkling NV, 12%, £22 – A blend of 55% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir and 3% Pinot Meunier, produced by Rolling Green Hills. Those familiar with my past tastings might suspect Nyetimber behind this, though that’s not confirmed. This wine is rich and layered, with flavours of pastry, apple, butter and a touch of citrus. However, it differs from Nyetimber and other Rolling Green Hills offerings. Here, the pastry character is more yeasty, reminiscent of risen bread dough, and there’s an intriguing nutty element.
Taste the Difference Champagne Brut Rosé NV, 12%, £24 – A blend of 9% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Noir and 65% Pinot Meunier. Made by Isabelle Tellier at Louis Kremer Champagne. This struck an impressive balance, combining classic Champagne character with ripe red fruit. Often the Champagne-ness gets lost in berry-forward rosé Champagne, but not here.
Taste the Difference Fronton Négrette Rosé 2024, 12%, £8.50 – Made from 100% Négrette grapes from Haute-Garonne, France. It offers intense floral aromas and strong red berry character with a dry finish. For this price, it delivers serious flavour.
Taste the Difference Rheinhessen Pinot Noir 2023, 11.5%, £8.75 – From Germany, made entirely from Pinot Noir. Slightly brown in hue, light to medium-bodied with an earthy scent. The flavour leans into cherry, with a gentle savoury edge. For the price, very good value.
Taste the Difference Gamay Comté Tolosan 2023, 12%, £9 – 100% Gamay from Gaillac in South West France. Made by Jean Noël Barrau, so likely from Fluette. This had a powerful violet aroma and flavours of cherry, violets and a hint of candy floss. It’s soft but lingers, and I think it would be excellent served chilled in summer. Outstanding value.
Taste the Difference Discovery Collection Marselan 2023, 13%, £9.50 – Made from Marselan, a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, from Languedoc (Pays d’Oc), South France. Aged partially in barrels, 15% for 5 months, it has a deep colour and aromas and flavours of blackcurrant and fig. It’s medium to full-bodied with moderate tannins and a lovely woody after-taste. Tastes far above its price. It’s new and available from May 2025.
Taste the Difference Bio Bio Chilean Pinot Noir 2023, 13.5%, £10 – From the Bio Bio Valley in Chile, made by Diego Covarrubias, so likely from Viña Indómita, one of Chile’s top producers. Aged six months in French oak. The wine has a savoury and cherry-heavy aroma, medium body and flavours that combine violet sweets and earthy undertones. It manages to strike a rare, great, balance between fruit and savoury depth while most Pinot Noir usually concentrates on one or the other. A great price for the quality.
In writing this up, I noticed how many of my picks came from the Taste the Difference range, all own label. In fact, looking back, almost three quarters of the wines in this tasting were Taste the Difference. But don’t let own label deter you. As I’ve explained, these wines can usually be traced back to reputable producers who also make well-known branded wines. The own labelling offers the chance to enjoy very similar wines at more accessible prices. Sainsbury’s has also clearly taken care to select well for this line.
