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 World Wine Awards for the Tesco Finest Black Birch Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, a wine that also happens to be one of my picks below. Tesco’s success continued at the International Wine Challenge where it was once again named IWC Supermarket of the Year. It also took home IWC Own-Label Range of the Year for an impressive fifth consecutive year.
I tasted most of the wines which was actually exhausting and here’s what caught my eye:
Segura Viudas Brut Vintage Cava 2023 12% £12.50
A blend of 40% Xarel·lo, 30% Viura, 26% Parellada and 4% Chardonnay from Segura Viudas in Spain, aged for nine months in bottle. Pale lemon with persistent bubbles, it starts with lovely citrus and apple aromas, followed by bready notes and hazelnut from ageing. There is more depth than in many Cavas, with autolytic complexity sitting over a fresh citrus core. Brut, light to medium-bodied and high in acidity, with a long, bready finish. A more complex Cava.
Léon Launois Champagne Brut NV 12.5% £20
From Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, one of the prestigious Grand Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs, with 50% Pinot Meunier, 33% Chardonnay and 17% Pinot Noir from Charles Mignon. Eighteen months of cellar ageing bring depth. Fine bubbles run through the pale lemon colour, while green apple, lemon and pear aromas are joined by brioche from the lees ageing. Crisp citrus and orchard fruit remain at the centre of the taste, backed by clear bread/biscuit complexity. Brut, dry-tasting, with high acidity, a light to medium body and a long, chalky finish.
De Saint-Gall So Dark Grand Cru Vintage Champagne 2016 12.5% £47
Predominantly Grand Cru Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims, with Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, in a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay from Union Champagne. 60 months of ageing gives it real depth. Pale lemon with fine, persistent bubbles, it is very deep aromatically, combining lemon, green apple and pear with brioche, biscuit and roasted nuts. The extended lees ageing brings pronounced autolytic character and nutty notes, while incisive acidity keeps the citrus and orchard fruit lively. Rich, deep and medium-bodied, with a very long, toasty finish. Proved to be excellent with the Tesco-supplied lunch.
Georgian Valleys Rkatsiteli White Dry 2025 11.5% £9.50
The producer Tbilvino uses 100% Rkatsiteli here, creating a distinctive Georgian white with plenty of character. Clear in colour, with dried apple, pear, white flowers on the aroma. Yellow fruits and melon and stone fruits notes follow through in the flavour. It is dry and medium-bodied with medium acidity. The finish is long with gentle minerality. Excellent with the Tesco-supplied lunch. A different wine at a great price.
Chapel Down Bacchus 2025 12% £15
Grown during one of the warmest English seasons on record, the 100% Bacchus fruit has developed particularly concentrated flavours. Pale lemon in colour, with an extreme hit of elderflower, gooseberry, hedgerow herbs and lime. The elderflower stays intense in the flavour, joined by grapefruit and tropical fruit. Dry, light and high in acidity. A satisfyingly extreme version of English Bacchus.
Tesco Finest Viognier 2025 13% £9
Hand-harvested 100% Viognier from vineyards across the Rhône, Luberon, Gard and Montpellier, produced by Rouffignac Lafont. Medium lemon-gold in colour, with an intense aromatic mix of apricot, peach, honeysuckle and ginger. Lush peach and apricot give it a generous, ripe taste. Medium-bodied, with medium acidity and a dry to off-dry feel, finishing perfumed and fresh.
Tesco Finest Viña del Cura Rioja Blanco 2025 12.5% £9
Baron de Ley blends 60% Viura, 25% Tempranillo Blanco and 15% Grenache Blanc, then matures it for at least two months in concrete vats and a further four months in American barrels. That ageing adds texture and extra flavour complexity before bottling. Tropical fruit aromas lead, with a gentle oak background and a soft, bready richness underneath. A new vintage of a previously reviewed favourite, with slightly less oak and perhaps less roundness on the finish than before, but still great and excellent value.
Tesco Finest Black Birch Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2025 12% £15.50
Sourced from an upper Awatere single vineyard and produced for Tesco by Villa Maria in New Zealand from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Pale lemon in colour, with classic gooseberry, passionfruit, red capsicum, cut grass and citrus. The aromas are explosive, while the taste stays crisp and citrus-led with a clear tropical edge. Dry, light to medium-bodied and high in acidity, with a zesty, pungent finish. Clean rather than musky, which some Sauvignon Blanc unfortunately can be. A Decanter Premium winner. Perhaps a little expensive at full price, but much more appealing with 25% off when mixing six bottles.
Tesco Finest Tingleup Riesling 2025 12.5% £11.50
Howard Park Wines in Western Australia works with 100% Riesling for a very precise style. Pale lemon, with lime, lemon, blossom and kerosene aromas. The taste is all about searing lime and citrus, giving a distinctly bone-dry impression. Light-bodied and high in acidity, with a long, lime-driven finish.
Emiliana Elegant Sippers Gewürztraminer 2026 13% £9
From certified organic and biodynamic vineyards across Chile’s renowned wine regions, this 100% Gewürztraminer comes from Emiliana Organic Vineyards. Clear in colour, with an extreme aromatic mix of rose, lychee, Turkish delight, ginger and exotic spice , very much in the style of Alsace. However, the taste is highly perfumed, but fresher and less oily/smooth than many Alsace examples. Medium-bodied, with medium acidity and a dry to off-dry feel. The finish is spicy and perfumed.
Cave des Roches Méditerranée Rosé 2025 11.5% £7
Castel Frereste blends 30% Ugni Blanc, 20% Merlot, 20% Grenache, 20% Muscat and 10% Cinsault for this French rosé. Pale salmon, with strawberry, redcurrant, watermelon and citrus zest aromas. The flavour is dry and lively, bringing strawberries, redcurrants and white peach with crisp acidity. Light-bodied, fresh, fruity and clean, with low residual sugar. I picked because the taste is good while also offering the best value amongst the Rosé. Also good with the Tesco-supplied lunch.
Tread Softly Pinot Noir 2025 10.5% £9
A lighter-alcohol 100% Pinot Noir from Fourth Wave Wine in Australia, made with minimal preservatives. Pale in colour with a slight browning edge, followed by red cherry, cranberry, forest floor and spice aromas. The red fruit is elegant rather than heavy, with a savoury complexity underneath. Dry, light to medium-bodied, with low to medium tannins and medium acidity. The finish is silky and savoury. A previously reviewed favourite and great for the price.
Escarpment Pinot Noir 2022 13.5% £26
A consistent favourite of mine despite the premium price, made from 100% Pinot Noir by Escarpment. Pale in colour, with red cherry, cranberry, thyme and savoury earth aromas. The red fruit taste has a clear herbal and savoury edge, giving it extra interest without losing elegance. Dry, light to medium-bodied, with low to medium tannins and a long finish.
Tesco Finest Viña del Cura Rioja Gran Reserva 2018 14% £15.25
A blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano from Baron de Ley, matured for 24 months in American and French barriques before a further three years in bottle. It has aromas of dried red fruits, leather, tobacco and sweet spice. Mature red fruit sits alongside tertiary complexity, with texture through the mouth. Medium-bodied and dry, with medium acidity and slightly more tannin than usual for this wine. The Tesco lunch helped tame that firmness nicely. Long, elegant and savoury on the finish.
Kanonkop Kadette Cape Blend 2024 14% £13.75
Kanonkop brings together 34% Pinotage, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. It spends 12 months in second and third-use French oak barrels, keeping the oak influence relatively light. Deep ruby in colour, with plum, blackberry, spice, herbs and cocoa aromas. The dark fruit is structured and full, with a long, savoury and warming finish. Dry, with low to medium tannins.
Soft Press Cabernet Merlot 2025 13% £5.95
Kingston Estate uses 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 15% other red grapes for this Australian blend. There is a decent mix of leather and red fruit on the aroma, followed by plenty of fresh red fruit in the flavour. Medium-bodied and easy-going, though the finish is not especially long. Very good for the extremely low price.
Folklore Merlot 2024 13% £10
Cherubino Wines produces this 100% Merlot from Western Australia a lighter, more aromatic character than expected. Eucalyptus, bay leaf and cherry come first, while the flavour is very cherry-led with an almost almond-like quality. It does not feel like the typical, sometimes boring, Merlot. Dry and low in tannins, and it might even work nicely with a slight chill.
Tesco Finest Peumo Carménère 2023 14.5% £9
From Chile’s Cachapoal Valley, with 90% Carménère and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from Viña Concha y Toro. Thirteen months in oak barrels adds a lively smoky and oaky edge. Dark berry and plum fruit gives it a soft, rounded character, with the oak woven through. A favourite of mine from previous vintages, and I have found it is even more expressive when given time to breathe. This is one I actually buy again and again.
Tesco Finest Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 14% £12
Wakefield Wines combines 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Shiraz. Deep red in colour, with blackcurrant, bay leaf, cedar and graphite aromas. Cassis and dark fruit dominate the flavour, lifted by a herbal note that keeps the mind entertained. Medium to full-bodied and dry, with medium tannins and a long, cedary finish. One of my favourites of the tasting and one I will have to explore in more detail.
Penfolds Bin 8 2024 14.5% £25
An Australian blend of 82% Shiraz and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon from Penfolds. Deep eucalyptus, leather and red fruit come through strongly on the aroma, followed by ripe, concentrated red fruit in the flavour. The balance is excellent, neither too heavy nor too light, with low to medium tannins and good length.
Tesco continues to offer wines across an impressively broad range of styles and price points. An extreme example, perhaps, but it is the only tasting where I have seen an £8.50 Prosecco sitting right next to an £82 bottle of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, as you can see in the photo on the left.
At a time when some other supermarkets are streamlining their wine ranges, Tesco remains an exciting place to shop for wine. There is still real breadth, plenty of choice and, importantly, the chance to find interesting bottles at almost every price point.
It is worth keeping in mind that not all wines are available in every store, and prices can fluctuate, sometimes dropping significantly during 25% off promotions.
