I tested supermarket wines that cost ‘magic price’ of £8 – winner was fabulous fizz that would still be cheap at £15
PAYING a fortune for wine does not always guarantee a great tipple – but bargain buys can be a bad idea too.
Wine expert Helena Nicklin believes £8 is the magic number for a glass that makes you feel good.
Happiness, of course, does not only come down to booze.
But one thing is for sure, we love good value.
Helena picks bottles for about £8 to try this Easter.
Martini Asti Italian sparking wine
£8, Sainsbury’s
LOWER alcohol, apricot yoghurt-scented fizz.
You can’t go wrong at this price. It’s sweet, but sip it with white chocolate, salty cheese or pavlova and you’re in for a taste sensation.
It’s a gorgeous go-to sparkling wine.
Score: 3/5
Coteaux Varois en Provence rosé
£8, Asda
THE Varois varieties of Provencal pinks are often paler and more peachy.
Great food wines and a killer with salad, cheese and charcuterie platters.
Get ready for summer. This should become an Asda classic.
Score: 4/5
Specially Selected Cremant D’Alsace
£7.99, Aldi
CREMANT means sparkling wine that’s made just like champers.
These French fizzers offer fabulous value for money given their posh flavour profiles and toasty complexity.
It would be cheap at £15, so at half that price I’d say it’s unbeatable.
Score: 5/5
Irresistible Solo Spanish rosé
£8.50, Co-op
A PINK that’s super-pale with a little more fruit when you sip than you might find in a French Provencal rosé.
It’s all about strawberries and a dollop of cream.
Highly gluggable and great on its own or as an aperitif. And still only £8.50.
Score: 4/5
Porcupine Ridge Shiraz
£8.50, Sainsbury’s
PUNCHY, spiced plum with a waft of grilled meat.
A great example of how a grape tastes in the South African winelands.
This would be brilliant to enjoy with a midweek burger or sipped with a Saturday night spag bol.
Score: 3/5
Porta 6 white wine
£8.25, Tesco
PORTUGUESE wine always offers fabulous bang for your buck.
This is made with a blend of local white grapes, which produce a whack of peachy, white chocolate flavour that manages to remain crisp and fresh too.
A great foodie white.
Score: 5/5
M&S Gold Label Chardonnay
£8, M&S
GOLD by name, gold by nature.
Vanilla-scented rather than oaky and cloying, this is all about youthful, ripe fruit salad flavours and a slick of saline keeping it fresh.
Coming in at bang on the £8 price point.
Score: 4/5
Marques De Los Rios Garnacha
£8, Morrisons
MORRISONS is on to a winner with wine producer Marques De Los Rios.
This velvety, very fruity red is made with Spanish Garnacha from old vines.
It is spicy strawberry and earthy raspberry wrapped with a silky bow.
Score: 4/5