Choosing a great bottle of red can be tricky for anyone. As you wander down the wine and spirits aisle in the supermarket, staring blankly at each label and wondering for the umpteenth time whether you should once again pick a safe bottle of Oyster Bay, it can seem a rather daunting task to narrow down your selection.
Luckily for you, some of the wine purchasers at Lidl, Waitrose, Tesco and the Co-op have come to the rescue, lending their expert advice on the best supermarket red wines to buy this season so that you don’t have to.
Whether its a smooth Pinot Noir or a full-bodied Rioja you’re after, there’s bound to be something on this list that your dinner party host will gratefully receive or that will mature nicely over the course of a Sunday lunch.
Here’s our pick of the best supermarket red wines to buy now.
Tesco
Tesco Finest St-Chinian
Full bodied, with notes of black fruits and spices, this will transport you to Southern France in an instant. Initially rich, the smoky flavour comes later, making it an ideal pairing for roasted red meats and anything infused with rosemary. At less thank £7 a bottle, it’s a great one to stockpile, too.
£6.50 | Tesco | Buy it now
Tesco Finest Cauquenes Carignan
Made with Carignan grapes from the Cauquenes area of the Maule Valley, this full bodied red certainly packs a punch. Having been oak aged for 20 months, it’s taken on a mellow smoothness and complexity that can stand up well to the richer flavours of roast duck and pork.
Rich with the flavours of red fruits such as plums and raspberries, it’s easy to drink on its own as well.
£10 | Tesco | Buy it now
Tesco Finest New Zealand Marlborough Pinot Noir
Everyone loves a Pinot Noir - juicy and ripe with dark fruits, it’s palatable and easily quaffable and goes with several flavours including pork and turkey. Hailing from the renowned New Zealand producer Indevin, it’s been oak aged to give it a subtle spicy bite and a smooth finish.
This grape variety has particularly thin skins, which give the wine an unusually light colour. Don’t be fooled, though - the flavour is anything but weak. Serve at room temperature or consider chilling in the summer.
£9 | Tesco | Buy it now
Waitrose
Heredad del Rey Monastrell/Syrah Selección Reservada Yecla
This wine is a blend of 80 per cent Monastrell and 20 per cent Syrah and has been aged for 12 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels.
It has complex aromas of black fruit compote, spicy hints of cinnamon and incense and a fantastically juicy, fruity palate packed with mulberry and blueberry flavours. The perfect partner for grilled meats.
£7.99 | Waitrose | Buy it now
Stellenrust Cinsault Stellenbosch
A delightfully fresh and intriguing wine, this is an excellent example of an often underrated variety. It offers enchanting strawberry, red cherry and vibrant earthy notes on the nose.
These flavours carry forward to a silky palate with ripe fruit and subtle cedar oak, making it pair well with a wide range of food styles.
£7.49 | Waitrose | Buy it now
Recchia Bardolino Veneto
From the eastern slopes of Lake Garda in northern Italy comes this deliciously approachable cherry-fruited Corvina with small amounts of Molinara and Rondinella.
Packed with juicy fruit, this is incredibly soft and easy, ideally served with mixed antipasti or lighter pasta dishes. Try serving lightly chilled as an apéritif.
£7.99 | Waitrose | Buy it now
Parker Favourite Son Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra
This estate adheres rigidly to the vision of founder John Parker: to make only the best possible wines, without compromise. Each vintage, the harvest is vinified in small parcels with some of the wine matured in French oak barrels to produce classic Coonawarra Cabernet flavours of ripe, dark fruit, cassis, cedar and dark chocolate.
£8.49 | Waitrose | Buy it now
Esprit des Trois Pierres Costières de Nîmes
A Southern Rhône classic made from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes harvested at optimum ripeness from old vines. This is a charming, warming red with mellow blackberry and red fruit flavours and a touch of pepper spice, and would be great served with pasta or grilled lamb marinated in fresh herbs.
£8.79 | Waitrose | Buy it now
Co-op
Co-op Irresistible Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Produced by the esteemed Marc Perrin and his family, this bold and well-structured red has hints of spice, dark fruit and a touch of oak and has won several awards for its memorable flavour. Bold and dry, it owes its intensity to the grenache grapes its made with - a seriously underrated variety that produces punchy flavours.
Pair with equally strong flavours that won’t get lost when you drink it.
£15 | Co op | Buy it now
Chateau Vieux Manoir
This great-value claret is a blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and a dash of cabernet Franc. The nose reveals an attractive bouquet of highly ripe fruits of the forest (blackcurrant, wild strawberry) and tannins are well-matured and supple in mouth. This wine can be served now but will further improve if carefully stored for up to 2 years.
£7 | Co op | Buy it now
Baron de Ley Reserva Rioja
This reserva was aged for 20 months in new oak casks and then matured in bottle to complete its evolution. This wine has been bottled unfiltered, which might result in the appearance of natural sediments at the bottom, so don’t be alarmed if you see these.
With an attractive red ruby colour with medium-high intensity, in the nose it surprises for a powerful fruit remarkably blended with traces from its noble ageing: coconut and toffee, evolving into seductive nuances of spices and Mediterranean bush.
£11 | Co op | Buy it now
Lidl
St Emilion Grand Cru, 2016
Plummy with notes of pepper, this popular wine is firm and dry on the finish. Given that it comes from Saint Emilion, it offers incredible value for a Grand Cru Bordeaux wine.
Highly popular, this is one of Lidl’s permanent wine offerings and goes well with grilled or roasted meats. Drink now or store for up to 2 years, when the flavours will have mellowed beautifully.
£10.99 | Lidl | Buy it now
Beaujolais-Villages, 2016
Incredibly light, this French wine has top note of red fruits. A vivid raspberry flavour comes through quickly and is followed by a dry, earthy smokiness.
Juicy and refreshing, it’s made from the distinctive Gamay grape and has low tannins and bright acidity. This is an easy-drinking red from the beautiful, hilly vineyards north of Lyon. Pair with a traditional Sunday roast for the optimal flavour hit.
£5.99 | Lidl | Buy it now
Winemaker's Selection Marlborough Pinot Noir, 2017
Made in Marlborough in New Zealand, this smooth pinot noir perfectly embodies the glorious flavour of the Pinot Noir grape.
Ripe with stewed strawberry fruit flavours, juicy and not too dry, it goes perfectly with a roast chicken or mild chicken curry, earning it a spot on our list as one of the best weekend wines to enjoy over an easy lunch.
£6.79 | Lidl | Buy it now
Douro Reserva, 2015
Portugal’s Douro Valley is making a bit of a name for itself at the moment and if you love Riojas, this bold, full-bodied example will go down a treat. It’s noticeably dry on the tongue but bold in flavour thanks to the cherry, raspberry and blackcurrant flavours.
Sip slowly and enjoy its mellow ride into an oaky, sweet finish. Perfect for steak, it’ll warm both the belly and the heart.
£5.99 | Lidl | Buy it now
