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Walk into the wine aisle in a supermarket and there are dozens of offers. It might be £2 off a bottle, or 25 per cent off when you buy six bottles, or maybe you only get the deal when you have the right supermarket membership card. When there are so many discounts, multi-buys and price cuts on wine, how do you know when you are getting a good deal?
The person who always gets a good deal on wine is the chancellor of the exchequer. Whatever you pay for a standard bottle of wine, £2.67 of the purchase price goes straight into the country’s coffers, swiftly followed by VAT on the whole price.
So, if you pay £8 for a bottle of wine you will have a warm glow knowing that you have contributed £4 to the government. That leaves just £4 for everything else – including the retailer’s margin, the cost of the bottle, the closure, the box it was transported in and transport costs from wherever the wine comes from.
And then there is the wine. Someone has planted vines, looked after them all year, picked the grapes, made and bottled the wine.
With all those other costs included, it is quite likely that the wine in the £8 bottle sitting next to your spaghetti bolognese is worth around 90p – which is probably less than the cost of the tub of bolognese sauce you bought to go on your pasta.
Buying the cheapest wine on the shelves can backfire in the worst way. You spend your cash, open the bottle and the wine may be undrinkable. So, you have wasted your money and – irritatingly – have given the government £2.67 plus VAT in the process.
With a tight budget, how do you find the best flavours for money? The best way is to check out your local supermarket.
Aldi
Aldi manages to squeeze some really good wines into their range at great value prices. With thousands of stores, not just in the UK but across Europe, they have tremendous buying power which sharpens minds and squeezes profit margins along the whole supply chain.
A new initiative is a “Wine of the Week” at a reduced price and this week’s deal is specially selected Argentinian Malbec at £4.99 until 28 April (then £6.29) which is chock full of dark plums and blackberry fruit. Starting on 29 April, the deal will include three wines, so head for the zesty citrus flavours of Freeman’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand at £4.99 until 5 May (then £6.79).
Waitrose
With several Masters of Wine on their buying team, Waitrose certainly go for great-tasting wines – but they don’t ignore value.
At least twice, sometimes three times a year, they knock an astonishing 25 per cent off the price of all their wines over £5 when you buy six bottles or more.
It is always tempting to buy the same wines you normally drink, and just pocket the discount but this is a chance to trade up and stash away better-quality wines for future drinking.
Waitrose also has a monthly programme of price reductions, so it is always worth calling in and buying a few so you can research what you like before the 25 per cent off deal. These offers work for single bottles, and currently include a delicious creamy, lemony sparkling wine, Cave de Lugny Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs down to £11.99 (usually £15.99 ) and the fresh-tasting Porcupine Ridge Sauvignon Blanc down from £8.49 to £5.99. Both offers last until 7 May.
These deals are never announced in advance, so you need to keep checking the Waitrose website to find out when to buy.
Tesco
The first thing to remember when shopping at Tesco is to take your Clubcard with you. You may not like them knowing where you are and what you buy but it definitely saves a few pounds.
As the UK’s largest supermarket chain, their range is vast and covers all price points, and they have some decent wines that manage to limbo under the £5 price point.
Try Vista Castelli Trebbiano d’Abruzzo for its white peach and herb-sprinkled flavours, at just £4.75 or a soft, cherry and plum-filled Italiano Vino Rosso at £4.50. Both will go well with a plate of pasta.
These wines stay at their everyday price and don’t go on offer, but there are always plenty of deals at Tesco, for Clubcard holders only. Currently check out Porta 6 Lisboa red for its ripe forest fruits down from £8.25 to £7, and Graham Norton’s light, summery rosé from New Zealand, down from £9 to £7.50. Both offers last until 20 May.
Sainsbury’s
Just like all major supermarkets, Sainsbury’s have a rolling programme of deals so it is worth heading to their consistently reliable Taste the Difference range, especially when they are on offer.
Currently, Sainsbury Taste the Difference Albariño from the cool, breezy Rías Baixas corner of Spain is just £9 down from £11, and the elegant, red-fruited Taste the Difference Western Australian Shiraz is £7.75 down from £9. Both offers last until 14 May.
Co-op
Most shopping streets have a Co-op with a small, well-chosen wine range. The Co-op is very keen on Fairtrade wines and while these were of debatable quality in the past, now they are well made and provide great value. Fairtrade means that everyone, from farm workers to the customer, gets a good deal.
Try Artesano Fairtrade Malbec Cabernet Franc blend from Argentina, down from £10.50 to £9.50 or Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc Fairtrade from South Africa, also down from £10.50 to £9.50. Both deals last until 14 May.
