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Wine Focus

The best supermarket wines to buy now – all under £15 and worth every penny

Tired of reaching for the same bottle every time? Rosamund Hall shares her favourite supermarket wine offers available right now – from zippy cava and elegant chianti to an unexpected sparkling red – all carefully picked to bring you big flavour for a small spend

Head shot of Rosamund Hall
Thursday 07 August 2025 08:25 EDT
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The supermarket wine aisle: part treasure hunt, part personality test
The supermarket wine aisle: part treasure hunt, part personality test (Getty)

How often do you find yourself staring at the walls in the supermarket wine aisle as though you’re trying to crack the Enigma code? I spend a disproportionately large amount of time in these aisles. I find them fascinating, not just because I like investigating the wines being sold, but mostly because I really love watching people choose wine.

More often than not, I find myself being a rogue wine adviser. Of course, I wait until I’m sure they’ll be happy if I ask them, “What are you looking for?”

After a slightly bemused couple of seconds, people will generally tell me, and we’ll have a lovely conversation, culminating in the safe deployment of a bottle or two happily clinking in their basket.

I mean, my double life as a vigilante wine adviser might sound strange, but I genuinely want people to go home with a bottle they love. Apparently, supermarkets used to have trained staff on hand to help customers, which seems incredible.

It’s such a shame that there’s no one around to ease the confusion. No wonder everyone reaches for the same reliable malbec, sauvignon blanc or prosecco.

But never fear: you don’t have to hope (or worry) that I’m lurking in the aisles around you. I’ve chosen a selection of some of the best offers available in the supermarkets right now that you might not instinctively select. All are super wallet-friendly, with the majority being under £10, and are guaranteed to bring you some summertime pleasure come rain or shine.

Not just for celebrations, these bubbles will bring joy to even the soggiest summer barbecue
Not just for celebrations, these bubbles will bring joy to even the soggiest summer barbecue (Rosamund Hall)

Waitrose Blueprint Cava, Spain, NV

Waitrose, £6.40 until 13/08/25 (£8), 11 per cent ABV

Cava remains such great value for money, being made in exactly the same way as champagne but at a smidge of the cost. It’s not going to be a replacement for the real deal, but this will scratch the itch if you’re looking for a characterful, light and energetic sparkler with a zippy citrus lift and notes of freshly baked biscuits.

Pruno Nero Dry Lambrusco, Emilia Romagna, Italy, NV

Waitrose Cellar, £10 until 19/08/25 (£12), 11 per cent ABV

If you’re used to seeing Lambrusco and thinking “cheap sweet wine” and swerving right past it, this will hopefully make you do a double-take. This frothy, dry, fizzy red is just joyous. With generous flavours of inky-ripe blackberries and black, sour cherries, it has an appealing tannic grip in the mouth. An intensely fruity red that’s the perfect accompaniment to a charcuterie board, or my personal favourite – tagliatelle bolognese. Serve chilled (the wine, not the pasta).

Chill Bill Sparkling Red, De Bortoli, South Australia, NV

Aldi, £6.99, 9.5 per cent ABV

Australians have long loved a sparkling shiraz, and this is a really fun example of that style. Lighter in alcohol and with a candyfloss-sweet palate (this is a little like a red equivalent of a Moscato d’Asti), this easygoing, must-chill wine reminds me of a spritzy red-cherry juice with a little floral twist.

Pretty in pink but not just a pretty face – these rosés pack flavour and finesse
Pretty in pink but not just a pretty face – these rosés pack flavour and finesse (Rosamund Hall)

Sancerre Rosé, Loire, France, 2023

Aldi, £9.99 (usual RRP £13.99) 12.5 per cent ABV

I’m consistently impressed with this wine, a beautiful rosé made from 100 per cent pinot noir grapes in the pretty Loire region of Sancerre. A delicate union of ripe red cherries and tart redcurrants, together with twists of lemon citrus, make for a poised and charming glass of wine with mouthwatering acidity. Snap it up while you still can.

Rosorange, France, 2024

Aldi, £9.99, 12.5 per cent ABV

Is it an orange wine? Made from leaving white grapes with their skins to extract some tannin and colour? Is it a rosé, made in the same way but with red grapes? Actually, it’s a bit of both and I’m here for it. It’s a blend of red grapes, grenache, cinsault, with white grapes, grenache gris, vermentino and macabeu. This southern French gateway orange wine has lovely lip-tingling flavours of blood orange, fresh apricots and peaches, and an appealing textured mouthfeel with great, fresh acidity. I’ve been recommending it to friends for a while now, and now I’m sharing the love with you.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Côtes de Provence Rosé, Saint Victoire, France, 2023

Sainsbury’s, £12 with Nectar until 12/08/25 (£15.50), 12.5 per cent ABV

At nearly half the price (in this offer) of a certain wine with wings, this delicate and appealing rosé would be where I’d spend my money. From the region of Sainte-Victoire in Provence, which will be gaining PDO status (protected designated origin, often seen as a signifier of higher quality than just regional designation), it really does tick the boxes if you’re looking for a Provençal pink. Think inviting aromas of freshly sliced strawberries and whipped cream, alongside energising pink grapefruit and redcurrant notes too. An utterly refreshing, enticing summer sipper.

Zesty, chilled and effortlessly drinkable – these whites are sunshine in a glass
Zesty, chilled and effortlessly drinkable – these whites are sunshine in a glass (Rosamund Hall)

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Soave Classico DOC, Italy, 2023

Sainsbury’s, £7.50 with Nectar until 12/08/25 (£8.50), 12 per cent ABV

The hillside vineyards around the attractive medieval town of Soave, in northern Italy, are charming, and so is this easy-going example of a simple Soave (it can be a gloriously complex wine, but we’ll save that for another day). Made from the grape variety garganega, it has aromas and flavours of soft peaches, slight hints of bitter almond and a lemony refreshment. An uncomplicated, crisp and fresh white to have in your fridge door.

Champteloup Muscadet Sèvre Et Maine, Loire, France, 2024

Waitrose, £8 until 19/08/25, (£11), 12 per cent ABV

If you’re dreaming of a summer filled with oysters and moules marinières, then pour yourself a glass of this super fresh Muscadet – it’s like paddling in the Atlantic waves on the wind-swept coasts of western France. Think crunchy green apples, squeezes of fresh lemon and bracing, refreshing acidity.

Leftfield Albarino, Gisborne, New Zealand, 2023

Tesco, £10 with clubcard until 11/08/25 (£13.50), 12.5 per cent ABV

Albarino is one of my favourite grapes, its spiritual home is northern Spain and Portugal, but it seems to love its southern hemisphere home in Gisborne, New Zealand, where it’s been given a fresh twist. You can expect a glass that’s abundantly full of fresh peaches, soft melon, delicate lemon oils and zesty lime – it’s a pleasing and unashamedly joyful wine.

From juicy chillables to bold barbecue companions – reds that go beyond the usual suspects
From juicy chillables to bold barbecue companions – reds that go beyond the usual suspects (Rosamund Hall)

Beachfront Zinfandel, California, USA, 2023

Aldi, £5.49, 14.5 per cent ABV

Honestly, I was seriously impressed with this wine for the money. It’s a well-balanced, medium-bodied Lodi Californian Zinfandel, with appealing aromas of brambly blackberries and blueberries along with a dusting of sweet mocha and chocolate spice. I was actually surprised to see it in Aldi’s “beachfront” range, as it has more depth than you’d expect at this price.

D’Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia, 2021

Tesco, £11 with clubcard until 11/08/25 (£12.50), 14.5 per cent ABV

D’Arenberg is one of Australia’s longest-established winemakers and is famed for its high-quality red wines. This fulsome Aussie shiraz is hard not to love, especially if you enjoy deeper-bodied reds; it’s bursting at the seams with ripe black and red fruit, think punnets of ripe dark cherries layered with a crack of black pepper and whiff of cigar smoke and cinnamon spice. It’s meticulously well made, and even at full price, it’s a bargain.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pinot Noir, Pays D’Oc, France, 2023

Sainsbury’s, £10.50 with Nectar until 12/08/25 (£12), 12.5 per cent ABV

An effortlessly easy pinot noir from southwest France. Soft and supple with delicate red cherries, ripe redcurrants and an appealing rose-petal note. Light and fresh, with velvety, gentle tannins, it would be perfect served slightly chilled with a summer picnic laid out in the shade with a group of friends.

Côtes du Rhône Reserve, Famille Perrin, France, 2022

Sainsbury’s, £10.50 with Nectar until 12/08/25 (£12.50), 14 per cent ABV

Do you love the red chicken wine but fancy an upgrade? Choose this wine instead. Famille Perrin (who also produces the chicken wine) is one of France’s most respected winemakers, and for good reason. This Côtes du Rhône is a blend of grenache, mourvèdre and syrah (similar grapes to Châteauneuf-du-Pape), and is packed to the brim with juicy black cherries, plump blueberries and a lovely peppery finish. Despite being medium to full-bodied, it still retains great freshness and would elevate the simplest of BBQs.

No 1 Waitrose Chianti Classico Organic Riserva, Italy, 2019

Waitrose, £12 until 19/08/25 (£16), 13.5 per cent ABV

Goodness, this really is an elegant and well-structured wine, and at £12 per bottle on offer, I struggle to imagine a better chianti for the price. This wine has been aged in oak barrels before being bottled, which, alongside the dark berry fruits and aromas of wild herbs, is supported by flavours of sweet vanilla spice and an appealing leathery note. It has a long and lustrous finish.

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