Our drinks expert shares the wines with prices you can really raise a glass to (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
Winter deals can be a hotbed of hype but, with wine, the real hack
is to nab something that naturally delivers value for money, the one nobody has locked onto yet.
You have to be in the know to spot them, and you will be after this, as these are the wines that should be falling into your basket…
Sparkling
1. Arthur Metz Crémant d’Alsace Cuvée Traditionnelle, France, £5.50, Asda
Lemon cheesecake in a glass
Shut the front door, I think the price tag is a typo. Made by a major Alsatian wine player, Arthur Metz, who makes other scrumptious Crémants but not at this jaw-dropping price.
More: Trending
You know Crémant is made by the same process as Champagne, right? Only this has Pinot Blanc and a native French grape, Auxerrois. It’s foaming lemon cheesecake in a glass.
2. Porta 6 Sparkling Brut, Portugal, £8 (£1 off), Asda
Apple and pear froth with a sideline in peach
Prosecco nuts looking for something similar, but different, should give this a spin.
This Portuguese bubbly is made in the same way as Italy’s party sparkling, via the ‘tank method’, and delivers a familiar apple and pear froth with a sideline in peach.
It’s made from two Portuguese grape varieties with a touch of Chardonnay, and a dryer vibe for those who like their fizz more lip-smacking.
White
3. The Garden Route South African Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa, £4.99 (from £7.99), Aldi
Dry and crisp
As a rule of thumb, I try not to go under £5 for a wine that’s not on promotion, as £2.67 is immovable duty, then there’s shipping costs blah blah.
But this is a special wine, on special, with a dry, crisp profile that will prove a doozy with all the smoked salmon you’ll likely be chomping over Christmas.
4. Expressions Feteasca Regala, Romania, £7.25, M&S
Crisp and floral
Let this crisp and floral white be the new thing you try. It’s from Romania, more specifically a producer called Cramele Recas, which is practically pumping well made, great value, wines onto our shelves.
The grape is pronounced, fet-asca Re-ga-la, and it has a peppery red equivalent. Here’s a case of unusual countries delivering unusual value.
Metro’s resident drink expert Rob Buckhaven highlights the lip-smackingly good, best-value booze that will thrill your wallet and your tastebuds this Christmas… (Picture: Natasha Pszenicki)
Orange
5. Gros Manseng Vin Orange, France, £7.50 (from £8.25), Asda
Apple, orange, pear, mango, jackfruit…
Apple, orange, pear, mango, jackfruit… I’m not just naming fruits, by the way.
Well, I am, but there’s such a smorgasbord of flavours in an orange wine, listing them is my only way of keeping up.
Made by leaving the juice of white grapes in contact with their skins, this process picks up spice and texture in the process for a dry, turbo-charged version of a rosé.
Red
6. Le Moulin Teyroud Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, £9.99 (from £19.99 on Dec 4-10), Aldi
Intense and juicy with raspberry flavours
Oops, I’ve fallen for a deep discount again. In my defence, it’s £10 for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a red which won’t usually drop below £20.
It’s a good one too, brimming with bright raspberry flavours. In fact, it’s medium-bodied with a juicy freshness to it, but at the same time, a rich intensity. I love a wine with a dual personality, especially at this price.
7. Alain Grignon Carignan ‘Vieilles Vignes’, France, £7.99 mix six, Majestic
Juicy plum, blueberry and mulberry notes
Tell me this is great value, without telling me that it’s great value.
OK, for starters it’s in my great value wine piece, it delivers the juiciest flavours of plums, blueberry and mulberry flavours from vines that are some of the oldest in the business, we’re talking minimum 50 years old, many are over 100.
The yield of juice from each vine is minute, but you’ll find the concentration of flavour is off the chart.
8. Arabella Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa, £7.99 (£10.99, non-members), Naked Wines (part of the Xmas Came Early Case)
A plumtastic and smooth red
One of Naked Wines’ most popular wines, with 93 per cent of their Angels saying they’d buy it again.
It’s also one of their best-value, and if you buy it in the Metro Drinks Club ‘Xmas Came Early Case’, you’re basically snagging it for £5.40.
The Arabella range is from the Western Cape, home to crowd-pleasing wines like this plumtastic red with a smoothness and generosity of flavour.
Simple and effective, curl-up-by-the-fire fodder.
Join Metro Drinks Club and save on wine
Fancy regular access to delicious drinks at tasty prices? Then welcome to the brand new Metro Drinks Club, brought to you in association with Naked Wines.
To mark this exciting occasion, Metro’s wine expert Rob Buckhaven has selected a series of cases from the Naked Wines range – offered at a very special price to Metro Drinks Club members.
Choose between a red, white and mixed 6-bottle case, or splash out on all three, to gain access to the Metro Drinks Club.
For £34.99 per case, including free delivery, you’ll get a best-in-market deal and save over £45 off the market price.
How to join – and save on your first case
Purchase any Metro Drinks Club case and you’re in the club, though you can opt out at any time.
Read more here.
Follow the link to Metro Drinks Club at Naked Wines to join and purchase your case.
MORE : We’re sorry to say, you’re probably eating the wrong cheese with your wine
Don’t mind if we do.
