11 reliably good wine brands – including the £7 red to please a crowd
The world of big wine brands is a minefield. Trust to luck and you might end up with a serious bargain – a brilliant bottle on special offer. But then again you might get a truly disappointing glass of jammy sweetness or plain blandness. So when you’re in a rush – dashing to the supermarket or picking up a bottle from the off-licence to take to a friend – which are the brands to grab that offer consistently good quality at a decent price? In my 30-plus years of wine writing, I can certainly pin down some names that are safe bets. Here are my top 11 brands. They’re not necessarily the biggest but they can be found up and down the high street and they consistently deliver good drinking at prices which won’t break the bank.
I’ve picked one wine – not always the cheapest – from each of my chosen brands as a favourite. Do watch out for shops selling old vintages of these wines and only buy the latest, which is that stated here. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem as well-known brands have a relatively high turnover, but be careful in smaller stores where bottles may have been lurking on a shelf for a while.
Although these wines are good value at the standard retail price, it pays to buy them when on offer and especially when they’re part of a multi-buy deal (see box for the lowdown on each retailer’s multi-buy options). For each of my picks, I’ve given the sweet spot price at which they become an out-and-out bargain.
Whites
1. Villa Maria
Founded by Sir George Fistonich, one of the pioneers of New Zealand wine, near Auckland in 1961, Villa Maria is now owned by Indevin. VM’s wines are all worth a try – do give their pinot noirs a whirl in particular. The Private Bin label is, somewhat confusingly, for the entry-level wines.
Buy
Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Marlborough, New Zealand (12.5 per cent, widely available; Morrisons £10.50, down to £7.50 until 24 September; Tesco £10.50; Sainsbury’s, £10.75, down to £8.50 from 18 Sept to 8 October; Majestic £12.49 down to £8.99 until 30 September in a mixed six)
Reliably one of the best NZ SBs at its price, this hits a fine balance between ripe fruit flavours – think lime, passionfruit and gooseberries – and fresh acidity. Terrific with spicy seafood, Thai green curries and seasonal asparagus.
Sweet-spot price
£8 or under
2. Cono Sur
Part of the large Chilean winery Concha Y Toro; wines under the Bicicleta label are entry level. They provide easy-drinking, good value single-variety wines including pinot noir and merlot and have strong eco-credentials.
Buy
Cono Sur Bicicleta Viognier 2023, Chile (11 per cent, Sainsbury’s, £7.75, down to £6.75 from 18 September to 8 October; Morrisons & Tesco, £7)
There is a honeysuckle scent and juicy apricot flavour running through this wine, though it has a tangy, dry finish with a saline dab. A versatile food matcher – try it with lemony chicken dishes or fish in creamy sauces.
Sweet-spot price
Under £7
3. Paul Mas
Owned and run by Paul’s son Jean-Claude Mas, this label has 850 hectares of vineyards in the Languedoc region of south-west France. It fields more than 15 Paul Mas wines on the high street, including an orange wine, and standards are high for the often affordable price tags.
Buy
Paul Mas Côté Mas Blanc 2023, Languedoc, France (13 per cent, Majestic, £9.99 or £8.99 in a mixed six)
Exclusive to Majestic, this is a blend of four southern French white grapes for an aromatic, unoaked style with seams of peach and yellow plum, plus a hint of angelica. I’d chill it for fresh salmon steaks.
Sweet-spot price
Majestic recently priced this at £7.99 in a mixed six deal
Reds
4. Beronia
The wines of this Rioja bodega, founded in 1973, are now widely available and represent excellent value for money. For a treat, Beronia Reserva is a rather more serious wine at around £16-£18 on the high street.
Buy
Beronia Rioja Crianza 2020, Spain (13.5 per cent, Waitrose, £12.99; Majestic, £13.99 or £9.99 in a mixed six until 29 October; Sainsburys, £13, down to £10 from 18 September until 11 October
Packed with bright red berries and Victoria plum. Oak barrel ageing for at least one year shows up in the soft vanilla and wood-spice tones. Mellow and medium-bodied, it’s best match is lamb – try it with garlic-studded chops and roast red peppers.
Sweet-spot price
Under £10
5. Vina Errazuriz
Founded in 1870 by Don Maximiano Errazuriz, the splendid estate and cellars are now run by his descendent Eduardo Chadwick and his daughters. The ‘Estate’ range is entry level, very enjoyable sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon at around £10 (but often on offer); here I’ve selected a wine from the more premium ‘Max’ tier.
Buy
Errazuriz Max Carmenère 2022, Aconcagua Valley, Chile (13.5 per cent, Tesco, £13)
A sleek and classy carmenère with subtle spiciness, blackcurrants and rich damsons. It’s been oak-aged judiciously and makes a star match with chilli con carne and Indian rogan josh.
Sweet-spot price
Upcoming offers will see this come down to £10
6. Casillero del Diablo
Meaning “the devil’s cellar”, Casillero del Diablo is the best-selling range from major Chilean winery Concha Y Toro. Standards are kept high, even with this inexpensive line. Don’t expect great complexity, but the Casillero wines are fruity and fresh and make good party vino. The sauvignon blanc is worth trying too.
Buy
Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Chile (13.5 per cent, very widely available including Tesco, £8 down to £7 for Clubcard holders until 7 October; Asda, £8, down to £7 until 11 September; Coop, £8.50 down to £7.50 until 16 October; Sainsbury’s, £8; Morrisons, £8)
Cassis and fresh blackberries here in a quaffable, young and sprightly wine, not tannic or oaky. It’s a decent all-rounder for a party – it goes well with classic party buffet food – or match it with a spag bol or lasagne.
Sweet-spot price
£7
Rosés
7. La Vieille Ferme
Affectionately known as “the chicken wines” because of the chooks on their labels, the Perrin family’s wines have been knocking around since 1973 but have become soaraway successes in the past few years. There’s a white, red, rosé and sparkling rosé, all blends of several grapes and with a southern Rhône base. A bottle of the rosé is sold every five seconds in the UK…
Buy
La Vieille Ferme Rosé 2023, France (12.5 per cent, Sainsbury’s, £8.50 down to £7 from 18 Sept to 8 October; Waitrose, £8.50, down to £7.50 until 25 September; Morrisons, £8.25)
A blend of cinsault, grenache and syrah, very pale copper-pink and bone-dry, with light nuances of red apple peel, red cherry and orange zest, its acidity nicely balanced so there’s no sour note. A fine aperitif for the price.
Sweet-spot price
£7
8. Mirabeau
Jeany & Stephen Cronk left London with their young family in 2009 to establish rosé specialist Mirabeau in Provence. The venture has been hugely successful and the Cronks now put out a wide range of pinks, including sparkler Mirabeau La Folie and Prêt-à-Porter in a can. I tasted the full range recently and was impressed, again, with the price-quality ratio.
Buy
Mirabeau Forever Summer 2023, IGP Mediterranée, France (12.5 per cent, Morrisons, £11)
There are nine (NINE!) grape varieties, red and white, in this youthful, pale and dry pink, but mainly it’s composed of southern French red grapes caladoc and syrah. The result mixes citrus (pink grapefruit in particular) with light raspberry and strawberry tones. I love the fresh vivacity of Forever Summer (at this time of year, if only it was…).
Sweet-spot price
£9.50 or under
Sparkling
9. Codorníu
Now a huge brand, Codorníu has been making cava in Spain’s Penedes region since 1551 – indeed it claims to have created Spain’s classic sparkling wine. Although you can go upmarket with several other Codorníu cavas on the high street, its entry level Vintage Brut is incredibly keenly priced. Unlike prosecco, cava is made in the bottle-aged Champagne method; don’t overlook it.
Buy
Codorníu Vintage Cava Brut 2022, Penedes, Spain (11.5 per cent, Sainsbury’s, £10.50 down to £8 until 17 September; Morrisons, £8; Tesco £10, down to £8 for Clubcard holders until 7 October
Well-balanced, lively and refreshing. Made from the classic cava grape trio xarello, parellada and macabeo, it’s got plenty of green apple fruitiness, and a slightly toasty edge. Dry, whistle-clean finish too. Simply one of the best bargain bubblies around.
Sweet-spot price
£8
10. Bouvet Ladubay
Known as ‘Bouvet’ for short, this sparkling wine producer was founded in 1851 in Saumur; its fizz is made in the meticulous Champagne method, with long bottle ageing. The local chenin blanc grape in the mix delivers a crisp note to the wines, usually blended with chardonnay (one of the Champagne grapes). Sophisticated stuff, for the price tag, and very often my pick for parties.
Buy
Bouvet Ladubay Saumur Brut NV, Loire, France (12.5 per cent, Majestic, £14 or £12 in a mixed six)
Made up of 85 per cent chenin blanc and 15 per cent chardonnay, aged on the yeast lees in bottle for a minimum of 12 months. Crunchy yellow apples and zingy citrus are its hallmarks, and it’s a fine, mouthwatering aperitif.
Sweet-spot price
Majestic had this at £10 in August
11. Graham Beck
Based in the Western Cape at Robertson, this family-owned winery, now run by Graham and Rhona Beck’s son Antony, has been a sparkling specialist since 1983. Its South African sparklers are all made in the Cap Classique style – meaning Champagne method with long bottle ageing. Expect consistently high-quality fizz that’s dry but fruity, quite richly flavoured and soft. There are six Graham Beck sparklers in the UK and standards are consistently high; this one is exclusive to M&S though do look out for the brut and rosé brut (often discounted in Waitrose and Majestic).
Buy
M&S Graham Beck The Rhona Rosé NV, Western Cape, South Africa (12 per cent, Marks & Spencer, £14)
A blend of all three Champagne grapes – chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier – aged for up to 18 months on the lees, it’s properly pink with delicious wild strawberries and red cherries and a full, creamy mousse. Would stand up to light canapés or sushi. No offers on this wine, M&S tells me.