From bold reds to elegant bubbles, weekend wine critic OLLY SMITH reveals his Christmas corkers that you can get your hands on – for less than a tenner!
- From bold, spicy reds punching way above their weight to the elegant bubbles
- The trick to finding a great bargain is to pick a bottle from a lesser-known region
- There are red wines to pair perfectly with your roast turkey and trimmings
- There are even a couple of beer options and some budget-busting champagne
Generosity is the watchword when it comes to a festive tipple. But in these cash-strapped times, you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy great wine – as the selection here of fabulous Christmas corkers shows.
From the bold, spicy reds punching way above their weight to the elegant bubbles frothing with flavour – at a fraction of the cost of a vintage champagne – these supermarket buys will not cost you more than a tenner and most are priced at significantly less than that.
The trick to finding a great festive bargain is to pick a top bottle from a lesser-known region or wine grower.
This makes your money go a lot further, but without you having to compromise when it comes to taste.
There are red wines to pair perfectly with your roast turkey and trimmings, or whites to accompany a festive fish course, and dessert wine and port to make your figgy pudding or Stilton sing.
There are even a couple of beer options and some budget-busting champagne which, at just under £15, is too good to miss. With prices like these, we can all raise a glass to a cascade of jollity this year. Cheers
Rip-roaring reds
Burdizzo Chianti Riserva 2019 (12.5%) £7 Asda
Burdizzo Chianti Riserva 2019
The real deal for a red punching above its price, with aromas and flavours ranging from cherry blossom to tea. A terrific party red to go with nibbles.
Definition Zinfandel Lodi 2019 (14%), £8.99 Mix Six Majestic
Definition Zinfandel Lodi 2019
Lush and fruity, this full throttle red can handle the bird as well as all the trimmings, from stuffing to cranberry sauce. Pour yourself a big glass and relax!
Finest Valle de Colchagua Merlot 2020 (14.5%) £8 Tesco
Finest Valle de Colchagua Merlot 2020
Bargain alert! This bold, spicy red with darker fruit than a pastille down a coal mine is a terrific winter warmer and your number one candidate for pouring with beef dishes across the festive period.
Les Hauts de Saint Martin Saint Chinian 2020 (13.5%), £9 Co-op
Les Hauts de Saint Martin Saint Chinian 2020
Splendid lavish scented red with muscles. It reminds me of a good Châteauneuf-du-Pape without the hefty price tag. Colossal value for money this Christmas and incredible with a roast.
Lisboa Bonita 2020 (13.5%) £10 M&S
Lisboa Bonita 2020
Your inside tip for good value thanks to lesser-known grape varieties such as Caladoc, Castelão and Touriga Franca, which are blended to create a brilliantly balanced red from vineyards around sunny Lisbon. Spicy, fulsome and sleek.
Fab Fortified
Dessert wine: Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora 2022 (8%, 37.5cl) £8.50 Tesco
Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora 2022
Imagine a sweet tangerine dipped in sherbet and you’re close to this syrupy wine’s tangy fruitiness. I love it when it’s served over ice, but try it on its own in small glasses for a sweet treat this Christmas.
Sherry: The Best Pedro Ximenez (17%, 37.5cl) £6.50 Morrisons
The Best Pedro Ximenez
Serve this sticky, sweet wine nice and cold with your Christmas pudding. This sherry is an echo of sweet, sumptuous dried fruit in liquid form, and a wine that instantly spreads good cheer!
Port: Taylor’s First Estate Reserve Port (20%) £8.50 (on offer until 01/01), Asda
Taylor’s First Estate Reserve Port
Gorgeous, sweet, luscious port like this is a must for Christmas with your Stilton – or try pouring it alongside a few squares of dark chocolate. Deep, rich and spicy, it’s like mulled wine’s fruity cousin.
Liqueur: Taste the Difference Spiced Ginger Biscuit Flavour Irish Cream Liqueur (15%, 700ml) £9 (on offer until 31/12) Sainsbury’s
Taste the Difference Spiced Ginger Biscuit Flavour Irish Cream Liqueur
Gorgeous for a festive tipple, this is a lovely lavish treat, with generous creaminess and all the sweetness you could wish for.
Formidable fizz
Specially Selected Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry DOCG (11%) £7.99 Aldi
Specially Selected Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry DOCG
The key words on the label here are ‘Extra Dry’, which actually mean that this prosecco feels a little fruitier and sweeter than one which says ‘Brut’. It’s also DOCG, which means it’s top quality prosecco. All that for under ten quid? Wonderful!
Taste the Difference Pignoletto Vino Spumante Brut NV (11%) £9 Sainsbury’s
Taste the Difference Pignoletto Vino Spumante Brut NV
I can’t resist the cascade this bubbly brings. A lovely alternative to prosecco from Italy, this Pignoletto is brisk, pristine and great fun froth for a party.
Specially Selected Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé (12.5%) £9.49 Aldi
Specially Selected Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé
A terrific crowd-pleaser reminding me of strawberries, with a faint haze of icing sugar. A jolly pink bubbly of decent quality for under ten quid.
Sweet Asti Spumante DOCG 2021 (7%) £5.75 Tesco
Sweet Asti Spumante DOCG 2021
This is frothy, exuberant Italian fun that has a similar fragrance to elderflower, with a bit of exotic lychee sherbet to it. Serve chilled from the fridge in white wine glasses. A treat with desserts this Christmas – even Christmas pud!
Étoile de Timberlay Crémant de Bordeaux Brut NV (12%) £10 M&S
Étoile de Timberlay Crémant de Bordeaux Brut NV
Top notch bubbly – with fruity vitality and lavish satin bubbles – that reminds me of fizz costing twice the price.
Low alcohol FIZZ M&S Fizzero Rosé (0.05%) £4.50 M&S and Ocado
Low alcohol FIZZ M&S Fizzero Rosé
Bubbly and fruity, this easy drinker does the job for parties when you’re laying off the sauce
Wondrous whites
Soave Classico 2021 (12.5%) £7.99 Waitrose
Soave Classico 2021
This white has the flair of a pineapple and satsuma dancing the tango, from vines between 60 and 70 years old grown in volcanic Italian soil. Solid quality for the right price.
Ferdinand Mayr Exklusiv Grüner Veltliner 2021 (12.5%) £8.25 The Wine Society
Ferdinand Mayr Exklusiv Grüner Veltliner 2021
What a stunner! Immense vitality, a tangerine dream of a wine with zesty freshness and the pristine appeal of a gleaming, frosty Alp. If you’re a dry-white wine fan, give this Austrian Grüner a go!
Paul Mas Clairette du Languedoc 2021, 12.5%, £8.50 Co-op
Paul Mas Clairette du Languedoc 2021
Packed with nerve and verve, this has a great, fleshy style wrapped up with a bright citrus attack and a saline finish. A real belter for Christmas prawns or other festive shellfish dishes.
Finest Viña del Rey Albariño 2021 (12.5%) £9.50 Tesco
Finest Viña del Rey Albariño 2021
A fruity and bright dazzler from north-western Spain. Breezy and fresh as a day at the beach, it’s lavishly light and refreshing, just what you want with shellfish this Christmas.
Found Weissburgunder 2021 (12.5%) £9.50 M&S
Found Weissburgunder 2021
Try this aromatic and silken gem from Germany. Billowing with aromas of pear blossom and full of fleshy and fruity thrills, there’s a magical moreishness along with a bright zing. Marvellous!
…AND AS FOR SOME ROSÉ
L’Escarpe Coteaux d’Aix Rosé 2017 (13%) £7 (on offer until 25/12) Morrisons
L’Escarpe Coteaux d’Aix Rosé 2017
This is a classy southern French rosé to pair with shellfish or sip as an aperitif this Christmas season. The bottle looks the part and the blend inside lives up to the mark – it’s crisp, fulsome and delectable. A little bit of pink magic from Morrisons.
Ale and hearty
Two Tribes Dream Factory Pale Ale (4.4%, 330ml) £1.76 (on offer until 01/01) Waitrose. Hoppy
Two Tribes Dream Factory Pale Ale
bright beer that has a beautiful balance of tropical-citrus flavours. Made in London, this pale ale is the very definition of modern brewing in all its magnificence.
Estrella Galicia 0.0% £9.60 (per case of 12 x 330ml) Majestic
Estrella Galicia
I buy this and drink it midweek. It tastes superrefreshing, and served cold from the fridge it always hits the spot.
PS two bargains for just over £10
Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos 2014 (9.5%) £12.99 Lidl
Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos 2014
This orangey sweet Hungarian gem is spot on to serve fridgecold with your Stilton this Christmas. The sweet contrasts beautifully with the saltiness of the cheese and it’s one of life’s greatest pleasures!
Champagne Carpentier Brut (12.5%) £13.99 Lidl
Champagne Carpentier Brut
What a delicious wine! Terrific round almond richness is the key to matching across the range of Christmas flavours, and this is the best champagne I’ve tasted all year for under £15.
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