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The Review - FOOD & DRINK - WINE PRESS
 
Supermarket specials

Buyers beware, the most expensive wine doesn't always turn out to be the best on the shelf

SUPERMARKET Wine Rules OK wrote Jane McQuitty in the Times recently. She was responding to comments made in this column, concerning the damage being done to traditional artisan-style wine producers by the supermarket-driven rush for a diminishing number of big companies to produce large volumes of universally fashionable but similar tasting wines. Anyone ignoring supermarket wine will miss out she declared.
This is true. Supermarkets supply a great range of mass-produced wine. Sold cheap this wine is a good buy. Unfortunately the trend has been to introduce new wines, hype them and than overcharge. In a series of recent Sauvignon tastings, we were amazed at how many participants – all regular wine drinkers – thoroughly disliked all the wines they were drinking, some costing between £8 and £10 a bottle.
This week, we put three cheap wines to members of our testing panel. Two from a supermarket – one a bottom shelf bargain, normally low priced. The other double the price but with a big temporary discount. Our third wine is a convenience store special offer. With all the fuss about the growth of supermarket wine sales, few have noticed that the convenience store share of the UK wine market is also on the increase. They now supply around a fifth of the market.

Renards Hill, Crisp, Refreshing White Wine 2003, Vin de Pays du Comte Tolosan. France 2003. 11.5 per cent Morrison’s £2.99.

Made in Gascony South West France, from a blend of Columbard, Ugni Blanc and Saugvignon grapes.
This wine is produced by Les Caves de Landiras, a regional winery taken over by a Bordeaux wine company which was itself then brought by one of France’s biggest drinks exporting companies, Les Grand Chais de France.
The Vin de Pays tag guarantees that the wine is subject to legally enforced controls, as to grape growing, bottle content and some aspects of the production process.
Not bad for £2.99. But will our panel members like the taste? Will they agree with the producers that this is a crisp and refreshing wine?

Villa Girasole, Soave, DOC 2004. Verona, Italy 11.5 per cent Costcutter and other convenience stores £3.99 (2 for £5)

From the North East of Italy, home to Some of Italy’s most successful wine exporting regions.
This area is the home of Soave, Valpolocella, Bardolina, Prosecco and several other well-known wines. Italy is the world’s biggest wine producer and exporter.
The wine is produced by the family owned Vinicola Tombacco winery – one of Italy’s biggest wine companies. Founded in 1919, it has reacted to the New World wine invasion by modernizing its winery. It bristles with gizmos and gadgets and they are not afraid to use them. This wine has not being allowed to ferment in peace and is described as dry, soft and harmonious.

Out of Africa, Chardonnay, Western Cape. South Africa 12.5 per cent Morrison’s £3.99 special offer usual price £5.99.

The producers claim a hand crafted wine made from grapes grown with careful biological principles and picked by hand at night.
In the winery, nature – they say – has been allowed free reign and there has been minimum intervention by the producers. Some oak aging with 40 per cent of the barrels being used for the first time.
The wine is produced by the Sonopa winery, one of three owned by the African Terroir group, recently acquired by a Swiss multi-national wine company. On paper this wine is a real bargain and far superior to the other wines in this testing.
But are the producers claims simply hype and is this wine in reality no better or perhaps even worse then the other two?

The six-member panel was comprised of two experienced and four new members. Our regulars plumped for the South African, Chardonnay.
It had more taste and was clearly a superior wine they said. Our virgin testers were not shy or backward when it came to stating their case. It was Renards Hill, the French wine with the Anglo name that got their vote. It was, they insisted, a well-balanced nice and not too strong tasting wine. One complained that the Out of Africa, Chardonnay burned her gullet. The end of the night saw general agreement that all three wines were very drinkable and good value. But at £5.99, its usual selling price, The Out of Africa, Chardonnay would be overpriced.
The winner, Renards Hill White Crisp Refreshing wine, it was enjoyed by our four new additions and given second preference by the other panel members. Sold at these prices ranging from £2.50 to £3.99 all three wines are a worthwhile buy. Cheap wine rules, okay!
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