The best red wines: Red wines from the supermarket that have inspired - which ones? (2023)

Our expert tasting tests uncover the best red wines to buy from leading supermarkets including Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Tesco and Waitrose.

We found brilliant bottles for every occasion and some cheaper options that wowed our experts. Discover the best red wines to buy at your local supermarket with our expert insight.

If you're looking for vegan or vegetarian wines, we've labeled those that claim to be vegan or vegetarian.

Tips for a good life -

The best red wines for Christmas

Our range of festive reds was tested for the special festive food and drink edition of Which? Magazine, had to be perfect to drink in the colder months or to accompany a Christmas dinner.

We've researched red wines priced under £13 to benefit you when friends and guests drop by and work as gifts.

JustLoggedWhich? Members can see the full results of our taste tests and expert verdict on the best supermarket red wines below.

If you're not yet a member, you'll see an alphabetical list of the red wines we've tasted. For instant access to these and thousands of other independent product reviewsdo you join them?Today.

Aldi Château Les Trois Manoirs Medoc 2019

£7.99 for 75cl

Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months, according to Aldi, this wine has "elegant and juicy" aromas of crushed wild berries.

Is it a high-scoring red?Which to join?to unlock our test results.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? This wine is only available in Aldi stores.

Asda Extra Special Marques del Norte Rioja Gran Reserva

£12.50 for 75cl

Produced in northern Spain, this "smooth and elegant" Rioja features aromas of black fruit and toasted caramel.

To view we recommend,do you join them?to see how it compares to other red wines in the test.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? available fromAsda.

Co-op Irresistible Fairtrade Organic Malbec 2020

£7.50 for 75cl, vegan and vegetarian

Co-op claims this Malbec is produced by one of Argentina's most respected winemakers.

What did our wine experts think of this?Which to join?to find out how it ranks.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? available fromcooperative.

Lidl Deluxe South Africa Pinotage Fairtrade 2021

£5.49 for 75cl

Lidl's cheap red wine is the cheapest in the test, but is it tasty?

Which to join?to unlock the results of our tests and find out the overall ranking of this wine.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? This wine is only available in Lidl stores.

Reserve M&S El Duque de Miralta Rioja 2017

£13 for 75cl, vegan and vegetarian

Is this M&S Rioja the perfect drink for a cold winter night? Our expert panel tells it all.

It is the most expensive red wine in our range –do you join them?to find out if it's worth a Best Buy.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? This wine is only available at the M&S store.

Morrisons Das Beste The Two Faces Ribera Del Duero 2019

£9 for 75cl, vegan and vegetarian

This red wine is produced in Ribera del Duero, one of the "most prestigious wine regions" in Spain, according to Morrisons. But does it taste good too?

Which to join?to unravel our test results and find out what our expert panel thought of this red wine.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? available fromMorrison.

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Languedoc Rouge 2020

£8 for 75cl, vegan and vegetarian

Sainsbury's says its Languedoc Rouge is "full of black fruit flavors" with "a complex intensity on the finish". Is it a winning red?

Which to join?to see how it compares to other supermarket red wines.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? available fromSainsbury.

Tesco Finest Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2019

£7 for 75cl, vegan and vegetarian

Our second most affordable wine on test is packed with "juicy black fruit flavors" with a "chocolate finish". Did our experts think it was a Best Buy?

Which to join?to find out how it stacks up against premium competitors.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? available fromTesco.

Waitrose No.1 Cederberg Syrah 2020

(Video) Best Wines for Under £10 - Part 1 | This Morning

£11.99 for 75cl, vegan and vegetarian

Waitrose describes this wine as having "rich red fruit aromas of ripe, juicy blackberries and cherries" that are "balanced with elegant oak and hints of freshly ground black pepper".

Did this varied collection of flavors convince our experts?Which to join?to unlock our test results.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? available fromWaitrose.

Pricing and availability as of November 2022. Pricing and stock availability may vary.

Check out our selectionbest sparkling wines,best champagneit's atbest gin

The best red wines for a warmer climate

Our expert panel tasted 10 red wines from leading supermarkets including Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Tesco and Waitrose for the June 2022 edition of which? Magazine.

We asked supermarkets to nominate private label or exclusive wines suitable for summer entertaining, costing up to £12.

A few bottles sparked discussion on our expert panel, but they picked three Best Buys that really caught their attention. One was a full-flavoured bargain wine.

JustLoggedWhich? Members can view taste test results from our expert panel and see which wines we recommend.

If you are not yet a member, you will see an alphabetical list of people tested. To get instant accessdo you join them? Today.

Asda Extra Special Cru Du Beaujolais Fleurie 2020

£8.50 for 75cl, vegetarian

According to Asda, this French red presents "expressive aromas of black cherry and floral notes". That certainly sounds tempting, but does our expert tasting panel agree?

log in ordo you join them?to find out how this lower-priced bottle fared in our tests.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? This wine is available inAsda.

Malbec Island Mendoza 2019

£5.95 for 75cl, vegetarian

Iceland claims this "intense and elegant" Malbec pairs well with pizza and pasta. But does that mean it tastes good on its own?

Log in now ordo you join them?to unlock our test results.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? This wine is available inIsland.

Reserva Lidl Chianti 2016

£5.99 for 75cl

Lidl Chianti's budget is the second cheapest in the test, but does its "mature flavor with hints of fruitcake" make it a good value?

log in ordo you join them?to get the answer.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? This wine is only available in Lidl stores.

Morrisons Das Beste Cahors Malbec 2019

£8.25 for 75cl, vegan and vegetarian

This French red wine from Morrisons is said to have "blueberry aromas with dark plum, fig and plum aromas", but does our expert tasting panel agree?

log in ordo you join them?discover.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? This wine is available inMorrison.

M&S found Xinomavro Mandilaria 2020

£9.50 for 75cl, vegan and vegetarian

Is this 'light' Greek red from M&S the perfect companion for an afternoon in the garden? Our tasting panel says it all.

You can join now ordo you join them?to see how this wine fared in our summer range.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? This wine is only available in-store at M&S ​​or atokado.

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Maremma Toscana 2019

£10 for 75cl, vegan and vegetarian

Did our experts really feel the difference at Sainsburys Maremma 2019? Find out where it ranks in our taste test.

Log in now ordo you join them?to tell you how it went.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? This wine is available inSainsbury.

Tesco Feinster Douro 2019

£10 for 75cl

Tesco describes this wine as having "aroma of red and black fruits and subtle spices" with a "long, concentrated finish". But did this diverse collection of flavors impress our experts?

Log in now ordo you join them?to unlock our results.

Would you like to buy without reading our results? This wine is available inTesco.

Pricing and availability as of November 2022. Pricing and stock availability may vary.

Check out our ultimate guideSupermarket Christmas dinner 2022: M&S, Waitrose, Aldi, Lidl and more

How to choose the best red wine?

(Video) 🔸Non-Alcoholic Imported Red Wines From Different Brands & Different Countries Product Revealed

There is no substitute for tasting wines and noting which ones you like and which you don't. But in the meantime, you can use our guide to the most common strains to get started:

• malbecGoes well with meat, especially beef. Its flavor varies greatly depending on where the grapes are grown, but plum, berries and spice are common flavors. It is sometimes blended with other strains, but it is often soloist in Argentina.
• Merlotit is versatile and smooth, making it easily drinkable for wine novices.
• Pinot Noirvaries enormously depending on where the grapes are grown. Goes well with lamb, duck, guinea fowl, hamburgers, haggis and many types of cheese.
• Cabernet-Sauvignonit is currant, sometimes grassy, ​​usually full-bodied and often tannic (which has a drying effect in the mouth). Goes well with lamb and goose.

Heavier red wines like Malbec or Shiraz go well with red meats like beef or game. Lighter colored reds, such as a pinot noir, pair well with duck and turkey and can liven up a heavy meal.

As a general rule, if something "grows together", it probably fits. This means that Italian wines go well with Italian dishes and so on. Any high-tannin wine pairs well with fatty foods, but for products like oily fish, it's best to choose a low-tannin option, such as a pinot noir.

Our experts advised treating wine pairings like a sauce – think about the main flavors in your dish and try to balance ingredients and intensity as much as possible.

Discoverwhich red wines go with which dishes.

How not to waste wine with a cork

If you have a bottle of red wine left over, put it in the fridge to keep it fresher for longer. Lower temperatures slow down oxidation, giving the wine an unpleasant vinegary taste.

Using a vacuum pump to remove the air can also help - you can find these for under £10. Remember to bring the bottle back to room temperature before serving.

Even if a wine is corked, vinegared, oxidized, or contains sulfur, you can almost always cook with it. As long as you cook until the alcohol evaporates, the bugs will disappear with the alcohol.

Watch our video guide for more expert tips, such as: B. when to serve wines with high tannins (bitter taste) and how to revive a freshly opened wine that tastes a little off.

Choosing a sustainable wine

Unfortunately, it's not easy to find out the organic certification of each wine in the supermarket, but we've put together some tips to help you buy more sustainably:

• organic winesthey may be better for the environment because they use less pesticides, but that's not a seal of approval, nor is it the only factor to consider. For example, the amount of water and packaging in wine production also influence.
• Look for a sustainably certified logo(including the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain logo shown below). These wines must meet certain standards for energy and water use, and in some cases soil health and packaging. Unfortunately, these logos are not very common in supermarket aisles, but they are worth keeping an eye out for as they are becoming more common.

However, please note that smaller producers may not have applied for sustainability certification due to time and resource constraints. However, that doesn't mean wine isn't a sustainable option. You will have to do your own research on these smaller manufacturers.

Some producers have their own initiatives, so it's worth digging deeper if you want to opt for a sustainable option. For example, Laithwaites, which owns Direct Wines, claims to offset carbon emissions associated with deliveries through large reforestation projects and recycle 95% of all waste at its Gloucester distribution centre. Waitrose has launched itswaitrose unpackedInitiative aimed at reducing packaging consumption, asking customers to bring empty bottles that can be refilled with wine.

To learn more about understanding wine labels, check out our guide.how to read a wine label.

This is how our red wine tastings work

For our 2022 Christmas Red Wine Tasting Test, we asked supermarkets to nominate private label or signature red wines, priced between £4.50 and £13 (excluding sales), which are readily available and particularly good to drink in winter. They can be non-vintage or vintage.

Each bottle was concealed in a bag so that it could be tasted and judged fairly by our expert panel. Each expert tasted the drinks in a different order before reviewing their ratings and agreeing on Best Buy's reds.

Our experts were:

• Kapor himselfMaster of Wine, Consultant, Speaker, Author and Co-President of the IWC (International Wine Challenge)
• Magnavai JanjoFounder of the wine importer and consultant MJ Wine Cellars
• Federica ZanghirellaWine expert and Vice-President of the UK Sommelier Association
• Peter RichardsMaster of Wine, author, presenter and broadcaster.

For our summer red wine tasting quiz, published in the June 2022 issue of Which? Magazine, we ran a similar test, asking supermarkets to nominate private-label or signature red wines priced between £4.50 and £12 (excluding sales), which are readily available and particularly good for summer drinking. They can be non-vintage or vintage.

Our experts were:

• Helen McGinninternational wine judge and award-winning author
• Peter McCombieMaster of Wine, restaurant wine consultant, speaker, author and critic
• Kapor himselfMaster of Wine, Consultant, Speaker, Author and Co-President of the IWC.

recycle wine bottles

Glass bottles can usually be disposed of in household waste. If your community doesn't accept them, you can take them to a local glass recycling bin.

The recycling process can vary depending on where you live. So be sure to check with your region to see if bottles need to be rinsed first and if metal screw caps should be replaced or recycled separately.

Natural corks don't belong in your wastebasket. You can recycle natural cork throughuk swept away, by post or delivered to the nearest collection point.

Synthetic stoppers, which are made of plastic, cannot be recycled. They must be disposed of in household waste.

Please drink responsibly. To seeDrinkawarefor advice.