What are your favourite or usually-bought wines, whether red, white, pink, still, sparkling, good value or rather expensive?

[WildRosie]

For reds, I usually go for Cabernet Sauvignon from California (e.g. Gallo) or Australia but I especially like the Wanted Zin Zinfandel which I can get from Morrison's. It's often discounted, which helps. With whites, I've tended to stick to Chardonnays from Australia and South America but I've been adventurous recently and bought the odd Gavi and Pecorino from Italy and some French Sauvignon Blanc. I got a bargain bottle of Chablis earlier this year at £3.35 - I haven't tried it yet but for that price I can't complain too much if it turns out to be meh! I've yet to buy a bottle of Prosecco and I haven't bought Champagne in years. I find that a reasonably priced Cava is good enough for me; the Mark's and Spencer Prestige Cava - white or rose - are both excellent, particularly when they're sold for £8 a bottle rather than £10.00.

I like Echo Falls and Blossom Hill white Zinfandel. Very drinkable.

We've really got into English wines and lucky to live near some great vineyards. Albourne Bacchus and any sparkling wine from Wiston, delicious. And yes, expensive!

@Mrsjayy

Oh I bought Jam shed for Christmas presents is it horrible

I know it's everywhere and sounds as if it should be nice and mellow - better suited to children! 🤣

Tbf my dad will drink anything, but my Dds boyfriend likes his wine oh dear 😳

My favourites are ….
Cloudy Bay
Sancerre
Whispering Angel rose

I'd never heard of Jam Shed until I started this thread. Now I know it's one to avoid. I used to quite like Malbec when it first became popular about 20 years ago but stopped buying it when it began to remind me of cough medicine! To be fair, like Pinot Grigio and Shiraz, there will be bad, mediocre and good Malbecs but I don't have deep enough pockets to find them.

Minervois from France used to be a good value favourite of mine many years back. I clearly remember buying a litre bottle for under £4.00 from the local off licence and it was beautiful. I don't seem to see it as much now.

Oh Whispering Angel is gorgeous!

Drinking a Cloudy Bay right now @Missatkins - delightful! Also like Villa Maria and Oyster Bay as cheaper subs.

For reds - French or Californian Pinot Noir (although also some good ones from Aus and NZ)
Aldi do a lovely Picpoul de Pinet
We’re a bit seduced at the moment by Vin Orange which Morrisons have on offer for £6.50
Lidl’s Cremant de Loire is so much nicer than Prosecco when you want a cheaper fizz.
never had a bad Italian Tempranillo - ideal tomato pasta wine

Black Pig wines from Virgin Wines are pretty reliable decent wines whether you want red or white. Will be having their Shiraz with our steak pie shortly!

I like Echo Falls and Blossom Hill white Zinfandel. Very drinkable.

Well, each other own! They are like drinking syrup.

Morrisons ‘the best’ white Rioja is epic for £13.

EachTO THEIR OWN, that should say!

Pinot Grigio is the ultimate anti-climax of wine varietals. It’s barely a step up from table water.

But NZ does some good Pinot Gris, which IMO is far superior to Pinot Grigio. Church Road Pinot Gris is great value for money.

I forgot to mention Pinotage, another usually good red I've come to appreciate in recent years.

We are lucky in the UK to have relatively access to wine from all over the world.

relatively easy access

Argentinian malbec (aldi’s, under £5)

Tesco pinot grigio (hovers around £5.50)

Cremant from Lidl (£8.49)

Chapel down..English sparkling..it beats prosecco hands down.

Oh forgot Trivento Malbec. £8 but can get it for £6 on offer

Yellow Tail for me

White - Picpoul. Tesco do a nice one at £7ish a bottle. I also like Vinho Verde from Tesco. It's a slightly sparkling white from Portugal, around 9% alcohol, so easy drinking and a bargain at £5.50 usually.

Red - Aldi Toro Loco, 19 Crimes, Yellow Tail Shiraz

Sparkling - Aldi organic Prosecco is nice, most Cavas hit the spot and pretty much any Champagne, particularly if I'm not buying!

Albarino from Aldi. A dry white. Chablis from Lidl, ditto. Chianti reserva from Lidl, full bodied red. And all very affordable for regular buys.

I don’t really drink wine but I love Prosecco. The sainsburys taste the difference one is really nice. Was £8 a bottle over Christmas and we had several!

Oyster bay or villa maria Sauvignon blanc for me. Asda used to sell one called forbidden vines, loved it but can’t find it anywhere

My go to ordinary wine is the Tesco Finest Picpoul de Pinet. It is only £7.50 but tastes more expensive. For something more special I love white burgundy.

Tesco do a really nice Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in their finest range. Really dry and tastes of grass, which is what I'm looking for in a wine! On special occasions eg Christmas we buy a case of New Zealand Sauvignons from laithwaites and I'm on my second last bottle, every single one has been brilliant.

I tend to go to the smaller independent wine seller and avoided the supermarkets and the Virgin and Laithwaites. Having said that, Waitrose a few years ago used to have an in-store sommelier and my local one was a young Frenchman who was brilliant. He sold me a Chardonnay for my Christmas meal of turkey and chestnuts and it was a beautiful pairing.

The smaller independents have gradually educated me on wine - without charge. Their wine is not expensive either. I pay £14 to £21 for wine and never feel compromised on quality. For the odd occasion I have spent £120 and up to £300 on a bottle, but honestly the lower range I have indicated is perfect for the best wines to be drank more reqularly.

Where I used to live years ago there was an independent wine shop at the bottom of our road. I stumbled across Chilean Gato Blanco Sauvignon Blanc there and Gato Nero Cabernet Sauvignon. The SB had a proper pressed metal capsule covering the cork - very exciting. Both wines were relatively inexpensive and excellent quality and eventually showed up in the supermarkets. This was about thirty years ago and I don't know if the brand is still around. The wine shop itself is long gone. The couple who owned it retired and sold it to Wine Rack whom, to be fair, still kept a great shop. Now it's a Mediterranean restaurant!