Lidl’s wine range is reliable and occasionally surprising, with the best Lidl wines representative of some astute buying and astonishing value. Whatever your interpretation of ‘good value’ may be, there’s no denying that the ‘discounter’ supermarkets have established a niche for unmissable deals.
So, do the wines themselves live up to the hype? My investigation of Lidl’s current summer and French ranges, as well as a selection of their core wines, indicates, in short, that the answer is ‘yes’: the wines are surprisingly consistent in terms of quality. Lidl regularly buys in a selection of wines that are only available for a limited period, so it’s worth making a move for some of the bottles promptly.
While a few gems are to be expected, nearly all the wines sampled show clear typicity and decent quality (especially given some of the low prices). Admittedly, there is nothing in the range that can be described as outstanding, and there are one or two wines to avoid, but I was left with the impression that most of the wines in any given branch of Lidl express their origin or variety with a remarkable level of authenticity and honesty.
The best Lidl wines are representative of some astute buying and astonishing value
The best Lidl wines are those that don’t try too hard to support overt structure, so the ‘classic’ Bordeaux and Rioja reds struggled compared to the fruitier styles of wine. The varietal led Vin de France wines (Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Pinot Noir) at £4.85 are very impressive for the almost inexplicably low price.
There is evidence that some wines are benchmarked against more commercially successful bigger brands (think Mateus rosé or Whispering Angel) as well as some classic expressions of popular styles; the Sauvignon Blancs from Marlborough and Bordeaux clearly show their origins.
The best white wines include the Paço de Bispo Palmela, the Corte Aurelio Grillo and the gently aromatic Jõao Pires Branco. The Monalie Côtes de Provence is also a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Of the reds, the Graciano is deliciously pretty, fresh and fruity whereas the Gran Bajos Viñas is a generous expression of a fuller, more brooding style.
There are lots of safe choices in Lidl’s current core range
If you’re looking to buy French, the whites are generally better than the reds, with the lightly aromatic styles especially successful. Of the reds, the Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhône is the only one of which I’d want a second glass. Les Cinq Rameaux looks very impressive for the price and it’s a great choice to take to a summer party.
There are lots of safe choices in Lidl’s current core range, including the Picpoul de Pinet, which ticks all the correct boxes without truly thrilling. The Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is also well-balanced; fruity without being too unsubtle. The Bordeaux Sauvignon is also modest but classy. Of the classic origins, there are two Chiantis, at astonishing prices, worth trying, especially the Riserva. This is the wine that would be going into my own shopping basket if I was in the wine aisle at Lidl.
In summary, there are more good wines at Lidl than bad, with a reliable and consistently decent quality across the range. Read on for ten of the best Lidl wines currently available.
What are the IWSC Drinks Supermarket of the Year Awards?
The IWSC Drinks Supermarket of the Year Awards were introduced to provide consumers with an in-depth evaluation of supermarkets’ alcoholic beverage offerings, inclusive of non-alcoholic alternatives. A panel of judges spend months evaluating the biggest UK retailers. Attending supermarket tastings forms part of this process, offering judges the chance to taste many of the wines available in-store and see how buyers are responding to trends and consumer demand.
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10 of the best wines at Lidl in 2024
