Our guide to the best wines at Sainsbury’s should help you find something special in amongst the dozens of bottles across its network of almost 1,500 branches, a mix of convenience stores and supermarkets, catering for all the key price points from budget bottles to serious weekend treats.
Established by John James Sainsbury and his wife Mary Ann on London’s Drury Lane in 1862, a pioneer of ‘self service’ supermarkets in the 1950s with alcohol added to the aisles in the early ‘60s, Britain’s second biggest grocer became one of the country’s most significant wine sellers. However, in recent times, its range has felt conservative, bordering on boring. Thankfully, there’s change in the air, though the range is still a work in progress.
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Can you taste the difference? Well, yes, up to a point – my highest scores were almost all for wines from this range
Like its rivals, Sainsbury’s relies heavily on its premium own-brand range, ‘Taste the Difference’ – but can you? Well, yes, up to a point. At a recent press tasting of just over 70 bottles, my highest scores were almost all for wines from this range, including a couple of very good Austrian whites, a keenly priced classy Champagne, a novel Pet Nat and some bright chillable reds.
However, rosé – a hugely important category for summer – was something a disappointment with only one of a dozen featured wines, a tribute to the rock band Queen, making my top ten. Read on for the best wines at Sainsbury’s in 2026.
What are the IWSC National Drinks Retail Awards?
The IWSC National Drinks Retail Awards were introduced to provide consumers with an in-depth evaluation of alcoholic beverage offerings from supermarkets and online retailers, inclusive of non-alcoholic alternatives. A panel of judges spend months evaluating the biggest in the UK. 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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Best wines at Sainsbury's in 2026
