Find yourself staring at a bottle of Pet Nat whilst out shopping and you might assume you’re in an independent wine boutique. Today, however, that’s no longer guaranteed; a rising sense of adventure amongst drinkers means supermarkets are responding with unusual, unfamiliar and often niche choices. The Pet Nat on the shelf in front of you could now signal you’re in a branch of M&S, after the team introduced an English example of the style to the range in 2024. It has proved a noteworthy hit for a type of wine absent from the supermarkets even two years ago.
Insights from interviews with leading figures in buying teams across the major UK supermarkets, conducted as part of the inaugural IWSC Drinks Supermarket of the Year Awards, revealed a recurring theme of shoppers who are willing to experiment in their drink choices. The IWSC’s Outstanding Supermarket award winner Waitrose, for example, reports that the value and intrigue offered by less traditional grape varieties and wine styles have proved hugely popular, with ‘unusual’ Portuguese wines in its Lost & Found range faring particularly well. Aldi is now the third-largest wine retailer in the UK and it, too, is seeing shoppers opt for niche Greek and Portuguese wine from its Unearthed range.
Interest in skin-contact or orange wine has also drastically increased. Ocado reports massive year-on-year growth, Aldi sold 17,000 bottles of its debut Rosé Orange blend named ‘Rosorange’ in one week last year and M&S is finding that new customers are coming into store especially to buy its orange wines.
Away from wine, Waitrose has seen shoppers looking to aged variants of Tequila and mezcal, an indication that drinkers are now more familiar with the agave category and are excited to try new styles and flavours within it. Waitrose customers are choosing aged Caribbean rums too. Ocado reports that more of its customers are buying sake and Japanese spirits, a trend partly driven by a growing interest in Japanese cuisine, while Co-op has seen success with an innovative milk vodka.
The IWSC’s Drinks Supermarket of the Year awards demonstrate that catering to drinkers’ sense of adventure is an increasingly crucial part of the alcoholic drinks offering at supermarkets. While the popularity of some wines is also down to the value they offer, there is undoubtedly a strong interest in trying the unusual and unfamiliar, and discovering and experiencing new flavours. This culture is influencing all the supermarkets and will continue to drive innovation and diversity across the beer, wine and spirits category in the UK. Read on for all the winners at last night’s awards, plus a selection of the innovative drinks currently available on UK supermarket shelves…
IWSC Drinks Supermarket of the Year awards: The winners
• Outstanding Supermarket: Waitrose
• Classic Supermarket: Tesco
• Convenience Supermarket: Co-op
• Discounter Supermarket: Lidl
• Online Supermarket: Ocado
• Regional/Specialist Supermarket: Booths
• Sustainable Supermarket: Waitrose
Top bottles in the supermarkets for the adventurous drinker
Loved & Found, Sousao
An example of a Portuguese wine made from a grape with which many people won’t be familiar. Sousao is a variety native to Iberia and is usually used as a blending ingredient in port wines or red vinho verde. Here, it’s treated to a little oak and is a deep, rich red at 14% ABV.
£9, Waitrose
M&S Rosé Pet Nat Brut
This was reportedly the first Pet Nat available in any UK supermarket, demonstrating that the style of gently sparkling, cloudy wine is starting to go mainstream. It’s made from Pinot Noir, Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris by Heppington Vineyard.
£14.80, Ocado
Specially Selected Rosorange Rosé
Aldi’s experimental ‘hybrid’ wine, which is a blend of rosé and orange wines, went viral last year and is made from Cinsault, Grenache Gris and Grenache and bottled as a Vin de France wine.
£10, Aldi
Olmeca Altos Reposado Tequila
Space for quality agave spirits is made in the aisles of all UK supermarkets and blanco Tequila remains the most popular style. Some shoppers are now exploring the category more broadly and this reposado, meaning the Tequila has been aged in oak for at least two months (giving it the colour), has proved popular at Waitrose. The IWSC judges also rate it highly, awarding it 93 points at the 2024 awards.
£30, Waitrose
Nanbu Bijin Tokubetsu
Ocado has seen rising interest in Japanese alcoholic drinks, including sake. This example is sold in a 30cl half bottle, which is perfect if you want to try without committing to the cost of a standard bottle.
£13, Ocado
Aldi, Unearthed Beira Interior
Beira Interior is the most mountainous region of Portugal, which partly explains this white wine’s ABV of just 10.5%. It’s made from the lesser known grapes Síria, Fonte Cal, Arinto and Malvasia but has been likened to Sauvignon Blanc in style. It’s another Portuguese wine that shoppers are willing to try despite the unfamiliar varieties involved.
£8.50, Aldi
Tesco, Finest Floreal
This innovative wine recently launched by Tesco is made from a disease-resistant hybrid variety and is a great white wine to try at the price if you’re in Tesco, thanks to ‘fruitiness, freshness and balance’.
£8,Tesco
Sainsbury’s Discovery Collection Teroldego
Another unfamiliar grape variety called Teroldego goes into this wine from Trentino-Alto Adige in northern Italy, which has ‘soft fruit, minerality and spice’ on the finish.
£7.75, Sainsbury’s
