The £9 Aldi wine that’ll be living in my ice bucket throughout spring

The sun is setting later, hot cross buns are everywhere and the clocks are about to spring forward.

That means it’s time for a new wine range to hit the supermarkets soon, as the end-of-season drinks make way for the spring/summer ones for 2025.

And there’s one retailer that’s really killing it with their fresh whites, zesty rosés and pretty complex reds, all for bargain prices.

Aldi has one of the strongest of supermarket offerings out there, so it’s no surprise they were recently crowned the ‘Supermarket of the Year’ at the People’s Choice Wine Awards, for which I was one of the judges.

As someone on the inside, my top tip would be to bypass the regular Pinot Grigios, Sauvignon Blancs and Malbecs in Aldi’s core range and make a beeline for some of their quirkier seasonal offerings.

Why? Not because they aren’t great, but because those that specify ‘core’ will stick around in the range, while ‘seasonal’ lines will be replaced come autumn.

But there are two donkeys lurking within the stellar line-up. Not literally, of course, that woud be bizarre.

So, let’s name and shame them, shall we? The only two worth avoiding were the Beachfront Californian Buttered Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The white was over the top on the butteriness, the red on fruit, to the point of having to request a replacement tasting glass to taste the next wines in the line-up.

Phew, now we’ve got that out of the way, here are 10 of the best bottles you can get from Aldi this spring/summer:

Bowler & Brolly Pétillant Naturel, England, £12.99

Meet Aldi’s English Pet Nat, made by Lyme Bay winery in Devon. Pet Nat is a sparkling wine where the second fermentation is kicked off by Mother Nature. And although this is made from a dysfunctional blend of grape varieties, including Reichensteiner, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, it makes for a pleasantly dry and textured, ancestral appley and pear-strewn sipper.

Estevez Chilean Viognier, £5.79

Viognier is such a great choice for the ‘Will it? Won’t it?’ weather we’re having. The grape’s style is the wine equivalent of a maternal cuddle, all pillowy stone fruit and tropical richness. The thing about Viognier is its low acidity, but this Chilean example has a lively, lemon sherbet finish to it. Also perfect for when the mercury starts to rise.   

Filos Estate Greek Chardonnay, £8.49

Despite it’s slightly funky nose, this one grew on me. It’s from northern Greece and there’s no oak ageing, for anyone who’s triggered by the Chardonnay-and-oak combo. There is batonage though, meaning the dead yeast ‘lees’ are stirred to bring in creaminess and texture. It’s a process that has conjured flavours of tinned peach, lime sherbet and nectarine, and I’m here for all of them.

Unearthed Gemischter Satz, Austria, £8.99

I do believe we’ve found a little spring gem here. Made from a ‘field blend’ of up to 20 grapes, meaning those found in a single vineyard so no variety dominates. That’s what a Gemischter Satz actually is, something the Austrians lost interest in making but are now reviving. It’s light, refreshingly dry and full of green apple and preserved lemon flavours with a pop of fennel seed on the finish.

Specially Selected Austrian Zweigelt Rosé, Austria, £8.99

I could tell you that Zweigelt is the most widely-planted red grape in Austria, but that would be yawn-inducing. Instead, I’ll tell you that, until Aldi’s tasting, I’d never tasted it in rosé form. How was it? Well, I’ve put three stars by it and my tasting notes say, ‘unusual, fruit-driven, a touch of sweet strawberry and tart rhubarb. Something different’.

Unearthed Thracian Valley Pinot Noir, Bulgaria, £8.99

Calling all Provence rosé lovers, which is just about everyone with a pulse, let’s be honest. Here’s something the same but different, as it’s from Bulgaria. Barely-there in colour, bone dry with flavours of rhubarb, wild strawberry and watermelon. This will be living, rent-free in my ice bucket over spring/summer, make no mistake.

Mimo Moutinho Lisboa Red, Portugal, £5.25

A Porta 6 alternative that’s almost £4 cheaper and I’m here for it. What a lovely wine it is too. Both are medium-bodied, easy-drinking, juicy with plum and cherry flavours. I suppose they’re crowd favourites for a reason.  

Kooliburra Coonawarra Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia, £7.19

A baller of a red, with hedgerow notes of blackberry, cassis, Bonne Maman strawberry jam and dark chocolate. Granted, the flavours don’t stack up to its more complex Penfolds alternative, but it’s lovely for the price.

Specially Selected Argentinian Cabernet Franc, £8.99

You can check out my column on the best Argentine grapes that aren’t Malbec. Cabernet Franc was one that particularly blew my mind when I went over there. They do it so well over in Mendoza, honouring its herbaceous, mulberry character while fleshing it out and making it smoother than a baby bat in texture.

Specially Selected Washington State Syrah, USA, £9.99

Washington State wines are not cheap, so this is an absolute steal. Based around unoaked Merlot, with a soupcon of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, this red is jam-packed with plush, purple fruit and minty, herbaceous intensity. Don’t get it confused with the Beachfront version, which in fairness, I haven’t tasted yet but I don’t imagine to be as accomplished.

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