There’s something thrilling about walking past a supermarket bargain bin of wine. Could there be a hidden treasure lurking among the discounted bottles? Or is it just a graveyard for wines that should never have been made in the first place?
Let’s be honest: we’ve all picked up a suspiciously cheap bottle at some point. Maybe it was a last-minute dinner party grab, or maybe you were just feeling reckless on a Tuesday night. Either way, you pour a glass, take a sip, and wait for the verdict – have you struck gold, or just wasted £5?
To get to the bottom of this, I went on a mission to test budget supermarket wines under £7 and see which ones are actually worth drinking. Some were shockingly good, others were a personal attack on my taste buds.
Why Is Some Cheap Wine Actually Decent?
First, let’s bust a myth: cheap doesn’t always mean bad. Supermarkets buy in bulk, cut out the middlemen, and negotiate deals with wineries that allow them to sell bottles for a fraction of what you’d pay elsewhere. Some of these wines are the exact same juice that, with different branding, would cost twice the price.
That said, there’s still a big difference between a smart budget buy and a disaster waiting to happen. Some cheap wines are just mass-produced, overly sweet, and barely drinkable unless you drown them in ice cubes (or, let’s be honest, mix them with lemonade).
So, how do you tell the difference? That’s where I come in.
The Surprisingly Good Ones
💎 Aldi Specially Selected Picpoul de Pinet (£6.99)
If you like crisp, refreshing white wines that don’t taste like battery acid, this is a winner. It’s got that lovely citrus and minerality that makes Picpoul so drinkable. In a blind tasting, you’d probably guess this was a much more expensive bottle.
💎 Tesco Finest Malbec (£7.00)
Malbec at this price can be a wild ride, but this one? Deep, velvety, and full of juicy dark fruit. It’s the kind of wine that makes you feel smug about spending under a tenner. Perfect for steak night or just when you need a ‘Tuesday night red’ that won’t disappoint.
💎 Lidl Crémant de Loire (£7.99)
A ridiculous bargain. If you love Champagne but don’t love Champagne prices, this is about as close as you’ll get for under £10. The bubbles are fine, the flavour is fresh, and honestly, if you poured this at a dinner party, no one would guess it was so cheap.
💎 M&S Classics No. 24 Rioja Crianza (£7.50)
This was a pleasant surprise. Smooth, oaky, with just the right amount of spice – it tastes like something that should cost £12-15. It’s not the most complex Rioja in the world, but at this price? It doesn’t need to be.
💎 Waitrose Blueprint Grüner Veltliner (£6.99)
Waitrose might be posh corner shop energy, but this Austrian white is an absolute steal. Zesty, a little bit peppery, and ideal if you’re looking for something that isn’t Sauvignon Blanc but still hits that fresh, crisp vibe.
The Ones That Should Stay on the Supermarket Shelf
🚩 Morrisons Pinot Grigio (£4.50)
Tastes like someone left a glass of lemon water out overnight and then tried to sell it as wine. No flavour, no body, just a vague whisper of citrus and sadness. If you love Pinot Grigio, please do yourself a favour and spend £2 more.
🚩 Sainsbury’s House Red (£5.00)
If this wine had a personality, it would be that one guest at a party who talks at you about crypto for 45 minutes. Vague, uninspiring, and absolutely forgettable. It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever drunk, but it’s one of the most pointless.
🚩 Co-op Spanish Rosé (£5.50)
A disaster. I wanted a crisp, dry rosé and instead got something that tastes like a Mentos dissolved in diluted Ribena. It’s flat, overly sweet, and has the acidity of a damp sponge. This is the kind of wine that gives rosé a bad name.
🚩 ASDA Just Essentials Sauvignon Blanc (£4.99)
Imagine a textbook Sauvignon Blanc, but all the flavour got left behind in New Zealand. It’s like drinking watered-down gooseberry juice. Pay a little more and get a real Sauvignon Blanc.
🚩 Tesco Value Merlot (£4.50)
Do you enjoy the taste of regret? Because that’s what this is. This is “airport red wine at 6 AM” energy – technically a wine, but only because the label says so. It’s thin, acidic, and completely lacking in charm.
How to Spot a Good Cheap Wine
If you don’t want to risk your taste buds on a dud, here are some tips for picking a decent budget bottle:
🍇 Stick to the right regions – Picpoul, Malbec, Crémant, Rioja, and Grüner Veltliner often punch above their weightin the budget category.
🍇 Check the alcohol percentage – If a cheap red is below 12% ABV, it’s probably too weak and thin. A good 14-14.5% Malbec or Shiraz at a low price usually means more flavour.
🍇 Look for ‘Finest’, ‘Specially Selected’, or ‘Blueprint’ ranges – These supermarket labels usually indicate a wine with a bit more effort put into it.
🍇 Screw cap ≠ bad wine – Some of the best budget wines have a screw cap. It’s practical, it’s fresh, and it doesn’t mean cheap.
🍇 Avoid ‘House’ wines – These tend to be the lowest quality in the range. If it just says ‘House Red’ with no grape or region mentioned, back away slowly.
The Final Verdict
Not all cheap wines are bad – but some are very, very bad. If you’re shopping on a budget, the supermarket can actually be a great place to find hidden gems – just avoid anything that looks suspiciously vague or under £5. Would I buy any of these again? Absolutely to the Aldi Picpoul and Lidl Crémant, never again to the Pinot Grigio disappointment. Have you found a shockingly good supermarket wine? Or been traumatised by a bad one?
