12 BEST WINES TO SIP IN SUMMER 2023, FROM SUPERMARKET BRANDS TO SPECIALIST RETAILERS
Spring may have been wet and miserable, but the arrival of summer hopefully means the sun will be coming out on a consistent basis.
Last year was a sunny affair, so there’s hope this year will be similar, allowing us to spend time outdoors with family and friends and a good bottle of wine.
Whether you’re at a picnic, barbecue, off to a sporting event or simply after a decent bottle for a balmy evening, getting the right bottle of wine, without breaking the bank in a time of inflation, is key.
You’ll want to think about what to pair with summery food, from light salads to picnic dishes, canapés to seafood and, of course, barbecued meat or vegetables.
From fresh, zingy whites to full-bodied reds to stand up to a steak or roast leg of lamb, we tried a wide range of vinos to bring you our pick of the best wines for summer.
How we tested
There’s no hard and fast rule for ‘summer wines’. In Britain, it may be cold and rainy or hot and muggy – or all of the above on the same day. So, we got our hands on a vast range of wines, from delicate whites to hearty reds, plenty of rosé and sparkling, too, which are always popular during warmer months. Wines were consumed chilled, where advised, while reds were tested both at room temperature and lightly chilled. After all, many reds can benefit from a little cooling in the summer.
The best wines for summer 2023 are:
- Best wine for summer overall – Moillard-Thomas chablis 2021: £19.99, Majestic.co.uk
- Best value white wine for summer – Tesco Finest South African chenin blanc: £7.50, Tesco.com
- Best light red wine for summer – Louis Jadot beaujolais-lantignié: £13.99, Majestic.co.uk
- Best dark rosé wine for summer – Tesco Finest Argentinian malbec rosé: £8, Tesco.com
- Best value sparkling wine for summer – Gratien & Meyer crémant de Loire brut: £12, Tesco.com
Moillard-Thomas chablis 2021
Burgundy produces some of the best whites in the world, with centuries of history and expertise. Moillard-Thomas is one of the region’s longest-standing wine merchants, consistently producing some of the best wines you can find on the high street. This chablis, made using the ever-popular chardonnay, a grape the chablis appellation requires to be the only variety, is made in a cooler climate than many other chardonnays, leading to a more acidic, less fruity wine. It’s a complex white, with stone fruit and citrus notes and a lovely minerality that makes it a perfect match for oysters. It also goes wonderfully with fish and goat’s cheese, and we even found it robust enough to drink alongside red meat.
Buy now £19.99, Majestic.co.uk
Tesco Finest South African chenin blanc
South Africa has emerged as the largest producer of chenin blanc. Hailing from the Loire Valley of France, it’s a grape that has found a welcome home in the southern hemisphere. In South Africa, it accounts for nearly a fifth of all vineyards in the country. The beautiful Stellenbosch region produces some fine examples, including this number from the Stellenrust winery. The wine itself has notes of apple, honey, vanilla and, above all, apricot. It’s beautifully floral and aromatic, relatively dry, and versatile. It pairs nicely with cheese, seafood and chicken, and all sorts of mildly spiced dishes, including curries.
Buy now £7.50, Tesco.com
Animus vinho verde
Vinho verde has surged in popularity in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. This Portuguese white wine is delicate, refreshing, versatile and often very affordable. Sometimes there’s a very light fizz, creating a brilliant summer wine that can transport you back to a warm evening in Lisbon or the Algarve. Unsurprisingly, these wines go very well with fish and seafood. Aldi’s Animus vinho verde is a bargain at less than a fiver, and is pleasingly fresh and citrusy. A wine that is sure to please those who often avoid whites.
While it’s not available online at the moment, you can check Aldi’s store shelves for this budget-friendly white.
Buy now £4.79, Aldi.co.uk
Waitrose Loved & Found treixadura
Waitrose’s Loved & Found range champions lesser-known varieties from around the world, and it’s a great place to look for good-value wines you’ve probably not tried before. Treixadura may not be as famous as a grenache or tempranillo, but it’s a severely underrated wine. Grown in Ribeiro, in the northwestern region of Galicia, this is a light and delicate wine, very bright and citrusy with hints of apple and peach. Like a vinho verde – in Portugal, the grape’s called trajadura and used in vinho verde wines – this wine has an ever-so delicate fizz that makes it highly refreshing. A brilliant wine to serve with seafood.
It’s temporarily out of stock, but we’ve been assured it will be available again in early June, so it should be back any day now – just in time for barbecue season.
Buy now £8.99, Waitrose.com
Irresistible organic Fairtrade malbec
Co-op’s excellent-value wine range is spearheaded by this brilliant red from Rodolfo Griguol, a highly respected winemaker in Argentina. A full-bodied, oaky malbec, it has plenty of spicy and red fruit notes, with a hint of chocolate, while the tannins are powerful but don’t overwhelm. For a red-meat barbecue, perhaps some kebab skewers, or a hearty meat stew, look no further than this wine. As an added bonus, sales go towards funding social projects in the region, including a secondary school and a healthcare centre.
Buy now £8.50, Coop.co.uk
M&S Found zweigelt 2021, case of six
A relatively unheralded Austrian grape – Marks and Spencer’s Found range, like Waitrose’s Lost & Found, seeks out ‘undiscovered tastes’ – zweigelt emerged from a crossing between blaufrankisch and st laurent, and is now behind some of the country’s best red wines. The unoaked wine is full of red fruit flavours, particularly cherry, and is perfect for red meat or tomato dishes, while it is delicate enough to be eaten with fish – we particularly enjoyed it both with seabass and a Spanish tortilla. It is a red wine that can be consumed slightly chilled, so it’s great for a barbecue on a hot day.
Buy now £51.00, Marksandspencer.com
Astoria Caranto pinot noir
Pinot noir is perhaps the most famous red for summer, in a sparkling or rosé, for obvious reasons, but it’s light and crisp even on its own. Often benefitting from a slight chill – 20 minutes or so in the fridge – pinot noirs tend to be versatile, pairing well with stews, savoury tarts and soups, as well as lighter dishes that are more commonly eaten in the sunshine. France produces some of the world’s best, but this Italian pinot, from Veneto, is delightful. There’s plenty of red fruit, especially raspberry, and there’s a hint of sweetness and tannins, but not overwhelmingly so. Whether a barbecue, picnic, light supper, some snacks or drinking on its own, this wine will serve you well.
Buy now £12.20, Honestgrapes.com
Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Lantignié
Pinot noir may be the most famously chillable red grape variety, but its cousin, gamay, commonly found in the Beaujolais region, has experienced a growth in popularity over recent years. Gamay produces light, juicy wines, and this bottle, from the celebrated Maison Louis Jadot, is no exception. It’s delicate, fruity, with plenty of depth and soft tannins. There are hints of berries, including plenty of cherry, raspberry and strawberry. This wine should be chilled for around 20 minutes, to bring out its flavours, so it’s ideal for a warm day or a picnic – it’s delicious with salads, dips and cold meats.
Buy now £13.99, Majestic.co.uk
Tesco Finest Argentinian malbec rosé
For a darker style of rosé, this robust malbec rosé from Mendoza is a hit. It’s big and bold for a rosé, with notes of red berries and lychee. Malbec rosés tend to be on the sweet side, with fruity notes of strawberry and raspberry, but this bottle balances sweetness and dryness for a versatile, crowd-pleasing wine. Serve chilled at barbecues or dinner parties, either as an aperitif or with salads, prawns or grilled fish.
Buy now £8.00, Tesco.com
Domaine Horgelus Côtes de Gascogne rosé 2022
For a light, refreshing rosé not too high in alcohol, this Côtes de Gascogne is ideal. A pale salmon-pink in colour, this blend of merlot, tannat and cabernet sauvignon, in roughly equal proportions, produces a mildly sweet wine bursting with fruity notes, from strawberry and blackcurrant to peach and a hint of citrus. The region is famous for armagnac, but its wines are increasingly desirable, and this rosé is no exception. Drink alongside salads and light dishes, or simply enjoy on its own.
Buy now £10.50, Honestgrapes.co.uk
Gratien & Meyer crémant de Loire brut
Those looking for a celebratory drink without wanting to splash the cash have long looked to crémant rather than champagne. Made in the same method as champagne but in other regions of France, crémant is often much better value – and just as delicious. At Gratien & Meyer in the Loire, crémant has been produced since 1864, and this fine example, which blends chardonnay, chenin blanc and pinot noir, is a beautiful golden yellow in colour and bursting with citrus fruit notes such as orange and tangerine, as well as hints of pastry. It’s ideal for a celebratory toast or alongside canapés, and can match brilliantly with most fish or shellfish dishes.
Buy now £12.00, Tesco.com
M&S Collection Hattingley Valley English sparkling brut 2018, case of six
Hailed as one of the best years for wine in England’s history, 2018’s vintage of Hattingley’s English sparkling wine is superb. The chalky vineyards on this Hampshire estate produce some of England’s best wines, and this option, produced in the champagne method with chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier – the classic champagne grapes – is well worth seeking out. Very bubbly, it has red apple and citrus notes, with a dry bitterness and elements of brioche and yoghurt. It’s highly refreshing and a great party starter.
Buy now £180.00, Marksandspencer.com
The verdict: Wines for summer
There’s no hard and fast rule for what constitutes a summer wine. If you want a full-bodied red, go for it. Having said that, on a boiling hot day, you’ll probably opt for something light and refreshing. Even within those categories, however, there’s a world of choice available, from fresh whites to lighter reds. If you’re willing to splash out a little, the Moillard-Thomas chablis is our favourite, and pairs well with a wide range of summery foods.
Ready to explore new wines? This Honest Grapes case takes you south of the Equator
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2023-06-02T14:27:53Z dg43tfdfdgfd