Is this the best deal on wines for Christmas?
Asda make it difficult to beat!
By Master of Wine, Christopher Burr
22/11/2022
I have written before about the varied and interesting range of wines in ASDA, and I am particularly enamoured with their EXTRA SPECIAL range. But now, for Christmas, they are excelling themselves with what must be some of the best deals anywhere, with some massive discounts and many excellent wines now below £5 or even below £4. Lots of high quality £12 wines now also discounted to £7.50.
But thinking about Christmas, lets first start with fizz.
I still find it difficult to understand why one of the best Spanish Cava producers, Freixenet, has gone on to produce a good Italian Prosecco, I suppose it is called "having a foot in each camp!"
Their very good Prosecco is now reduced from £12 to £7.50, which makes it an excellent buy.
ASDA also have their Extra Special Cremant de Loire, which is dry and crisp and well made, and the perfect aperitif for the holiday season, again now only £7.50 per bottle.
If you want to trade up to Champagne, it would be difficult to find Grande Marques like Taittinger Brut NV, for a better price than £24, or Lanson Black Label, which is tasting very well these days, for £21 a bottle! Bollinger Special Cuvee is also reduced by £9.50 a bottle to £37.50.
For white wines, there are a few stars. If you like fruity Riesling, the Trimbach Alsace wine is superb, one of the best Alsace wine makers, and reduced from £17 to £10.50. A German Mosel Riesling, Dr. L from Ernie Loosen is a steal, now at £5.25.
La Vielle Ferme wines are made by the excellent Perrin family in the Southern Rhone, they are all excellent, but I love the complexity of their White Rhone, a blend of Marsanne Roussanne and white Grenache, a perfect complex wine, made for Hors Oeuvres and cheeses. Plus, on this offer - just £4.50!
There are some excellent red wines also, the Ventoux from La Vielle Ferme (now £5.25) makes a perfect wine for roasts. For Turkey or Chicken, there is an excellent selection from top Burgundy Producer Louis Jadot.
An amazing value wine is the ASDA Extra Special Old Vine Garnacha from Spain, gentle juicy and complex wine reduced from £6 to an incredible £3.75!
For more gutsy reds, the Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel from California is now only £9, a lovely round fruity but intense "sunny" wine. From Australia, one of the best wineries, D'Arenberg, has it's d'Arrys Original Shiraz Grenache red which is the epitome of south Australia at it's best.
Finally, a Christmas household needs a bottle of Port. Here ASDA excel themselves with gentle, complex Tawnies such as Grahams 10 year old down to £15.
An excellent wine for Stilton cheese or as an after dinner drink as it wont need decanting.
But a star is Dow's Quinta do Bomfin Vintage Port. They don't say which vintage, as I guess it may change, but these single Quinta wines are only released when they are ready to drink. I am very fond of Bomfin, one of Dow's best, a superb wine. This will need decanting, but if you don't have one, a jug will do to keep the wine off the sediment, keep standing for a day before decanting.
I recently bought two lovely old Georgian decanters at auction for £5 each. A superb tiny, if old fashioned investment for a special wine and a special occasion.
An early season's greetings to everyone.