Our Wine Buyers Pick their Favourite Wines

This year our Buying Team have worked closely with our suppliers, existing and long-standing, to add over 60 new wines for our growing wine range. From this, they have many, many favourites. So we wanted to set them a task, of whittling down these recent additions and their trusted favourites to just a single wine that they would recommend for summer wine drinking. Here is what they came back with!

Selected by Head of Wine Procurement, Simon Jerrome

If you are looking for a change from Prosecco, look no further than this blend of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay from Saumur in the Loire valley. Made in the traditional method and matured for two years in deep limestone caves to produce this wine with a delicate sparkle and rich Chardonnay notes with a fresh lime acidity on the finish. Ideal for a lazy afternoon in the sun.

Selected by Buying and Technical Co-ordinator – Wine, Judith Nicholson

From the Peloponnese in Southern Greece, this is a lovely summer alternative to all of the Muscadet or Picpoul out on the market. Free run, refrigerated juice from native Greek grape varieties of Mosochofilero and Roditis is fermented in stainless steel tanks by varietal to retain freshness. Lees ageing is used briefly to enhance the zestiness of the wine and the final result is an aromatic wine with rose petals, lemon blossom and lime notes. Serve chilled, it makes an ideal accompaniment to light seafood.

Selected by Wine Buyer, Richard Masterson

Inspired by the warmth and charm of the South of France, the best Grenache grapes are ripened to perfection to produce a wine bursting with flavour and sunshine.  This fresh and fruity Grenache rosé has notes of ripe strawberries and hibiscus, with fresh acidity and a hint of white pepper spice. Perfect served chilled to cool off on a hot day!

Selected by Wine Buyer, Holly Ninnes

This wine is a “Rive” Prosecco which, put very simply is a ‘Single Vineyard’ Prosecco where top quality grapes are sourced from within the most premium area of Conegliano- Valdobbiadene. The yields per vine are lower than elsewhere in Prosecco, meaning the wine produced is more intense and concentrated.

Since 2009, Prosecco producers have been able to use the term ‘rive’ which indicates the village of origin within the DOCG Prosecco di Conegliano- Valdobbiadene Superiore area. There are 15 Rive villages which make up 43 separate Rives (plots). This new denomination shows a renewed focus on the importance of terroir in the production of the very best prosecco. This wine comes from Rive di Guia, one of the steepest vineyards in the commune of Valdobbiadene. Here vines are completely managed by hand, as the steep slopes make any mechanisation impossible. The availability from this plot is low with only 6,000 bottles of total production.

Selected by Wine Buyer, Holly Ninnes

Canned wine is not an entirely new concept, but the category has seen significant potential and growth over the last couple of years and there is a growing need to find alternative ways to appeal to younger consumers. This is simplifying the way wine is consumed, and it allows for consumption to be diversified, an obvious selling-point when looking at places where glass isn’t allowed. The aluminium packaging is easier to store and guarantees freshness with the added bonus of being one of the easiest material to recycle.