ALDI'S SPRING/SUMMER WINE COLLECTION 2024

My Thoughts

SPECIALLY SELECTED PINOT GRIGIO DELLE VENEZIE 2023

€9.99

A Pinot Grigio that actually tastes of the grape rather than just a neutral white wine!  Gently fragrant with a touch of grapefruit zest, dry and crisp with real freshness. From Pinot Grigio’s Italian heartland.

CASTELLORE SOAVE 2023

€6.99

Refreshingly light in alcohol at just 11%, this Soave is mainly Garganega with some Trebianno and Pinot Bianco. Delicate and bone dry,  with a faint touch of saltiness, this is a very grown-up aperitif or a foil for oily fish like mackerel and salmon.

CASTELLORE VERDICCHIO 2023

€7.69

Glorious citrus freshness – think zesty lemon curd – with a touch of green almonds on the very dry, crisp finish. Perfect as a palate cleansing aperitif, with salted almonds, Nocellara olives, prosciutto.

AIMONE PINOT GRIGIO

€4.99, half bottle

A moreish Pinot Grigio in the handy half-bottle format (and a great price). It has crunchy green apple and luscious pear with a floral touch. Not particularly dry but neither is it sweet!

UNEARTHED CUSTOZA 2023

€8.99

Terrific value for money if you’re after a crisp, dry, Summery white wine but also a real talking point in terms of grapes. It’s made from Bianca Fernanda (which is a clone of Tocai Friuliano, also known as Sauvignasse) and Garganega.

SPECIALLY SELECTED CHASSAUX ET FILS LUBERON BLANC 2023

€10.99

A fabulous combination of grapes including Rolle (as Vermentino is known in France), delivering zingy freshness, and Rousanne imparting a luscious peachy character. Complex and different with a distinct mineral streak.

SPECIALLY SELECTED PICPOUL DE PINET 2023

€9.99

All along the Mediterranean coast of Languedoc-Rousillon, the local seafood is consumed with Picpoul de Pinet, this refreshingly tart and fresh white wine made from an equally local grape. “Picpoul” in Occitaine means “lip stinger” which is a bit harsh! It’s crisp and sharp but just the thing with fish or shellfish.

SPECIALLY SELECTED CÔTEAUX DE BEZIERS VIOGNIER GRENACHE BLANC 2023

€9.99

The ripe, luscious, peachy Viognier accounts for by far the larger part of this Southern French blend  from Hérault, with the Grenache Blanc adding freshness and lightening the overall effect. Very dry but with a touch of tropical fruits.

ATHLON ASSYRTIKO 2023

€9.99

A brilliant example of how Greek wines are now right at the cutting edge. Here the native Assyrtiko grape shows its ability to get really ripe while hanging on to its thrillingly fresh acidity and it’s joined by a small amount of Chardonnay to round it out.

SPECIALLY SELECTED KOOLIBURRA CHARDONNAY 2022

€9.99

A bright, ultra-modern Australian Chardonnay from grapes grown close to Adelaide in South Australia, in the Barossa and in Langhorne Creek.

SPECIALLY SELECTED KOLIBURRA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023

€9.99

A delicious multi-region blend from South Australia with zesty citrus from the Adelaide Hills and something more tropical from the Limestone Coast. Proof that Australia has its own rather lovely and distinctive Sauvignon Blanc style.

UNEARTHED CHIARETTO DI BADOLINO 2023

€9.99

A bone dry exuberantly fresh rosé – or strictly speaking rosato – from the Veneto. Bardolino is a very light and delicate red wine but this expression is even more delicate and exceptionally pretty – with a very cool label to match.

SPECIALLY SELECTED ORGANICO COSTA TOSCANA ROSÉ 2023

€8.99

A very approachable, fruity and easy-drinking pink wine made from the classic Sangiovese grape of Tuscany along with just a touch of Merlot and Syrah. Dry but not austere and definitely fun.

SPECIALLY SELECTED CHASSAUX ET FILS LA BONNE VIE ROSÉ 2023

€9.49

A deliciously dry rosé from the Languedoc and numerous local grape varieties with Grenache in the lead: strawberries and raspberries with just a touch of passionfruit.

SPECIALLY SELECTED CHASSAUX ET FILS CÔTEAUX DE BEZIERS ROSÉ 2023

€8.99

Astonishing value for money in this glorious pink wine from very close to the Med and made with the Cinsault grape that thrives throughout this Hérault region. Think ripe strawberry but with citrus zest, good fruit and a crisp, dry finish.

BUENAS VIDAS ARGENTINIAN MALBEC ROSÉ 2023

€7.99

Very different from a red Malbec from Argentina! This lovely salmon pink wine is fruity and fun with fruits of the forest and a properly dry finish.

UNEARTHED CASTELLORE MALVASIA NERA 2022

€8.99

An unusual grape grown close to the jagged coastline of the heel of Italy in Apulia makes this dark, rich, intensely fruity red wine. Malvasia is usually white and famous for Marsala. This couldn’t be more different. Ripe and round and not too dry.

CASTELLORE NERO D’AVOLA 2022

€7.99

Nero d’Avola, the big red grape of Sicily, has been taking Ireland by storm and it’s easy to see why: it has lots of everything, starting with colour and finishing with satisfying big flavours. Full-bodied, soft, intense and very easy to drink. Amazing value.

AIMONE VINO ROSSO NV

€4.99/37.5cl

Easy-drinking Italian red blended from multiple grapes and regions in a handy half-bottle.

SPECIALLY SELECTED CÔTEAUX DE BEZIERS MERLOT/SYRAH 2023

€9.99

A big, brawny Mediterranean red wine with oodles of character, very ripe and round but dry and savoury. Literally bottled sunshine for the Irish Spring and Summer, and a reminder that the South of France really delivers on value for money.

SPECIALLY SELECTED VENTOUX RED 2022

€9.99

A leading contender for my top red pick, this is a red wine with attitude. Think ripe plums, blackberries, spice, dark chocolate and black pepper. If you enjoy a Côtes du Rhône, this is like a turbo-charged version and simply unbeatable with one of ALDI’s well-aged steaks.

PIERRE JAURANT MERLOT 2023

€7.99

A simple, straightforward red wine, 100% Merlot with plenty of fruit and a properly dry finish, made for easy-drinking.

SPECIALLY SELECTED BOURGOGNE GAMAY 2023

€12.99

Something really rather special and an exciting find. Gamay is, of course, the grape that makes Beaujolais and all its crus but this is from a different part of the broader Burgundy region. Light in tannin with a vibrant raspberry/red fruits character it’s deliciously different.

MIMO MOUTHINHO DÃ0 2021

€8.99

An old favourite and massively popular, this chunky red has everything you need at a terrific price: ripe cherry and raspberry, plenty of spice, lots of ripe fruit balanced by fresh acidity and grippy tannins. A sensationally good buy.

MIMO MOUTINHO LISBOA 2022

€7.99

If the Dão is dry and tannic for you, this is the way to go. Made from all native Portuguese grape varieties with masses of ripe fruit, a sweet edge and very mild tannins, it’s the definition of easy-drinking.

ARGENTINIAN ORGANIC MALBEC

Argentina is a leader in sustainable viticulture and this is a fine example of that country’s number one grape variety. It has a lovely balance between ripe fruit and gentle tannins and real freshness and poise. Malbec as it should be, but often isn’t.

MEJOR Y MEJOR MALBEC RESERVA 2022

€9.99

A Malbec with a difference! For a start, it’s from Chile where the grape variety is genetically different from the one for which neighbouring Argentina is famous, and different again from the French one. So, it’s unique! Here in the Biobió region, in the South of Chile, it has made a lush, rich and intense red wine with balancing fresh acidity. Remarkable complexity at a bargain price.

SPECIALLY SELECTED CAB-ERR-NAY FRONK 2022

€9.99

Ignore the cringey name, this is a lovely red wine from South Australia, mainly Cabernet Franc with just a dash of its more famous cousin, Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc is hot property in the New World these days and this is a rich, dense, fragrant example.