9 Great Supermarket Wines Under £20
Hannah Crosbie and Sophie Wyburd. The former is an authority on wine, and the latter is a devoted
foodie – so who better to ask about great wines you can find at the supermarket and what to serve
them with? Here are their recommendations…
Tesco Finest Mosel Steep Slopes Riesling, £7.25
Hannah says: “These Riesling grapes are picked from the extremely steep slopes on the edge of the Mosel river and have been grown by quality winemakers. It has a wonderful balance of zesty lime notes, delicate stone fruit and an elegant mineral finish. The crunch will definitely temper the bitter endive and provide ripe fruit to balance the salty anchovies.”
Sophie says: “Endive with creme fraiche and anchovies equals the easiest nibble ever. Swipe creme fraiche on the end of an endive leaf and top it with an anchovy and some chives. Stunning.”
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Waitrose Blueprint Grüner Veltliner, £8.99
Hannah says: “This is fresh, precise but it still has a little weight to it – think of it as the wine equivalent of zesting a lemon over your plate. It also has a touch of peppery-spice and peachy fruit.”
Sophie says: “Roasted broccoli, kale and sesame salad is one of my favourites at the moment, and a very fun way to eat your greens. Massaged kale and charred broccoli tossed with a miso and tahini- rich dressing is just delicious.”
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Tesco Finest 1531 Blanquette De Limoux, £10
Hannah says: “Fizz is so underrated as a food pairing, but the high acidity is perfect to cut through something creamy like burrata. This was first created in 1531 and keeping to tradition, this wine has been aged in the bottle for 12 months to produce complex flavours of peach, apples and toasted brioche.”
Sophie says: “Beetroot, burrata and curry leaf salad is the dish that comes to mind here. The way to make beetroot reach its full potential is to pair it with something creamy, and something punchy. My curry leaf, cumin seed and chilli dressing tastes amazing drizzled over the burrata and finely shaved beetroot. It’s spicy and fragrant, and frankly quite hard to not eat the whole bowl yourself.”
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Tesco Finest Marlborough Pinot Noir, £10
Hannah says: “Who says you only had to have white wine with fish? A delicate, light pinot noir will do nicely here. This wine is light red in colour with notes of cherry and lots of berries balanced with a bit of subtle spice from the oak ageing. The finish is really smooth.”
Sophie says: “I’d go for blackened salmon tacos with orange salsa – a dead easy thing to cook when you have lots of people coming round. The salmon is just rubbed in lots of spices and grilled until it it’s charred. Load that into corn tortillas with a spicy orange salsa, and you have a great dinner on your hands.”
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Journey's End Spekboom Syrah, £9 (was £11)
Hannah says: “Grown in the coastal region of the Western Cape in South Africa, these vines are subject to cooling winds that roll in from the Atlantic Ocean. Together with excellent soil, and decent rainfall, it makes for a really unique wine. We don’t need to go too heavy handed here, the wine needs to stand back and let the dish shine.”
Sophie says: “Slow roast lamb with tomatoes and pomegranate molasses is my choice. Who doesn’t love a dinner you can whack in the oven and forget about for five hours? The tomatoes and molasses create an incredible sweet and sour sauce, too that you can drizzle the lamb with.”
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Waitrose Blueprint Fino Sherry, £9.99
Hannah says: “This bright, nutty, almost effervescent sherry is a wonderful pairing with anything deep fried. The attractive pale lemon drink has beautiful clean, crisp flavours and a welcome dry crisp finish.
Sophie says: “Transforming shop bought antipasti into a crispy nibble is a gamechanger. Dunk artichokes in a simple batter and fry them, then serve them up with an umami packed olive and feta dip.”
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Pecorino Terre Di Chieti, £6.29 (was £8.49)
Hannah says: “This Italian white wine has really impressed me. Fresh and crisp, it has an easy-going zing to it to support the smoky spice of the prawn cocktail.”
Sophie says: “These bloody mary prawn cocktail cups prove the prawn cocktail is not dead. Not on my watch, at least. Loading a punchy, spicy prawn cocktail mix into baby gem lettuce cups and topping them with lots of chives is actually very chic.”
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Athlon Assyrtiko Syrah Rose, £9.99
Hannah says: “Proof rosé matches brilliantly with food, who knew Greek rosé could taste this good? Smoky minerals, sea spray and sharp citrus notes blend well with spicy red fruits. Crisp, savoury and full of character.”
Sophie says: “Herby chicken meatballs with green spaghetti is such an underrated dish, especially when the meatballs are enriched with ricotta to give them softness. Tossed with a watercress pesto and spaghetti, you get a super comforting and nourishing result.”
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Cave de Beblenheim Pinot Gris Reserve, £11.99
Hannah says: “An aromatic, spicy pinot gris from Alsace – in Italy it's known as pinot grigio – will slice through the creamy ricotta and match the spiciness of the radish."
Sophie says: “Pair it with charred spring onion and ricotta dip with radishes – the most gorgeous thing to pop on the table when friends are coming round. Char the spring onions whole, then roughly chop them, and sprinkle them over lemony whipped ricotta, ready to dunk your radishes into.”
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‘Corker’ by Hannah Crosbie (Ebury Press, £16.99) is out now, while ‘Tucking In’ by Sophie Wyburd is published this June (Ebury Press £19.99).
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