Lidl’s revolving Wine Tour selection, which changes every couple of months, is a popular draw for shoppers – and the new Spring Wine Tour has just hit the shelves. The selection of 14 wines encompasses sparkling wines, whites and reds, with prices starting from £5.99. It will be in stores while stocks last and until the Summer Wine Tour goes on sale in mid-May.
The buyers for the German-owned supermarket, which established itself in the UK in 1994, do a great job of sourcing small quantities of interesting and well-priced wines for the Wine Tour line-up. Between this and the core range, it offers a comprehensive selection of Old and New World wines across a range of styles.
Spring Wine Tour
Sometimes the Lidl Wine Tours have a theme – for instance, the Italian Wine Tour that has just made way for this selection (there was no press tasting for the Italian Tour, hence no coverage on Decanter.com). This one is an eclectic line-up, spanning different styles and regions – though focusing more on Europe than the New World.
The sparkling wines on offer include the impressive, bone-dry Arestel Brut Nature Cava (£7.49), while the white line-up majors on fresh, aromatic, unoaked styles that are perfect as the weather starts to turn warmer. Try the fruit-forward Torrontés (£6.99), the mineral and pear-fruited Vinho Verde (£7.99) and the well-made fresh and grassy Hungarian Sauvignon Blanc (£8.49).
Among the highlights in the red line-up is the Romanian Kadarka (£8.99), which is packaged wrapped in brown paper, and so stands out on the shelf. Fresh and filled with juicy cherry flavour, it’s perfect for spring sipping. If you want to push the boat out and buy something special to match your Sunday roast beef or lamb, make a beeline for the Vacqueyras (£12.99), full-bodied and full of dark fruit flavours.
New Deluxe wine range
Look out also for Lidl’s Deluxe wine range, which is new for 2023. Lidl first introduced the Deluxe brand into their UK stores in 2008, and it has won a loyal following. It’s a logical step to extend this branding to the wine range – indeed, one might wonder why it’s taken so long.
The current Deluxe collection comprises 11 wines, and focuses on the New World only, with offerings from New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Argentina and Australia. Prices range from £5.49 to £7.99, which might seem surprisingly low given the ‘Deluxe’ branding – it could have been an opportunity to flag up in a clear way wines that were above the ‘everyday drinking’ level.
Nevertheless, there are some good picks in the Deluxe range, which showcases classic New World styles in wines that offer typicity and easy-drinking pleasure. The Deluxe New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Awatere in Marlborough (£7.99) is a good buy, while the Limestone Coast Chardonnay (£6.79) and Barossa Shiraz (£6.99), both from Australia, are also worth trying.
Don’t forget the core range beyond the Deluxe brand, as there really are some fantastic bargains to be found. Among the sparkling wines, The Crémant de Loire (£8.99) offers great value, made in the same way as Champagne but from the Chenin Blanc grape. The other two wines I’d pick out are the Mosel Riesling (just £4.99), and the Corte Alle Mura Chianti Riserva 2019, which offers great typicity for just £6.49.
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The best Lidl wines this spring:
Lidl introduces six ‘Wine Tour’ updates to its core range every year. The wines are only available for a short period of time, while stocks last. The Spring 2023 Wine Tour selection went on sale on Thursday 16 March – every wine in the Tour goes into every store. The wines listed below are a mix of highlights from the Spring Wine Tour and Deluxe range press tasting in February 2023, and other wines that are part of Lidl’s core range, tasted previously and still available.
