After last week’s adventures in Eastern Europe, the experts at Wotwine have returned to more familiar ground: Italy. A country that boasts over 1,000 different grape varieties and terroirs as diverse as the cool Alpine foothills of Alto Adige or Friuli and the searing Mediterranean sun of Puglia.
Wine quality has been getting better and better since the removal of EU subsidies that incentivised over-production. There's also been some great buying by the UK supermarkets meaning there are bargains to be had if you know where to look.
To start, two light, attractive everyday white wines offering great value. The first is from Sicily which more than anywhere exemplifies the huge strides in quality whilst the other hails from Veneto, heartland of Italian white wine.
Isoletta Catarratto Pinot Grigio 2017
Stockist: Morrisons
Price: £4.35
The Wotwine panel thinks this is worth: £6.00
Clean, ripe, fresh wine with apple blossom and peach character.
Lidl Soave Classico 2017
Stockist: Lidl
Price: £4.99
The Wotwine panel thinks this is worth: £6.00
Clean, fresh wine with juicy lemon and chalky minerality. Good everyday wine.
Italy is rightly more famous for its red wines and Wotwine have found some great examples. We’ve mentioned the Nero d’Avola before but it’s such good value we can’t ignore it here and the two Chiantis, a basic version and a Riserva with extra bottle age, are also well-priced, classic examples.
Tesco Nero d’Avola 2017
Stockist: Tesco
Price: £5.00
The Wotwine panel thinks this is worth: £8.00
Clean and lifted wine with spiced red fruit and enticing candied blackberry aromas. Balanced and well-made wine.
Corte Alle Mura Chianti Classico 2016
Stockist: Lidl
Price: £4.49
The Wotwine panel thinks this is worth: £5.50
Simple, reasonable, bright wine with sour cherries, red currants and cranberries on the palate.
Corte Alle Mura Chianti Classico Riserva 2014
Stockist: Lidl
Price: £6.99
The Wotwine panel thinks this is worth: £8.00
Bright, youthful wine with red cherry and bramble fruit, savoury herbs and a touch of spice.
The team have also picked out a slightly more expensive option that is really worth the extra for dinner with friends or a big Sunday lunch. It is a versatile rich red and is ideal with roasts. You might want to decant it for an hour or two.
Orbitali Bolgheri Rosso 2015
Stockist: Asda
Price: £10.48
The Wotwine panel thinks this is worth: £12.00
Well made, balanced wine with ripe cherry and plum fruit and warm oak spice. Fresh palate with silky mouthfeel and a long finish.
If you're looking for the best value wines when you’re out shopping, download the free Wotwine app for quick access to thousands of regularly updated wine reviews by an independent panel of Masters of Wine and professionals. Just pick up a bottle and scan the barcode or enter the name on the app to find out whether it’s good value for money.
Food and wine enthusiast Alex joined the Good Housekeeping Institute in 2015 following seven years in the wine trade. In addition to her passion for oenology and Diploma in Wine & Spirits, she is a dedicated home cook and baker with skills learnt whilst working alongside the likes of Michel Roux Jr and Antonio Carluccio.
