Wine with Leslie: Supermarket rosé wines that are perfect for an Indian summer

And a warming red (just in case)

If it gets a little colder then don’t forget that rosé is excellent with spicy food

The 2024 grape harvest is well under way but this has been a mixed bag of a year thanks to weather extremes that began with frosts in the spring and an erratic summer.

California is expecting a bumper harvest but the Loire is expected to be down by 30%, Burgundy by 25% and Champagne by 19%.

France’s harvest overall will be down by 18% but Spain’s is up so we will likely see Spain pass France as the world’s largest wine producer — this should lead to Spanish wine bargains next year. Italy meanwhile had their earliest start ever but quality is thought to be high. Spare a thought for winemakers around the world who are getting very little sleep while they watch over their fermentations.

Aldi launched their autumn winter 2024 wine collection recently with new wines and the return of some winter favourites. There is a new Greek Agiorgitiko which I will feature soon with some other Greek wines, and I pick out two other highlights below.

Besides wines Aldi also have new Irish and Scotch whiskies, ready to drink cocktails, and cream liqueurs (e.g. espresso and Belgian chocolate).

Tesco meanwhile have around 100 new wines on their shelves, mostly in the Tesco Finest range but also from good independent producers and co-ops such as Feudi di San Gregorio in Campania and the St. Mont co-op in Gascony. I just picked out a rosé this week but more Tesco suggestions will appear here soon.

I’m still hoping for an Indian summer and with that in mind I’ve picked out a couple of rosés; I fully intend convincing myself it is still summertime even if it is raining. If it gets a little colder then don’t forget that rosé is excellent with spicy food — or you can opt for the warming southern Rhône suggestion instead.

Three supermarket wines that Leslie recommends

Mimo Moutinho Alentejo Rosé, Portuga, €8.99

Aldi stores nationwide

New to Aldi for autumn-winter this is a blend of aragonêz (tempranillo), castelão and syrah from Alentejo, the large region between Lisbon and the Algarve, a region always worth exploring for bargains.

Bright red fruit aromas with cherries and raspberries, bone dry with a pleasing tartness balanced by berries and citrus. A bargain.

Specially Selected Chassaux et Fils Cairanne, Rhône, France, €10.99

Aldi stores nationwide

Cairanne is a Côtes du Rhône cru village around an hour’s drive north of Avignon, just to the north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

This is brand new to Aldi for autumn 2024, dark berry fruit aromas, fleshy and rounded with good purity and balance. For €9 you could try the pure Syrah Pierre Jurant from the Languedoc.

La Vielle Ferme Rose 2023, Rhône, France, €9.50

Tesco stores nationwide

La Vielle Ferme is owned by the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel and its red version has been on Irish shelves for decades.

Their rosé is new to Tesco along with a clutch of new Tesco Finest wines — onion skin pale pink, aromas of raspberries with a lemony tang, fruity and round but packed with citrussy freshness.