Wine with Leslie: Chilled supermarket wines to protect your wallet this summer

I have to admit that supermarkets have the edge on pricing and certainly on branding

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026 - 01:00

Leslie Williams has been the Irish Examiner's wine columnist since 2012 and has been reviewing restaurants since 2015.

It’s a focus on supermarket bargains this week in case any of you are broke from your holidays, or saving for your upcoming trip.

I admit I feature more wines from small producers available in the independent off-licence sector and the simple reason for that is they are almost always more interesting. Supermarkets have a lot of shelves to fill so they concentrate on large producers making large quantities. This is not to say that big is bad, it is just that big is usually less creative and distinctive.

If you just want drinkable wines at a great price they can be found in both supermarkets and independents but I have to admit that supermarkets have the edge on pricing and certainly on branding. Take Whispering Angel and all the dupes or more interestingly let’s look at the Sophie Valrose range in SuperValu. The wines are attractively packaged, well made, have a genuine focus on sustainability (lightweight bottles, biodiversity, etc), and are at a very fair price. I recommend the rosé below but the sauvignon blanc is also solid and the pinot noir is fruity and lithe, it even works well chilled.

The range is named for a 19th century vine worker and union organiser says the publicity but if you dig a little deeper you find that her name was actually Anastasie Vergnes, but that didn’t scan as well as an imaginary “Sophie Valrose”. The brand admits it was ‘outrageous marketing’ on their behalf but they wanted the message ‘easily communicable’. I was personally outraged on behalf of Anastasie at first but any focus on women in wine, however garbled and opportunistic, is a positive.

So if you need to save cash and want some chilled fun wines here are three good value supermarket wines (and a beer) that I would be happy to be served.

Vila Nova Vinho Verde, Portugal €10

New to Dunnes Stores and on offer at a great price, a wine for hot days this is light in alcohol, best served fully chilled and has a touch of fizz as is typical of Vinho Verde wines.

Pale straw colour, floral pear and tropical fruit aromas, zingy and fresh with a notable spritz which lifts all the flavours.

Bitter lemon and citrus notes on the finish, a delightfully refreshing summer wine.

Dunnes

Les Cinq Rameaux ‘cuvée prestige’, Coteaux Varois de Provence €9.99

My pick of the Lidl rosés and at a great price for the quality. From a region of Provence with narrow valleys and altitude.

Strawberry scented plus notes of citrus and rose petals.

Soft on the attack with red fruit flavours but textured and crisp on the mid palate with lingering creamy berry fruit flavours and a touch of apple skin.

Also try Breath of Paradise (€12).