The German-owned supermarket Lidl attracts UK shoppers in droves – even more so as the cost of living continues to bite. The wine range is one of the major draws, and in particular the themed Wine Tours, which are now refreshed every month (until recently it was every two months). This more frequent updating of the range means that there’s always something new and interesting in store, but it also means that you need to be quick if you like the look of a particular wine featured below, as they don’t hang around for long!
The central buying team do a great job of sourcing small quantities of interesting and well-priced wines for the Lidl Wine Tour line-ups. Between this and the core range, it offers a comprehensive selection of Old and New World wines across a range of styles, though is invariably stronger in its European offering.
Lidl’s Spring Wine Tour
The new Spring Wine Tour has just hit the shelves, and will be on sale until the next (Italian-themed) Wine Tour goes on sale on 30 May (while stocks last). It has no geographical theme, but includes wines overwhelmingly from around Europe, plus a lone representative from the New World (a Central Otago Pinot Noir). There are lots of white wines to choose from, as you’d expect at this time of year, and highlights here include two very different Tokaji wines (one made from Furmint and the other from Harslevelu); a limey and mineral Austrian Riesling, and a German Pinot Gris.
Among the reds, meanwhile, we’d recommend in particular the 2021 vintage Médoc cru bourgeois, good, straightforward everyday drinking on offer at a competitive price. If you need something fuller bodied to go with your barbecues, try the Portuguese red, made from a blend of native grape varieties, or the Minervois red, which shows good typicity and easy-drinking black berry fruit flavours.
Under these 10 recommendations, we’ve included three wines from the core range that were shown at the same press tasting and which stood out for the quality and value on offer. If you only buy one white from the core range this spring, make a beeline for the new, 2023 vintage of the Picpoul de Pinet, vibrant and lemony, perfect for drinking over the coming summer season. The German Riesling is light and peachy, and fantastic value at around the £5 mark. And the Vino Nobile de Montepulciano impresses with its food-friendly Tuscan character.
The best Lidl wines to drink this May
Below, you’ll find 10 recommendations to buy from the Lidl Spring Wine Tour, and three wines from the core range.
