Sainsbury’s was one of the pioneers of UK supermarket wine, but its vinous range has become a little pedestrian in recent years. Press tastings featured the same reliable fixtures, and plenty of rather ho-hum selections, enlivened by only very occasional flashes of the sort of inspiration and adventure that were once such a key part of the retailer’s way of doing business.
This latest tasting may have been relatively small, with 63 wines compared to the 100 or more on show at Tesco, M&S, Asda, Waitrose and Morrisons. But the wines suggested things are moving in a markedly more interesting direction in the wine aisle of what remains the UK’s second-largest supermarket.
Highlights and new wines
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d3AtY29udGVudC90aGVtZXMvc2ltYmEtdGhlbWUvYXNzZXRzL2ltYWdlcy9wbGFjZWhvbGRlci5wbmciIGRhdGEtc3JjPSJodHRwczovL2tleWFzc2V0cy50aW1laW5jdWsubmV0L2luc3BpcmV3cC9saXZlL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy9zaXRlcy8zNC8yMDI0LzEwL1NhaW5zYnVyeXMtQ3JlbWFudHMtMzAweDE5OC5qcGciIGFsdD0iU2FpbnNidXJ5J3MgQ3JlbWFudHMiIHdpZHRoPSIzMDAiIGhlaWdodD0iMTk4IiBkYXRhLXNpemVzPSJhdXRvIiBkYXRhLXNyY3NldD0iaHR0cHM6Ly9rZXlhc3NldHMudGltZWluY3VrLm5ldC9pbnNwaXJld3AvbGl2ZS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvc2l0ZXMvMzQvMjAyNC8xMC9TYWluc2J1cnlzLUNyZW1hbnRzLTMwMHgxOTguanBnIDMwMHcsIGh0dHBzOi8va2V5YXNzZXRzLnRpbWVpbmN1ay5uZXQvaW5zcGlyZXdwL2xpdmUvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzL3NpdGVzLzM0LzIwMjQvMTAvU2FpbnNidXJ5cy1DcmVtYW50cy02MzB4NDE3LmpwZyA2MzB3LCBodHRwczovL2tleWFzc2V0cy50aW1laW5jdWsubmV0L2luc3BpcmV3cC9saXZlL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy9zaXRlcy8zNC8yMDI0LzEwL1NhaW5zYnVyeXMtQ3JlbWFudHMtMTM1eDg5LmpwZyAxMzV3LCBodHRwczovL2tleWFzc2V0cy50aW1laW5jdWsubmV0L2luc3BpcmV3cC9saXZlL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy9zaXRlcy8zNC8yMDI0LzEwL1NhaW5zYnVyeXMtQ3JlbWFudHMtMzIweDIxMi5qcGcgMzIwdywgaHR0cHM6Ly9rZXlhc3NldHMudGltZWluY3VrLm5ldC9pbnNwaXJld3AvbGl2ZS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvc2l0ZXMvMzQvMjAyNC8xMC9TYWluc2J1cnlzLUNyZW1hbnRzLTYyMHg0MTAuanBnIDYyMHcsIGh0dHBzOi8va2V5YXNzZXRzLnRpbWVpbmN1ay5uZXQvaW5zcGlyZXdwL2xpdmUvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzL3NpdGVzLzM0LzIwMjQvMTAvU2FpbnNidXJ5cy1DcmVtYW50cy05MjB4NjA5LmpwZyA5MjB3LCBodHRwczovL2tleWFzc2V0cy50aW1laW5jdWsubmV0L2luc3BpcmV3cC9saXZlL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy9zaXRlcy8zNC8yMDI0LzEwL1NhaW5zYnVyeXMtQ3JlbWFudHMtMTIyMHg4MDcuanBnIDEyMjB3LCBodHRwczovL2tleWFzc2V0cy50aW1laW5jdWsubmV0L2luc3BpcmV3cC9saXZlL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy9zaXRlcy8zNC8yMDI0LzEwL1NhaW5zYnVyeXMtQ3JlbWFudHMuanBnIDEzMDB3IiBzaXplcz0iKG1heC13aWR0aDogMzAwcHgpIDEwMHZ3LCAzMDBweCIgLz48L3A+CjxoMj5TcGFuaXNoIHN0eWxlPC9oMj4KPHA+TWVhbndoaWxlIGluIFNwYWluLCBTYWluc2J1cnnigJlzIGlzIHdlbGwgc2VydmVkIGJ5IHNvbWUgcmVsaWFibGUgYmlnLW5hbWUgc3VwcGxpZXJzIHdvcmtpbmcgaW4gY2xhc3NpYyByZWdpb25zLiBDVk5F4oCZcyB0eXBpY2FsbHkgcG9saXNoZWQgR3JhbiBSZXNlcnZhIFJpb2phIGlzIGV4Y2VwdGlvbmFsIHZhbHVlIGZvciBhIG1hdHVyZSByZWQgd2luZSBpbiB0aGUgdmVyeSBjZW50cmUgb2YgaXRzIGRyaW5raW5nIHdpbmRvdy4gSXTigJlzIHdvcnRoIGtlZXBpbmcgeW91ciBleWVzIHBlZWxlZCBmb3Igb2ZmZXJzIHRoYXQgd2lsbCBtYWtlIGl0IGV2ZW4gbW9yZSBvZiBhIGJhcmdhaW4sIHRvby48L3A+CjxkaXYgY2xhc3M9ImFkLWNvbnRhaW5lciBhZC1jb250YWluZXItLW1vYmlsZSI+PGRpdiBpZD0icG9zdC1pbmxpbmUtMyIgY2xhc3M9ImlwYy1hZHZlcnQiPjwvZGl2PjwvZGl2Pgo8ZGl2IGNsYXNzPSJpbmplY3Rpb24iPjwvZGl2Pgo8cD5WYWx1ZSBpcyBhbHNvIHRoZSBvcGVyYXRpdmUgd29yZCBmb3IgdGhlIFRhc3RlIHRoZSBEaWZmZXJlbmNlIENhdmEgZnJvbSBDYXN0aWxsbyBQZXJlbGFkYS4gV2hpbGUgdGhlIHR3byBUYXN0ZSB0aGUgRGlmZmVyZW5jZSBTaGVycmllcyBmcm9tIEJvZGVnYXMgTHVzdGF1LCB3aGljaCBJ4oCZdmUgcmVjb21tZW5kZWQgYmVsb3csIGFyZSBzdGlsbCBhbW9uZyB0aGUgbW9zdCBjb21wZXRpdGl2ZWx5IHByaWNlZCB3aW5lcyBhbnl3aGVyZSBvbiB0aGUgaGlnaCBzdHJlZXQuPC9wPgo8aHI+CjxoMyBzdHlsZT0idGV4dC1hbGlnbjogY2VudGVyOyI+PHNwYW4gc3R5bGU9ImNvbG9yOiAjODAwMDAwOyI+PHN0cm9uZz48YSBzdHlsZT0iY29sb3I6ICM4MDAwMDA7IiBocmVmPSJodHRwczovL3d3dy5tYWdhemluZXNkaXJlY3QuY29tL2F6LW1hZ2F6aW5lcy80MTQ4NzYxNi9kZWNhbnRlci1zdWJzY3JpcHRpb24udGh0bWw\/dXRtX21lZGl1bT1UZXh0X2xpbmsmYW1wO3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9QlJBTkQrV0VCU0lURSZhbXA7dXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPVhEQ19CcmFuZHNpdGVfb2ZmZXJfSEFSRExJTksmYW1wO2o9WERDIj5TYXZlIHdoZW4geW91IHN1YnNjcmliZSB0byBEZWNhbnRlcjwvYT48L3N0cm9uZz48L3NwYW4+PC9oMz4KPHA+Cg=="}
Best Sainsbury’s wines
Tasting notes come from the Sainsbury’s autumn/winter 2025 tasting. All bottle prices are correct at time of publication.
{}
{"wineId":"102327","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102334","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102328","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102332","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"96460","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102333","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102329","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102331","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102330","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102335","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102315","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102316","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102319","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102321","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102326","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102318","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102325","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102322","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102323","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102317","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102324","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102320","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102337","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"102336","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"75019","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
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