This Thursday 3rd August, Aldi is launching its Aldi Lovers Wine Sale, a collection of diverse and interesting wines from around the world. In a collection consisting of 5 sparkling, 6 whites, and 12 reds coming from well known countries such as France and New Zealand to some lesser known wine regions Hungary and Romania, there is something here for everyone to experiment with and enjoy.
Finbar McCarthy, Group Buying Director at Aldi Ireland said: “When we were putting together our ‘Wine Lover’s Sale’ we saw an opportunity to introduce some exciting and less well-known bottles of wine for shoppers to try something new. We’ve included some delicious sparkling alternatives from around the globe, which shoppers can trust to represent fantastic quality and great value.”
Having attended the press preview last week where I tried all the wines on offer there are a few that attracted my attention and are worth seeking out in-store. Whittling them down was the difficult part but here you are beginning with sparkling wines.
Sparkling
Pata Negra Vintage Cava (Spain) 75cl €11.99
Fresh and crisp with notes of passion fruit and apple this is a well balanced Chardonnay blend. A Dry and complex yet elegant Cava this is perfect as an aperitif or with seafood.
Pata Negra Vintage Cava
Fork & Spoon Sparkling Shiraz (Australia) 75cl €12.99
Many may not have come across a sparkling red wine before so this interesting Australian sparkling Shiraz with notes of refreshing blackberry, raspberry, and cherry fruit is worth trying.
Fork and Spoon Sparkling Shiraz
White
Lebegés Grüner Veltliner (Hungary) 2016 75cl €6.99
My pick of the white wines, this Grüner Veltliner is superb value at just €6.99. Dry and crisp with aromas of citrus yet soft with notes of summer peach this is a well rounded and balanced wine. Serve with spicy Asian dishes or as an aperitif.
Lebegés Grüner Veltliner
Painted Dog Chenin Blanc Viognier 2017 (South Africa) 75cl €9.99
This is a serious white wine to get your teeth into and packs a bite (please excuse all of the puns) High in alcohol at 14% this is dry and meaty, and as a predominantly red wine drinker I really enjoyed the complexity of this. Succulent and creamy with peach flavours this will go with anything from a roast chicken to dishes with a cream based sauce.
Painted Dog Chenin Blanc Viognier
Red
Black Star 2016 (Germany) 75cl €9.99
My notes read big, bold, and smoky. That’s exactly what you’re going to get from this German blend from Pfalz. Full bodied and equally full of dark fruits think red meats for a pairing.
Black Star
El Casetero Old Vines Garnacha 2014 (Spain) 75cl €9.99
It’s all about the big reds in this sale and the El Casetero Garnacha is one of my favourites from the group. Medium bodied to full bodied this is a fresh, clean and velvety Garnacha that’s smoky with flavour of woody herbs and aromas of black pepper. Another one for red meats or heartwarming stews.
El Casetero Old Vines Garnacha
Fourth Dimension Adelaide Hill Pinot Noir 2016 (Australia) 75cl €10.99
Breaking away from the big reds to offer something different I’ve gone with this Australian Pinot Noir. Aldi already have very fine wines in their Exquisite Range but this can certainly offer some competition. Full of summer berries with soft tannins in terms of food besides from the obvious choice of lamb I think this would be lovely slightly chilled with grilled mackerel.
Fourth Dimension Adelaide Hill Pinot Noir
Berton Vineyard Durif 2016 (Australia) 75cl €9.99
Possibly a grape variety that some may be unfamiliar with, Durif is what the Californians call Petite Sirah. I loved this. Medium to full bodied this fruit forward wine has flavours of plum, blackberries and blueberries with added complexity of anise and cocoa notes. In conversation Tom Doorley said this was “big and hairy”, and that’s exactly what you’re getting. This could age well for a few years too.
Berton Vineyard Durif
Notable Mentions:
The full list of wines available (while stocks last) are as follows:
Sparkling
White
Red
*Note* I have not been paid in any way by Aldi to write this post. I travelled to Dublin for the press preview at my own cost and the recommendations expressed in this post are my own based upon that tasting of all wines on offer
Cathal - 37 - Galway - Food and Drink Writer | Wine Columnist Business Post | Cook | Recipe Creator | Restaurant Reviewer | Wine and Cocktails Lover | Food Education Enthusiast |
