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Taste the difference Gewurztraminer 2006 (Alsace, France) £6.99
Produced exclusively for Sainsbury's by Cave de Turckheim, this super-affordable example is a terrific introduction to Gewurztraminer. If you’ve never tried this variety, brace yourself for smells of jasmine, lychee, ginger and musk, while in your mouth its soft, rich and pulls up just this side of dry. An absolute must with either Thai or Vietnamese dishes. |
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Taste the difference Sauternes 2005 (Bordeaux, France) £8.99
Sauternes is both home and Holy Grail to the world’s greatest sweet wines, and this is a brilliantly priced example. Expect to find smells of pineapple, honey and candied citrus fruit, while the palate is clean, fresh and lively with amazing concentration of flavour that just goes on and on. A knockout match to either lemon tart or crème brulee. |
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Taste the difference Chianti 2006 (Tuscany, Italy) £7.99
Sangiovese, never makes more sense than with food. Naturally high in tannin, this variety can be tough going on its own but paired with the right kind of food – meat, pasta or anything a little bit fatty – and you’ll struggle to find a better match. Expect a solid
core of pure dark cherry fruit alongside smells of tobacco, leather and spice. Give it a go with tomato-based pasta dishes, pizza, or slow roast pork. Bellisimo! |
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Sainsbury's White Burgundy 2006 (Burgundy, France) £5.49
Produced from 100% Chardonnay - a snip of which spends a short amount of time in oak, expect plenty of bright stone fruit character together with terrific intensity of flavour. A brilliant wine for the money that’s simply crying out for a lovely piece of grilled fish, a pinch of sea salt, and a nice squeeze of lemon. |
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Taste the difference Pouilly Fume 2007 (Loire Valley, France) £9.99
A mouth-watering example of Sauvignon Blanc taken from the chalky vineyards in and around Pouilly sur Loire. Lean, tight and well structured, the nose is all green apple, pear and grassy smells, while in the mouth it’s vibrant, zippy and bone dry. A textbook
example that should be on the menu the next time you plan to serve anything from the sea. |
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Taste the difference Albarino 2007 (Galicia, Spain) £6.49
From high up in Spain’s North Western corner, this is a delicious introduction to Albarino complete with an exotic range of smells that includes fresh flowers, lime and fennel. In your mouth there’s not a hint of oak in sight, while pure citrus fruit builds to make way for a clean drying finish. Superb. |
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Taste the difference South African Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (Western Cape) £6.99
From the stables of Boekenhoutskloof – one of South Africa’s most highly regarded producers – comes this delicious Sauvignon Blanc exclusive to the Taste The Difference range. Smells range from passion fruit and gooseberry through to fresh spring peas
and green summer herbs. For a perfect match, serve it alongside a simple salad of slow roast tomatoes, asparagus and goats cheese. |
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Taste the difference Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (Marlborough, New Zealand) £7.49
There’s no mistaking where this wine is from. Bursting at the seams with a stack of trademark punchy gooseberry and blackcurrant fruit, it could only be from Marlborough, located on the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island. Produced exclusively for Sainsbury's by Grove Mill – the world’s first carbon neutral winery. |
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Taste the difference Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2007 (Adelaide Hills, Australia) £7.99
Exclusively for Sainsburys, the team at Bridgewater Mill in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills have produced a brilliant example of Chardonnay that oozes charm and finesse - yet without leaving you feeling as though you’ve been gnawing on a piece of wood. Smells
range from grapefruit to marzipan and cashew, while in your mouth it’s long, fruit-rich and dry. An absolute must with roast chicken. |
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Sainsbury's Blanc de Noirs Champagne NV (Champagne, France) £14.99
Made exclusively for Sainsbury's by Champagne Palmer, this cracking examples is jam-packed with smells of fresh baked bread, spice and grapefruit – the palate too is weighty and rich with amazing length of flavour, and a balanced drying finish. Jaw droppingly good Champagne for this money. |
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Sainsbury's Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2007 (Abruzzo, Italy) £3.99
To avoid confusion, we’re talking about Montepulciano the grape variety and not Montepulciano the place. This soft fruity red taken from the foothills of the Abruzzi on Italy’s central Mediterranean coast is rich with smells of raspberry, smoke and spice. The palate is soft, forward and provides delicious everyday drinking – hands down one of the absolute bargains of the year. |
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Sainsbury's Cotes du Gascogne NV (Languedoc, France) £3.69
A blend of Colombard and Uni Blanc, this fresh fruity white may just be one of the great bargains of the year. A kind of yellowish/green in colour, the nose explodes with lifted lemon zest and green apple fruit while in your mouth it’s ripe and citrus-like with a tight, zippy finish. A must for char-grilled pork chops with mustard, lemon, capers and parsley. |
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Taste the difference Douro 2007 (Douro, Portugal) £7.99
Its exciting times for Portugal you imagine. Known for the quality of their fortified wines, it’s Portugal’s new wave of dry red table wines that are currently creating all the hype. Here dark plum, semi-dried fruit, spice and cedar dominate the nose, while in the mouth
is firm, chunky and rich. Drink it with a nice rare piece of steak. |
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Taste the difference Barolo 2004 (Piedmont, Italy) £14.99
Great Barolo should start at three times the price of this wine. Sporting all the classic Nebbiolo hallmarks; tar, rose, black olive, smoke and rosemary smells coupled with a mineral textured, nicely fruited and well balanced palate, this is simply an amazing wine for the money. Try it with pot-roasted rabbit, rosemary and black olives. |
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Taste the difference Amarone 2005 (Veneto, Italy) £12.99
Producing great Amarone is no easy assignment, but the results – as in this case – can be well worth the effort. Star estate Valpaneta produce a clean modern style of Amarone where ripe plum/cherry-like character combines with smells of dried fruit, spice and bitter chocolate. This wine calls for rich roasted meats. |
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Taste the difference Argentinean Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina) £6.99
Argentina’s Andes Mountains are the base for some of the highest altitude vineyards planted anywhere. Here position, exposure and plenty of sunshine hours translate into wines of incredible depth and richness. Expect masses of dark sun drenched fruit
and spice on the nose, while a mouthful will reveal a lush inky wave of ripe dark fruit, spicy new oak, and a wash of dry grippy tannins - a must for meat lovers. |
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Taste the difference 12yo Pedro Ximenez 50cl (Jerez, Spain) £6.99
Dried raisin fruit coupled with smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove lead to a mouthful of sweet, rich wine with mind-boggling intensity of flavour that just goes on and on and on... If not over vanilla ice cream, then sticky toffee pudding and a glass of PX is almost certainly guaranteed to leave you speechless. |
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Taste the difference Vintage Port 2000 (Douro, Portugal) £19.99
Different to other ports, Vintage Port does its ageing in bottle and often needs a number of years to unwind before showing you it’s true colours. Once it has, you wont be disappointed. Expect to find a deep and complex nose of dark dried fruits, of spice,
bitter chocolate, and nicely worn leather. A plush, bittersweet, and delicious mouthful of wine makes this the perfect Stilton partner. |
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Taste the difference Gavi 2007 (Piedmont, Italy) £6.99
Lovers of crisp, fruity whites would be wise to check out this outstanding example from high up in Italy’s northwest corner. Produced from the Cortese grape variety, expect to find smells of apple, pear and lemon. In your mouth it’s soft and dry, and makes a brilliant alongside a few chunks of pecorino cheese drizzled with honey. |
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Sainsbury's Beaujolais (Beaujolais, France) £3.99
Produced from 100% Gamay drawn from the vineyards of Beaujolais, this is straight-forward, light and easy-drinking red wine that provides super value summer sipping. Bright and explosive with zero oak influence, expect smells of sweet cherry, violet and musk, while in your mouth it’s soft and juicy with fresh acidity and fine slinky tannin. |
