CONSIDERING the duty on every bottle of wine you buy is £1.71, including VAT, there's not much room left for the actual wine in a bottle costing £2.89.
But Lidl's Spring Valley 2006 Paarl Cabernet Sauvignon is a palatable red, with sweet fruit and a dry finish. Don't know how they do it at that price.
Chateaux's Selection 2005 Medoc (£4.99, Aldi) is a competent, medium weight claret, finishing d
ry. Pizza, barbie burgers or kebabs will do fine.
Vino Italiano 2007 Pinot Grigio (£3.99, Aldi) smells of freshly-cut melon slices, with a zing of citrus and honeysuckle flicks. Floral and pleasant with it.
The smell of crushed limes in Bushland Chardonnay Verdelho (£3.69, Aldi) is a joy; that and its viscous fruit cocktail makes this a winner with chicken tikka masala.
You'll find oodles of plum jam, cherry and blackcurrant in Viajero 2006 Syrah Reserva Privada (£3.99, Lidl), and even more blackcurrant on the palate.
Orvieto Classico 2007 (£4.09, Lidl) is an Italian white thick with melon and pear nuances and a hint of peach. Fresh. There's a lovely oaky nose on La Mancha Airen 2006 (£3.99, Lidl) with vanilla tinges that will match everything from salted peanuts to mussels.
Bargain of the WeekWine names don't come much more colourful than Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2006 (£3.99, Lidl). It delivers huge rafts of summery pear aromas and is delightful at its price.
Bottle of the WeekBrunello di Montalcino 2002 (£15.99, Lidl) is rampant cherry, new leather and a measure of cough linctus. Smooth and extremely mellow, the brunello grape is almost perfumed and graced our fillet steaks with aplomb.
The full article contains 289 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
