BEST-selling rosé Whispering Angel has a bevy of celebrity fans, including Adele and Victoria Beckham, but can sell at £20 plus.
So it’s no surprise buyers are seeking budget alternatives.
Oliver DixonHelena Nicklin helps buyers who are seeking budget alternatives to top wines[/caption]
Here, wine expert Helena Nicklin, above, from thethreedrinkers.com, gives her tips and tricks for seeking out similar sips for less cash . . .
Original: Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc £29.99 (majestic.co.uk)
Dupe: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Awatere Valley, Lidl, £7.99
Love the taste but not the £30 price tag of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc? Lidl has a £7.99 answer for you
FANS of the Kiwi Savvy B love it for its ripe, tropical fruit and zesty, grassy notes. But it’s nearly £30 a bottle.
Sauvignon from the Awatere region in NZ tends to be a little greener, leaner and more concentrated, which is often more impressive in the glass.
This one from Lidl has all that and more. As good, if not better, than Cloudy Bay.
Original: Whispering Angel Cotes de Provence Rosé £20+ (sainsburys.co.uk)
Dupe: Atlantique Rosé, Chassaux et Fils, Aldi £6.49
Whispering Angel is part of the Provencal rosé revolution but you can swap its £20+ price for Atlantique Rosé, Chassaux et Fils at £6.49 in Aldi
WHISPERING Angel has done so well in the Provencal rosé revolution. It’s a decent drop, with an evocative name and luxury allure.
For equally elegant pale pinks, look to French coastal wine regions such as the Atlantique.
This Aldi dupe has that “angelic” strawberries-and-cream note with a sea spray tang. It wins on all counts.
Original: Moet et Chandon Imperial Brut NV, £43+ (Sainsburys.co.uk)
Dupe: Cremant de Bourgogne Brut NV, Asda, £13
Top fizz Moet is likely to set you back at least £43, but Asda’s Cremant de Bourgogne Brut NV is a £13 dupe to consider
FANCY fizz brand Moet sets the benchmark for non-vintage (NV) branded Champers with its classic brioche and baked apple vibes.
For a very similar profile try a “Cremant”, French fizz made in the same way and often using one or two of the same grapes, but not in Champagne. This one from Burgundy knocks it out of the park for bargain bubbles.
Original: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, £21+ (Sainsburys.co.uk)
Dupe: Tesco Finest Saint-Chinian, £8
It was Del Boy’s favourite name to drop, but with a price tag of £21+, Tesco’s Finest Saint-Chinian at £8 would be a deal to grab Del’s attention
DEL BOY’S favourite French name to drop, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, from the Rhone Valley, tastes rich, spicy and spirity, like fruit cake packed with rum-soaked raisins.
But prices can hit hundreds of pounds for a bottle. A wine nerd’s top tip, head to Saint-Chinian for Rhone-a-like wines at a fraction of the price. Like this value glug from Tesco.
Original: Bollinger Classic Cuvée £43+ (waitrose.com)
Dupe: Veuve Monsigny Brut NV, Aldi, £14.99
Aldi’s Veuve Monsigny Brut NV, at £14.99 is the perfect dupe for Bollinger’s Classic Cuvée at £43+
BOLLINGER fans go mad for its creamy, bold, biscuity bubbles. To get this impact in Champagne you need the addition of older “reserve” wines, which can get pricey.
Aldi’s Veuve Monsigny is regularly lauded by wine experts for its flavour-to-price ratio thanks to a large portion of older wines in the blend that are sourced very cleverly.
Original: Marques de Riscal Rioja Reserva, £17.99 (Majestic.co.uk)
Dupe: Monte Plogar Gran Reserva, Lidl, £5.49
Marques de Riscal Rioja Reserva at £17.99 is up against Lidl’s Monte Plogar Gran Reserva at £5.49
BRITS love Rioja. It’s those flamboyant, wild strawberry, cinnamon spice and liquorice-leather notes that get more intense as you move up in age from Crianza to Reserva and Gran Reserva.
But you can get some bargain versions. For just over a fiver try this gorgeous Gran Reserva. It’s not a Rioja but the profile is similar. Unbelievable value.