The headline on this piece is pretty much the title of my life. There’s always a new vintage, blend, food pairing, talented winemaker and vineyard to discover.
My job as a wine sleuth is to unmask great wine at a favourable price. And for leads, France is bustling with hidden intelligence – as long as you know where to look.
France is littered with famous wine-producing regions, from Champagne to Bordeaux. Most people think of the latter for red wine but its zesty whites are a real find and still great value. Down the road in Bergerac you can find further brilliance and bargains such as the Grand Reserve Bergerac Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2016 (12%) for £7 in Sainsbury’s. Gascony, the Loire and Costieres de Nimes are all further safe havens for top kit with low prices conjured by the know-how of history and the passion of next-generation winemakers.
In areas such as Jura, there is already a growing cult of appreciative thirsty wine fans – get into the neighbouring wines of Savoie while you still can. And pick your winemaker with care – the ‘who’ of wine is often as important as the ‘where’. Paul Mas, for instance, is a widely available southern French brand whose key to quality is in large part down to the winemaker, Jean-Claude Mas.
Which brings us neatly to the source of your wine. For French bargains, Asda’s Wine Atlas range is worth diving into, along with Aldi’s new French listings. Fan of Malbec? The Forgotten One Cahors 2014 is a mighty Malbec in Aldi (12.5%) for £6.99. Staying with the south, France’s Languedoc has rich pickings – Domaine Les Yeuses Les Epices Syrah PGI 2014 (13.5%) is a red gem in Majestic for £8.99.
But the secret’s out. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate the joys of life behind enemy wines.