Four wine experts have weighed in on which UK supermarket offers the best wine selection in 2026, with Tesco emerging as a top choice. Helen McGinn, BBC Saturday Kitchen wine expert and author of The Supermarket Wine Guide, said: “Tesco is on great form at the moment, with a really interesting, diverse range of wines so they’d be my current pick of the supermarkets.”
Waitrose also received high praise. Sommelier Jonathan Kleeman noted: “Waitrose consistently stands out as best in class. Their buying team operates more like an independent wine merchant than a volume grocer.” However, Andy Pincott (Affordable Wine Hunter) pointed out: “Waitrose has the best overall selection but they are expensive! So, if you’re spending more than, say, £12 then it’s probably Waitrose.”
Deian Benjamin, wine expert for Welsh TV channel S4C, said: “Let's be honest - most of us buy our wine at Tesco. For me, their award-winning Finest range has improved significantly in the past year. The prices are sharp, the choice is amazing, and it no longer feels like you're settling for an inferior bottle.” He added that genuine bargains can be found at Tesco due to promotions.
For budget-conscious shoppers, Aldi and Lidl were described as “hit and miss” by Pincott, who said “Aldi pips Lidl as a solid place to get good value wines.” McGinn advised caution, noting that while bargains exist, “there are some shockers in there too.” She recommended Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, and Co-op as having hidden gems, while Pincott gave a special mention to Co-op for “surprisingly good options for under £10.”
