Wine writer Becky Paskin has tasted dozens of bottles to find the best wines available at Sainsbury's this autumn, highlighting bargains including the supermarket's first Pet Nat and a budget Champagne.
Paskin, who taste-tests dozens of bottles a week, says Sainsbury's has outdone itself with another seasonal selection of easy-drinking wines suited to long weekends, relaxed get-togethers and dinner parties. There is even a handful of bargain bubbles that deliver on both taste and price.
Best Sainsbury's wines at a glance
- Best overall – Sainsbury's Fronton Négrette Rose 2025: £8.75
- Best Champagne – Sainsbury's Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne NV: £26
- Best Provence rosé – Queen Côtes de Provence Rosé 2025: £18
- Best Sauvignon Blanc – Sainsbury's Coolwater Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2025: £10
- Best chilled red – Sainsbury's Frappato Terre Siciliane 2025: £6.75
How the tasting was done
All wines were chilled before tasting, with only one bottle removed from the fridge at a time to ensure they remained cool. Paskin nosed and tasted from an elegant white wine glass designed for sparkling wines and chilled reds to maximise aromatics. The glass was rinsed with water between samples, and all samples were spat to avoid intoxication affecting judgement, the standard for wine and spirit tasting competitions.
Top picks from the range
The Taste the Difference Fronton Négrette Rose 2025, at £8.75, was named best overall. It has an intense aroma of strawberries and raspberries, yet remains a dry rosé. The Négrette grape is highly aromatic and fruity, low in tannin and acid, making it perfect for rosés. The berries combine with citrus, liquorice and a mineral earthiness.
The Taste the Difference Coolwater Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2025, at £10, is produced by Yealand Estate and made by female winemaker Natalie Christensen. It is vibrant and tropical with notes of fresh pineapple, ripe peaches and limes, with a minerality reflective of its maritime climate. It is recommended with Manchego and peach slices.
The Taste the Difference Crémant de Loire NV, at £12.50, is made using the same méthode traditionelle as Champagne but outside the region and with different grape varieties. It is a blend of 85 per cent Chenin and 15 per cent Chardonnay, aged on lees for twice the appellation minimum. Expect lemon and quince flavours mingling with rounded biscuity notes and creaminess.
The Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne NV, at £26, uses Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes and is aged in bottle for at least 18 months. It has a nose of strawberries and cream and lime zest, giving way to peach melba, stewed apples and a hint of digestive biscuit on the palate. It suits those who prefer less bready styles of Champagne.
Sainsbury's first Pet Nat, the Taste the Difference Discovery Pet Nat NV at £12, is a gently sparkling natural wine made from Chardonnay, Muscat and Ugni Blanc grapes. It sits on the sweet side of dry and vibrant, with aromatic florals, peach stone fruit and citrus giving way to undertones of baked goods.
The Taste the Difference Gavi di Gavi 2024, at £13, is a 100 per cent Cortese wine produced by Araldica, a cooperative founded in 1954 by the village priest. It is fresh, bright and ripe with rounded notes of stone fruit, apricot and grapefruit, with a crisp, lemony and tart green apple finish.
The Queen Côtes de Provence Rosé 2025, at £18, is a blend of 70 per cent Grenache and 30 per cent Cinsault with flavours of wild strawberries, blood orange and redcurrants. Paskin notes the price is a bit of a stretch, suggesting you might be paying more for the name than the wine.
The Taste the Difference Discovery Frappato Terre Siciliane 2025, at £6.75, is a chillable red with notes of black cherries, blackberries and pepper, with enough acidity to balance its earthiness. It is recommended for pairing with charcuterie or grilled seafood.
Paskin's top recommendation is the Taste the Difference Fronton Négrette Rose 2025 at £8.75, calling it an absolute steal and a superbly aromatic strawberry field of a rosé. She notes Négrette is a severely underrated grape variety, making it an introduction to something different from the usual Provence-style bottle.
