Tesco's (abominable) wine selection

ballyargus

This is definitely a first-world problem, but I'll air the grievance anyway. Our local Tesco is the biggest store around and has the largest selection. The vast majority of them are devil's pish. Even when more expensive wines are marked down, they are still poor.

I use the Vivino app on practically everything, and I rarely find anything that ranks remotely well there. I'm baffled how a shop with such a large selection can get it so wrong. Super Valu and Dunnes do a pretty good job, I have to say. Lidl and Aldi also have good ones in frequently too.

Has anyone else found similar with Tesco?

Gloomtastic!

Since Terry Leahy left Tesco, it’s been downhill all the way.

irish_goat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058371884/tescos-abominable-wine-selection

I'm no connoisseur but I tend to find Lidl is slightly better for random wine choices.

Out of interest, what do you deem to be a good score on Vivino? And what sort of price range are you normally looking at?

HeidiHeidi

I never shop in Tesco for wine - I occasionally shop in one of the biggest stores in the country (Merrion Centre) and have been utterly amazed by how they can have that large a selection of wines, with not a single one that I'm interested in trying.
Lidl and Aldi are a country mile better for interesting wines in the €10-15 range. Or O'Brien's special offers (with a special mention for their French wine sale that's just over)

JVince

most Tesco wines are bought with a view to putting them on promotion at some point.

So you will see dreadful wines at €15 - €20 and then suddenly they are "half price". In reality they are still over priced muck.

Domaine Arnaud is the classic example. Pure piss, A totally made up name. Only sold in tesco and every other week on "club card promo" half price.

Its utter rubbish - but foolish customers think they are getting a €17 bottle of wine and they almost force themselves to think its drinkable.

Royale with Cheese

Most of their half price selection is utter dross but they had this on special for a good while and I thought it was nice enough:

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/en-IE/products/306808994

odyssey06

The Tesco Finest wine range is a safer bet in my experience. You might see a few euros off on them but rarely half price.
For Italian wines Piccini produced stuff is good.

The ones that you regularly see half price discount on, it is clear that reduction price is more reflective of their value.

Buddy97mm

Have to agree, I find the vast majority of wine in Tesco to be fairly generic, overpriced, third country dross, of minimal interest. Nothing wrong with it as such, but never anywhere close to worth its alleged RRP, although can be okayish value when gets to inevitable half price, although that now tends to be a few euro more than what it used to be.

Biggest issue I have though is these wines are essentially boring, typically say. Cab Sauv from Chile, a Chardonnay from Australia, etc. Taste fine, but akin to a fruit juice with no real character. Even the wines at upper end (Rioja Reserva, Barolo, mid priced Bordeaux) tend to quite generic examples of their type, fine and quite functional but never enticing.

All other supermarkets have much better choices, with weekly offers on genuinely interesting wines. The likes of Lidl and Aldi in particular, even with very limited selections comparatively, have some really good wines, representing great value.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122682250#Comment_122682250

It's a typical UK supermarket which have gaslit the entire place across the water into thinking the bland sht they sell is quality. Sainsbury's and M&S are as bad.

mykrodot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122682403#Comment_122682403

couldn't agree more! Tesco wine and brands like Domaine Arnaud or whatever you're having yourself are muck. They are NEVER sold at €17 or whatever full price is. No such thing.

EthelMercaptan

Not much better up north either, in my experience. Some of their Finest reds are OK and the Faustinos are good but I would be far more confident buying unfamiliar wines in Supervalu or O'Briens.

ballyargus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122682344#Comment_122682344

Happy to pay up to 15. On a rare occassion 20 or 25, but that is rare.

Vivino-wise 3.8 and above is a good score IMO. 4+ wines tend to be very good.

irish_goat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122683857#Comment_122683857

Campo Viejo Reserva jumps to mind, it's 3.8 on Vivino and currently €16 (it's on offer a lot though up north, at least).

the beer revolu

This is probably the only wine I regularly buy from Tesco but when reduced to €10 (which seems to be all the time). It's a very decent wine for €10 with the additional benefit of being a screw cap!

Personally, I think all wines should be screw capped. Those plastic corks, in particular are pointless! Where others love the sound of the cork popping, I love the sound of the screw seal cracking. I've also had some seriously good wines with stelvin closures.

BeerNut

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122684220#Comment_122684220

Frequently €10 here.

Royale with Cheese

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122684220#Comment_122684220

I cannot taste the difference between the Campo Viejo Reserva and the regular stuff.