Best wine to buy at Sainsbury's right now, ranked by an expert

As a wine writer who taste-tests dozens of bottles a week, I can attest to some absolute bargains available at supermarkets in London and beyond. Whether you’re after a crisp glass of rosé, dry white or celebratory Champagne, you needn’t go without.

Sainsbury’s has outdone itself with another seasonal selection of easy-drinking wines suited to long, lazy weekends, relaxed get-togethers and vino-fuelled dinner parties.

If you often find yourself staring bewildered down the supermarket wine aisle, only to eventually reach for your tried-and-tested favourite, then read on, because I’ve tasted the best wines to drink this autumn, so you can too.

Whether you’re having an evening in front of the TV, hosting friends, or rustling up a Sunday roast, there is a sessionable supermarket wine here with your name on it.

How I taste-tested

Becky Paskin/The Standard

All wines were chilled before tasting, with only one bottle removed from the fridge at a time to ensure they remained cool. I nosed and tasted from an elegant white wine glass that’s also designed for sparkling wines and chilled reds, to maximise the aromatics on the nose.

The glass was rinsed between samples with only water to cleanse my palate as well. After nosing and tasting, all samples were spat to avoid intoxication affecting my judgement – this is the standard for all wine and spirit tasting competitions.

Becky Paskin/The Standard

★★★★☆

Best: Overall Sainsbury's wine

What we love: Intense aroma of strawberries and raspberries, and a bargain price.

Take note: Despite the intense fruit, it’s still a dry rosé.

If you like your rosés light, dry but dripping with red fruit, run to Sainsbury’s for this Négrette rosé from its Taste the Difference range. On first nose, you might think you’ve plunged your face into a bowl of overripe strawberries and raspberries – that’s the secret power of Négrette, a highly aromatic and fruity red grape that’s low in tannin and acid, making it perfect for producing rosés. Those berries, combined with citrus, liquorice and a mineral earthiness, make this an impressive rosé. It’s an absolute bargain, too.

• Style: Négrette Rosé
• Produced in: Fronton, France
• ABV: 12.5%
• Size: 75cl

Becky Paskin/The Standard

★★★☆☆

Best: Supermarket NZ Sauvignon Blanc

What we love: Full-flavoured Sauvignon Blanc, and its female winemaker, Natalie Christensen.

Take note: It’s produced by the popular Yealand Estate.

There’s nothing more soothing than a crisp glass of Savvy B to stave off the heat, and this Taste the Difference Coolwater Bay 2025 vintage is just the tonic. Vibrant and tropical with notes of fresh pineapple, ripe peaches and limes, with a minerality reflective of its maritime climate, this is a fresh, clean and mouthwatering wine you’ll want to stock up on. Sip it alongside cubes of Manchego and peach slices.

• Style: Sauvignon Blanc
• Product of: Marlborough, New Zealand
• ABV: 12%
• Size: 75cl

Becky Paskin/The Standard

★★★★★

Best: For celebrations

What we love: Excellent value for money and beautiful, balanced flavours.

Take note: There are eight Crémant appellations to choose from.

If you’re after a Champagne dupe that offers fantastic value, seek out Crémant, which is made using the same ‘méthode traditionelle’ but outside the region of Champagne and with different grape varieties. This stunner in Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference range is from the Loire and produced from a blend of 85 per cent Chenin and 15 per cent Chardonnay, with the wine aged on lees for twice the appellation minimum for additional complexity and elegance. Expect to find Crémant de Loire’s signature lemon and quince flavours mingling with rounded biscuity notes and a beautiful creaminess. It’s a bottle worthy of a celebration.

• Style: Crémant de Loire
• Produced in: Loire, France
• ABV: 12%
• Size: 75cl

Sainsburys

★★★★★

Best: Budget Champagne

What we love: Delicious range of ripe fruit flavours, and zesty and bright palate

Take note: Not a cheap sparkling wine

Sainsbury’s Blanc de Noirs uses the two black grapes used to make Champagne – Pinot Noir and Meunier, for its classic non-vintage expression, which is aged in bottle for at least 18 months. This is a lively, fruity number with a gorgeous nose full of strawberries and cream, and lime zest, which gives way to peach melba, stewed apples and a hint of digestive biscuit on the palate. Best suited to those who aren’t keen on the more bready styles of Champagne, and would make an impressive pour at a special party or New Year’s celebration.

• Style: Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne
• Produced in: Champagne, France
• ABV: 12%
• Size: 75cl

Becky Paskin/The Standard

★★★☆☆

Best: For sparkling or natural wine fans

What we love: Sainsbury’s first Pet Nat is approachable and easy-drinking for a natural wine, while being great value for a sparkling wine with depth.

Take note: It’s on the slightly sweeter side.

Sainsbury’s is having a trendy moment with the introduction of its first Pet Nat, a gently sparkling natural wine made from a blend of 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. It’s a wonderful introduction to this unique style that has hipsters in a chokehold.

• Style: Pet Nat
• Produced in: Bourgogne, France
• ABV: 11%
• Size: 75cl

Becky Paskin/The Standard

★★★★☆

Best: For pairing with seafood and pasta

What we love: Fresh, mineralic and bright, it’s weighty without being overbearing.

Take note: Gavi de Gavi is considered the best of Gavi wine.

Italy’s Piedmont region is famous for its Gavi, with Gavi de Gavi being the cream of the crop. This 2024 vintage, a blend of 100 per cent Cortese grapes, is produced by Araldica, a cooperative founded in 1954 by the village priest. That’s probably not relevant nowadays, but if you like Sauvignon Blanc with a bit more structure, you’re going to love this: it’s fresh, bright and ripe with rounded notes of stone fruit, apricot and grapefruit, with a crisp, lemony and tart green apple finish.

• Style: Gavi de Gavi
• Produced in: Piedmont, Italy
• ABV: 12%
• Size: 75cl

Becky Paskin/The Standard

★★★★☆

Best: For rock ‘n’ roll fans

What we love: Full flavours of bright wild strawberries, encased in a beautiful bottle with a glass stopper.

Take note: It’s on the pricey side.

I’m usually quite sceptical about celebrity wines, but Queen’s rosé has a different Kind of Magic. It’s a classic Provence-style rosé, a blend of 70 per cent Grenache and 30 per cent Cinsault for full, ripe flavours of wild strawberries, blood orange and redcurrants. It’s a delicious, very drinkable wine, with a memorable finish and an impressive bottle. The price is a bit of a stretch – I fear you might be paying more for the name than the wine. Will it Rock You? One way to find out…

• Style: Côtes de Provence Rosé
• Produced in: Provence, France
• ABV: 13%
• Size: 75cl

Becky Paskin/The Standard

★★★☆☆

Best: For serving with charcuterie or grilled seafood

What we love: Bright and with juicy berry flavours, it offers something a bit different to white or rosé

Take note: Not as refreshing as a chilled white, but delicious nonetheless

Some lighter styles of red wines are actually meant to be served slightly chilled, making them perfect for pairing with charcuterie or grilled seafood during your next dinner party. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Discovery Frappato Terre Siciliane is a fresh, vibrant, chillable red. Notes of black cherries, blackberries and pepper feature with enough acidity to balance its earthiness. Chilled reds are becoming a trend, so get ahead of the pack and try this one out.

• Style: Frappato Terre Siciliane IGT
• Produced in: Sicily, Italy
• ABV: 12.5%
• Size: 75cl

What are the best Sainsbury’s wines?

You’ll probably choose your wine based on the occasion, what you’re eating with it and, most importantly, personal preference. But if you’re heading to Sainsbury’s anytime soon, may I suggest you pick up a bottle of the Taste the Difference Fronton Négrette Rose 2025? It’s an absolute steal at £8.75 and a superbly aromatic strawberry field of a rosé that’s sure to win over the staunchest ‘pink wine’ critic.

Négrette is also a severely underrated grape variety, so consider this your introduction to something a bit different to your usual Provence-style bottle.

Why trust me?

Becky Paskin is an award-winning drinks writer and presenter, with 20 years of experience tasting, judging and speaking about all things booze. You can find her writing about everything whisky, cocktails and wine in major publications, and regularly speaking on ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh. She also has a weekly newsletter, Drink This, pouring drinks, bar and travel recommendations and insight.