August 2026:

This month’s topic was Lidl wines, specifically their Wine Edit, consisting of 16 wines, paired perfectly to the summer season (unfortunately we only had time to sample 6 of them!).

We started with Asti Rosato sparkling rose wine (7%, £4.99) from Italy, which was considered to be quite sweet but probably ideal for warm summer days.

The next wine was a medium Reisling from Australia’s Clare Valley (11.5%, £8.49 per bottle), with notes of apple and lemon zest.

The second white was Gavi Castel di Sierra (12.5%, £9.99 per bottle) from Piemonte, Italy, which was well received. 

The trio of reds started with, what proved to be the best wine of the night, Almocreve Alantejano Reserva (13.5%, £7.49 per bottle) from Alentejo, Portugal.

The next wine was a French Cuvée de Brieu Syrah (13.5%, £7.99 per bottle), which was considered to be bitter and herby, and not the “easy going” wine expected.

The final wine on the night was Carménère Gran Reserva Wine from the Rapel Valley, Chile (14%, £8.49 per bottle), which had mixed reviews. 

In summary, a pleasant evening with the usual bread and cheeses and . . . . chocolate, which goes extremely with red wine. And finally, the news that bottles of the Almocreve Alantejano Reserva were disappearing from the shelves of Lidl!

Jane Coulthard