‘I swapped Asda wine for vastly higher high quality bottles at lower than £6 every’
A wine expert with three qualifications found better value and quality by switching from supermarket shelves to get £5.83 per bottle wines
Wine expert Jada tried out Naked Wines and was impressed with the results
As a holder of three wine qualifications, which involved extensive studying, map reading, exams and over 100 tastings, I have a fairly good idea of what tickles my palate. However, whenever I visit my local Asda, I find myself yearning for a more diverse selection.
While there are some decent wines on the supermarket shelves, when I’m shelling out over £10 a bottle, I can’t help but feel that better value and quality could be found elsewhere. I’d heard rave reviews about Naked Wines, and had the opportunity to sample their wine advent calendar years ago, but I’d never actually ordered a case.
That changed last week. I perused the available cases and, despite my fondness for a velvety red or a refreshing white, I didn’t opt for that box. Instead, I compared the contents with the Adventurer’s Mixed Selection Case and decided it was worth the punt.
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Naked Wines operates on a subscription basis, where members pay £25 a month in credit that they can use to purchase their choice of wine – with the option to let their experts make the selection if preferred. New subscribers can snag a £144.99 case for just £69.99 by using a voucher, reducing the price to a mere £5.83 a bottle – significantly cheaper than lesser quality supermarket wines, reports the Mirror.
This is because Naked Wines eliminates the middleman, delivering wine directly from the winemakers to the consumer. The delivery arrived at my door just in time for the weekend, having been ordered merely a week prior.
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Just three days after delivery, I discovered that the wines listed as part of the selection on the website had been updated, with the Tempranillo rosé and Pinot Grigio I’d brought along to my book club having been replaced. I’m delighted that the wine selection rotates regularly – for anyone keen to explore new varieties, it appears to be a reliable way to ensure there’s always diversity available in the cases.
Nevertheless, Angels – the term used for Naked Wines subscribers – have the ability to rate their purchases and include them in subsequent orders provided they remain in stock, meaning there’s still a chance to reorder preferred bottles. Additionally, there’s a complimentary bottle included with every case of 12 purchased.
Provided someone has adequate storage space for the wine, I believe this represents excellent value, as I can see 12 bottles lasting me several months. I enjoyed two of the bottles over the weekend with my book club and I’m already considering the pinotage for a lovely dinner when my best friend visits.
What I particularly appreciate is the QR code on the back of each bottle that directs you to a comprehensive description of the wine’s contents. There’s also a concise overview of the wine alongside guidance on ideal food pairings.
This makes it considerably simpler to select a bottle after dinner has already been prepared or even to design a meal around the chosen wine. The bottles I’ve sampled thus far have been absolutely divine.
I plumped for a bottle of white and a bottle of rosé that we savoured between mouthfuls of hummus and tortilla chips whilst diving into the details of our latest literary pick. The wine proved such a smash hit that my aunt was keen to know where she could source some herself.
The Tempranillo rosé boasts a crisp and ‘party-ready’ character that ticked all the right boxes. It delivers classic hints of strawberries, cherries and a splash of grapefruit.
Whilst it can complement fish, vegetables and spicy cuisine, we chose not to match it with a proper meal and instead enjoyed it whilst we chatted away. The Giano Pinot Grigio DOC slipped down effortlessly.
Featuring notes of peach and green apple with a zesty lemon twist, it worked brilliantly with hummus but would suit a light pasta dish even better. This ranks as the finest pinot grigio I reckon I’ve ever tasted.
These certainly aren’t the most sophisticated wines I’ve encountered (that honour belongs to some rather ancient bottles of reds that I genuinely have no desire to drink again) but they’re wonderfully approachable. It’s crucial to always consume alcohol responsibly, but I believe that with a quality bottle of wine meant to be relished, that’s easily achievable.
I’ve sampled and adored various wine subscription services, with Virgin Wines (offering cases from £122.88) actually opening my eyes to some treasured discoveries like Gruner Veltliner, whilst Good Pair Days stands out for its remarkable wine accessories that are perfect for al fresco dining or entertaining visitors. The costs are fairly similar across the board.
What’s certain is that I can absolutely see the benefits of purchasing wine online instead of taking a punt in the supermarket aisles. The standard is vastly better.
