'I tried more than 100 wines from Asda - here's my favourites for under a tenner'

This makes it a vital part of the food and drink supply chain in the UK, and because it is based here in Yorkshire it is doubly important, not only supplying us with a fine range of food and wine but also keeping hundreds of Head Office people employed in the county.

There have been a few recent changes at the top of the organisation, with Allan Leighton now appointed as Chairman.

He did a fine job back in the late 1990’s, turning the business around, and it looks like he is setting his sights on doing the same again.

At the recent Asda Press tasting, Clive Donaldson, senior manager of wine sourcing was very upbeat about the future of Asda, emphasising how the re-introduction of Price Rollback, and a definite focus on quality and value for money was strengthening the business.

With that in mind and having tasted through well over 100 wines from the Asda range, here is my selection of the best flavour for money wines.

Ten of these are under a tenner, while the rest are well worth stretching the budget for.

FIZZ

Wine Atlas Garda Sparkling, Italy, £6.97: A light, bright, summer fizz that is perfect for lunchtime. Made from the Garganega grape, from the region close to Lake Garda in Northern Italy, it has soft floral fruit and a refreshing finish.

Extra Special Crémant d’Alsace, France, £9.36: Remarkable flavour for money, with clean, fresh, floral notes, a zesty, citrus style and creamy mousse. Perfect as an aperitif.

Cave de Lugny Crémant de Bourgogne, France, NV, £11.98: Crémant de Bourgogne is made from grapes grown along the whole length of Burgundy, which is south of Champagne and so gathers just a little more ripe fruit flavours than its northern neighbour. This has creamy, peachy fruit, backed by fresh, citrus freshness, with a toasty, rounded finish.

Asquith Gardens English Sparkling Brut, £17.97: Sounding very much like a desirable residential area in Harrogate, the name of this wine harks back to the days of the Asquith family who started out with a butcher’s shop in Knottingley and eventually merged with Associated Dairies to form Asda.

This is sourced from one of the best English wine producers and the wine has spent five years resting on its lees, building up complexity and flavour. With fresh, clean, summer garden aromas, rounded out with citrus and biscuity notes this is one of the best value supermarket English wines on the market.

WHITE

Wine Atlas Feteascǎ Regalǎ, Romania, £5.98: This grape is slightly challenging to pronounce, (fet-asker) but it is well worth the effort. It is packed full of delicious aromatic honeysuckle notes with peach, crunchy apples and a sprinkle of spice. Try it alongside lightly spiced prawns.

Extra Special Côtes de Gascogne 2023, France, £6.57: Zingy flavours from Colombard lifted with a splash of aromatic Sauvignon adding pink grapefruit and lime notes. Good on its own or with grilled white fish.

Wine Atlas Carricante 2024, Sicily, £6.98: Wine Atlas is Asda’s way of bringing unusual grapes and regions onto their shelves, with beautiful scenic labels that gives the range an identity. This is full of fresh citrus fruit with a fine structure and crunchy minerally note.

Extra Special Albariño 2024, Rías Baixas, Spain, £9.14: As soon as the sun shines it is Albariño time, and this is one of the best value Albariños around. Apple-fresh with peachy lemon notes and a touch of sea-salt.

White Burgundy 2023, France, Exceptional by Asda, £11.13: It is good to taste so much elegance in a glass of supermarket white Burgundy. Ripe apple and pear fruit with a long, crisp finish.

Villa Maria Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc, 2024, New Zealand, £14.77: There are plenty of crisp, zesty Kiwi Sauvignons around, but this is a step up. Layers of passionfruit, peaches and limes, with a rounded texture and enough flavour to last through lunch.

REDS

Baron Augustin Bordeaux 2023, France, £5.77: Exceptional flavours for money in this wine so snap some up for the summer. Mainly Merlot with a substantial splash of Cabernet Sauvignon it is packed with juicy black fruits, savoury notes and supple tannins. This will pour well against a mid-week supper or a weekend barbecue.

Cahors Malbec 2023, France, Exceptional by Asda, £7.47: Malbec started out in France before it found its home in Argentina. This is a taste of the original, with big mulberry fruit, a hint of spice and enough structure to handle meat and cheese. French Malbec has a definite French style and more grip than you may be used to if you normally drink Argentinian Malbec.

Extra Special Leyda Pinot Noir 2024, Valle de Leyda, Chile, £7.48: From a well-respected producer this comes from the cool region of Leyda, near the coast with breezes wafting in from the Pacific. It has soft, rounded red and black cherry fruit, a supple backbone and enough weight to take on grilled duck breast or a rare steak.

Great Western Shiraz 2022, Exceptional by Asda, Victoria, Australia, £7.98: Chock full of ripe blueberry and bramble fruit, edged with spice and wrapped in soft, elegant tannins, this is a wine to have on standby for meaty dinners and barbecues.

Extra Special Rosso di Montalcino 2019, Toscana, Italy, £18: If you rush to your local store, you may be able to pick up this wine for just £13.98, while it is on offer, but only while stocks last. Even so, it is well worth its full price with typical cherry and truffle notes of 100% Sangiovese wines, layered with silky tannins and with a finish that will see you through dinner.

Vidal Fleury Saint Joseph 2021, St. Joseph, France, £24: This is a lot to spend on a supermarket wine, but it is still great value against other retailers of this wine. Vidal-Fleury is based in the heart of the Northern Rhône, and they manage to pack succulent bramble fruit, pepper, forest floor and silky tannins into this wine. Buy at least two bottles, one for now and one for later.