Pinor Noir: The best pinot noir wines from Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury's for under £30

As we move away from heart-warming casseroles towards lighter dishes, I find that Pinot Noir sits perfectly alongside roast chicken, baked fish and occasional veggie dishes that have plenty of flavour but not too much weight.

This is where Pinot Noir does so well. This is the grape that gently releases its magical aromas of light strawberry scents and dark earthy complexity that go so well with food.

Its flavours are on a spectrum that starts simple and easy and evolves through regional differences to heart-stopping, savoury silkiness with a finish that can last until next week. But how much would you pay for a good Pinot Noir?

If your tastebuds steer you towards Burgundy, then you will definitely need a strong bank balance. Even fairly standard generic Burgundy has risen in price and if you are looking for a particular village or vineyard then be prepared for an eyewatering, although probably delicious experience.

That’s when you need to find another region. New Zealand has quickly become a source of excellent Pinot, with supermarket own label wines offering some great flavours for money while individual estates climb higher in price and in quality.

Australian Pinot Noir comes mainly from the cool Adelaide Hills or the smart set of producers on the Mornington Peninsular, although Tasmania is starting to gather a reputation for this grape.

Chile does some terrific great value Pinot Noir, while South Africa has a cluster of excellent producers in Hemel-en-Aarde who are pushing quality standards higher each vintage.

There are also some great producers in the South of France who find cool regions where Pinot can thrive.

Here are some favourites, with £30 as an absolute top price.

Estevez Chilean Pinot Noir 2023, Valle de Casablanca, Chile, Aldi £6.99: This comes from the Casablanca Valley which fills up with cooling mist every morning, keeping temperatures low until around mid-day. The result is a place when Pinot grows well, ripening in sunshine, but keeping cool overnight. With bags of juicy redcurrant and cherry fruit and a good mid-palate weight, this is a great value Pinot.

Specially Selected Le Bourgeron Pinot Noir 2023, Limoux, France, Aldi £6.99: Another astonishing deal from Aldi, this one from the cool hills of Limoux. It has a soft, light style, with delicate red cherry and strawberry fruit and a gentle fresh finish.

Antonin Rodet Pinot Noir 2023, France, Morrisons £9.50 down to £8.50 with a More card until 30 March: Tasting well above its price point this wine has bright cherry and cranberry fruit, with soft, supple tannins and a thread of freshness across the finish. This is just a humble Vin de France, but the presentation looks very Burgundian.

Calmel and Joseph Organic Pinot Noir, France, Waitrose down from £13.50 to £11.50 until 15 April: Made from 30-year-old Pinot Noir vines, grown organically at altitude to keep flavours fresh, this wine has fresh summer fruit flavours, edged with spice and a hint of earthy forest floor. It comes from the dynamic duo of Laurent Calmel and Jérôme Joseph who seek out the best plots of land across the Languedoc to source their grapes.

Cap Maritime Pinot Noir 2023, Cape South Coast, South Africa, Tesco £14 down to £12.50 with a Clubcard until 24 March: What do you do when you are already famous for steering Boekenhoutskloof to stardom? The answer is simple, you create another wine in another region. Marc Kent is behind this rounded, elegant Pinot made from grapes grown in the cool Hemel-en-Aarde valley.

Gottfried Mocke, winemaker at Boukenhoutskloof is also winemaker here – which is easy because the two regions enjoy different climates and so different harvest dates. Think strawberry fruit, fresh cherries and a savoury edge that goes perfectly with food.

Devil’s Corner Pinot Noir 2023, Tasmania, Australia, Tesco £15 down to £13.50 with a Clubcard until 24 March: This comes from Tamar Ridge, now owned by Australian producers Brown Brothers, in the northeast part of Tasmania. The wine reflects to cool climate of this region with light cherry and cranberry fruit, a touch of herbs and a crunchy, raspberry finish.

Pinot Noir Le Village, Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon, Organic Pinot Noir, 2020, Languedoc, Majestic £13.99 on a mix six deal: Laurent Delaunay, from Burgundy is the man behind this wine and even though the grapes come from Limoux which is one of the coolest spots in the south of France, he manages to add Burgundian elegance to the wine. It has warmer fruit than most Burgundies with complex savoury notes and a long, gentle finish, but if tasted blind it might have you guessing its origin.

Domaine Begude ‘Esprit’ Pinot Noir Organic 2023, Majestic £15.99 on a mix six deal: Made by English owners and sometimes Yorkshire-based James and Catherine Kinglake, Domaine Begude is in the hills of Limoux, so the style is light, with red cherry and raspberry fruit and a fresh, crisp finish.

Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2022, France, Sainsburys down from £21 to £18.50 until 8 April: Consistently good and well worth lining up against Pinots from around the world, this has rounded dark cherry and plum fruit, and enough structure to cope with roast lamb. It comes from one of the premier producers in Burgundy who own swathes of vineyard but also buy in from other respected growers. This wine has been aged in French oak barrels which have added depth and texture.

Mount Difficulty Pinot Noir 2020, Central Otago, New Zealand, Waitrose down from £31 to £26 until 15 April: The name of this winery comes from sheep-droving days when it was not just difficult but impossible to herd sheep through a nearby gorge.

Now planted to vines, the sheep don’t travel this way anymore, but should you happen to have a bottle of Mount Difficulty wine to hand, it would match perfectly with a slow-roast shoulder of lamb.

This is a deep-flavoured Pinot, with black cherry and blueberry fruit, laced with pepper spice with enough structure to stand up to a Sunday roast.