The best wines from M&S, Co-op and Waitrose that you've probably never heard of

The tree, planted from pips planted several decades before by a young girl called Mary Ann Brailsford became the source for all the cuttings and the DNA of the Bramley apple variety that we now know and love.

It means that just one afternoon’s enthusiastic chopping down of a single fruit tree would have robbed the world of the fabulous flavours of the Bramley apple.

It is the same with grape varieties. There are over 10,000 grape varieties in the world, but still, we concentrate only on a dozen main varieties to enjoy as wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Syrah, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are on the wine shelves around the world, leaving very little space for thousands of other grapes.

It means that grape growers who have an ancient plot of a relatively unknown variety, have a choice. Either cut down those old heritage vines and plant shiny new varieties or make wine that nobody has heard of.

Only locals will buy that wine, and they probably won’t pay much for it. No wonder that when one generation passes on their vineyards the old vines often get pulled out and new ones planted.

And while we all love our favourite grapes, sometimes the tastebuds cry out for something different. That is why supermarket buyers have headed off down the side roads of wine regions, discovering old vines and encouraging winemakers to make wines with them.

This is not just good for our own enjoyment; it can bring a new wave of prosperity to a region as well as saving the vital genetic material of old vines. Many old vines have survived for over a century without complicated irrigation schemes, and so they could hold the key to grape growing in these years of climate change.

Here are some grapes and wines that you may not have heard of, but they offer new flavours and the chance to explore some new regions.

White wines

M&S Found Lucido 2023, Sicily, Italy, Marks and Spencer £8 (also at Ocado): Lucido is a new name for an old grape. Formerly known as Catarratto, which is famous although perhaps not as loved as it should be, Lucido offers citrus and herbs with a rounded style and a minerally finish.

Unearthed Gemischter Satz 2024, Niederösterreich, Austria, Aldi £8.99: Gemischter is not a variety, but a field blend of different grapes, cultivated, picked and fermented together which is how vines used to be planted. I might have a guess at the component parts, but it doesn’t actually matter. The wine is fresh and zesty with light floral notes, peach and citrus flavours and enough weight and texture to stand up to a springtime salad. Great value.

Loved and Found Aranel 2023, Riverina, Australia, Waitrose £9: Aranel is a fairly recent crossing of two relatively unknown French grapes and while it has not become popular in its home country, there are significant amounts in Australia where it produces a wine with peach and mango notes with a clear, zesty finish.

M&S Found Organic Verdil, Valencia, Spain 2023, Marks and Spencer £9 (also at Ocado): Verdil is an almost extinct grape variety, now being rescued and replanted. The vines grow at 750 metres altitude to keep flavours fresh, and the wine has warm peachy fruit, with nectarines and a long finish.

Petritis 2023, Kyperounda Winery, Cyprus, Field and Fawcett £17.95: Cyprus is a treasure trove of old grapes, such as Xynisteri which is the most widely planted white grape on the island. It makes fresh citrus-driven wines that accompany fish perfectly, and it can age delightfully developing complexity and depth along the way. At an altitude of over 1000 metres, the Kyperounda Winery produces some of the best wines in Cyprus.

Red Wines

Unearthed Kratosija Red Wine 2023, North Macedonia, Aldi £6.99: Kratosija is a relative of the Primitivo grape, which is also linked to Zinfandel, and while there are definite similarities in flavour with redcurrant, plum and spice notes this is lighter in style than most Primitivo wines with a freshness that can cut through a plate of paté and sausages.

M&S Found Marzemino 2023, Veneto, Italy, Marks and Spencer £8 (also at Ocado): Marzemino is an old northern Italian variety first mentioned in the 16th century and the grape is even described as ‘excellent’ in Mozart’s Don Giovanni opera.

In springtime, Marzemino is definitely a wine to sing about for its bright cherry and black fruits with soft tannins and its ability to sit alongside a herb-spiked roast chicken or even enjoyed chilled in sunshine.

Irresistible País 2023, Valle del Maipo, Chile, Co-op £8.50: País is the native grape of Chile and has been growing there for centuries. These are really old vines, mainly in the south of the country and, until recently, the farmers could not make a living from growing País, so they started to pull out the vines.

Now the delicious juicy, cherry, cranberry and raspberry flavours of País are being appreciated again, and the farmers are starting to value their vines again. This is a win-win wine. We get the wine, and the farmers make a living.

Loved and Found Piedirosso 2023, Campania, Waitrose £9: This old variety comes from the area around Vesuvius and the name translates as ‘red feet’, because the stalks of the bunches are red. This is a terrific chunky plum and bramble-filled wine with savoury herbs and soft, easy tannins. A little oak ageing has added light vanilla notes, giving complexity.

Pedrera Monastrell 2023, Juan Gil, Jumilla, Spain, Martinez Wines, £12.49: Monastrell is also known as Mourvèdre or Mataro but the old vines of Jumilla seem to be a different clone or at least have different characteristics to newer French versions of this variety. The old vines of Jumilla, some a century old, are grown close to the ground, wide spaced because there is only 250mm of rain each year and the yield is tiny.

But still growers persist with their vines and the company founded by Juan Gil five generations ago and still run by family, is one of the main quality producers of the region. This is a ripe, juicy style of Monastrell with rounded plum and cherry fruit and a hint of chocolate on the finish.