What? Are you serving Lidl wine?

Do you serve a little Lidl wine to your guests without embarrassment? And do you admit it honestly? Maybe you should give it a try. Who knows, it might turn out surprisingly well.

Wine is emotion. At least, to a large extent. In that case, the gloomy, fluorescent-lit wine experience at Lidl is not exactly a plus. After all, the art of seduction is also about what the eye perceives. And when you see those torn-open wine boxes, a beautiful glass of wine is not the first thing that comes to mind.

We Dutch

But what if someone has whispered to you that one particular supermarket wine is really worth it? And its price is wonderfully low too. Then perhaps we’ll put our low opinion aside for a moment and rush en masse to the nearest Lidl branch. Because we Dutch also find ‘good value’ very tempting.

Sommelier Jan-Willem van der Hek – recently voted Best Sommelier of the Netherlands for the second time – has been involved as a wine adviser in selecting the wines for this supermarket chain for some time. That already raises high expectations.

Not the cheapest, but what a delight this wine is.

Highest quality

Miss WineLane put it to the test and, together with a tasting panel, examined seven summer wines from Lidl’s range. In the glasses: four whites, two rosés and one red. All but one were French. The cheapest was € 3,99 and the most expensive € 8,99. You certainly don’t need to let the price put you off. But Lidl has a motto: the highest quality for the lowest price. We were going to test that.

WHITE

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie 2014 – Domaine Gadais | Loire

€ 4,49 | rating 8,3

A delicious, saline wine with floral aromas and a lovely, fresh acidity. Enjoyable as an aperitif and fantastic with shellfish. A more than excellent glass of wine. Especially at this price!

Reuilly – Fiefs des Comelias 2015 | Loire

€ 8,99 | rating 7,5

One of the most expensive of the bunch, but it’s worth it. Aromatic Sauvignon Blanc. Green and fresh, yet full-bodied and lively on the palate. The alcohol is a little on the high side, but it still has lovely finesse. Delicious with goat’s cheese.

Grüner Veltliner 2015 | Niederösterreich

€ 3,99 | rating 7,3

Floral and soft on the nose. Ripe apple, pear and a little pepper on the palate. It almost seems sparkling when poured. ‘Spritzig’ is certainly characteristic of this Austrian wine, but this is quite a lot. Nevertheless, a fun, surprising aperitif wine. And at this price, you certainly don’t need to leave it on the shelf.

Bergerac Blanc – Franquette 2014 | Sûd-Ouest

€ 4,49 | rating 6,3

A somewhat flat blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle and Sémillon. Few aromas. A little more roundness and ripeness on the palate, but little tension here too. Not unpleasant, rather a dull bistro wine. Its low price brings it up to a reasonable score.

ROSÉ

Sancerre Rosé 2014 | Loire

€ 8,99 | rating 8

Not the cheapest, but what a delight this wine is. Sancerre is usually white, but this time the glass holds a lightly coloured rosé made from Pinot Noir grapes. A beautiful, earthy aroma with cherries, strawberries and some dried fruit. Spicy, with a slightly rustic character and a fresh finish. Delicious with poultry or a pasta salad. This certainly wouldn’t look out of place on the shelves of a good wine shop.

Grand Bosquet Sélection 2015 | Côtes du Marmandais

€ 3,99 | rating 4,8

The biggest loser. A meaningless rosé made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Sweets. That is all we could think of; in its colour, aroma and taste. Naturally, it is wonderfully cheap, and there are surely people who enjoy this. We’re not among them..

RED

Serabel 2014 | Costières de Nîmes

€ 3,99 | rating 6,5

A red summer wine from the Southern Rhône. A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Spicy, juicy, with lots of dark red fruit and a slightly sultry character. A decent glass for a barbecue or drinks. Not bad for the price if served chilled (12-13 ºC). A little barnyard-like on the finish, though.

Thanks to the tasting panel, consisting of Nienke Munnik (wine magazine Perswijn), Kim van Schaik (maître-sommelier at Restaurant Elkaar) and Stijntje de Boer (owner of wine importer De Boer & Wijn).

Image: Romy Kooij | Miss WineLane