Usually, most supermarkets will have a couple of press tastings a year. Tesco have had three in 2007, altogether showing nearly 500 different wines. That’s a lot. It’s largely considering they’ve been making a real effort with their range, and it shows: there are some interesting wines here, and the quality is consistently good. It’s hard to be objective about which of the big retailers has the best range, but in broad-brush terms it seems that Tesco and Asda are on the up, while Sainsbury is treading water a bit. M&S seems to be doing quite well, but I don’t know Morrisons/Safeway/Coop well adequate to say too much about their performance.

Today’s Tesco tasting was held, once again, at County Hall, overlooking the Thames. It’s a really good venue, although I nearly wandered into the Star Wars exhibition on the way out after getting lost in a maze of oak-panelled corridors.

Interesting wines included: my first look at the 2000 Musar, which is a pretty good vintage for that wine; the 2001 Noval LBV, which is really good, once again; a lovely PX from Gonzalez Byass that’s only £4.99/half; Tyrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 2000, which is a great Hunter white that’s worth its £20 asking price; and a beefy but elegant Yering Station Reserve Shiraz Viognier 2005.

Original post by Jamie