Will Lyons Uncorked

The joys of cheap wine

Robert Parker, the hugely influential American wine critic whose system of rating wines out of 100 has transformed the fine wine market, has admitted that he enjoys cheap wine as much as anyone else. Speaking from a food and wine festival in Tokyo, the man who spends most of his days critiquing bottles worth well north of £200 has admitted that the consumer is actually only really interested in less-expensive wines.

Is this the Hans Christian Andersen moment the wine world has been waiting for, when the small boy decries the naked Emperor for not wearing any clothes? Perhaps not, but it does highlight the difficulty in rating wines. Most wines with a hefty price tag suffer under the weight of expectation. As a nation I suspect we gain more pleasure from having discovered a bargain then we do from the uncomfortable realisation that the glass we are drinking cost nearly as much as a glass of Chanel No. 5.

Bargains of the week

There are a few wines at the Co-op worth seeking out this week. Among the highlights is a full, rounded sparkling rosé from Cava. At £4.99, down from £7.99, it's well worth snaffling a case for the round of summer parties.

The Co-op has also knocked £5 off Chateau Fonreaud, Cru Bourgeois 2003, from Bordeaux. Many of you will remember there was a ferocious heat wave in France in 2003 and, as a result, the wines have a forward, easy drinking, jammy style. Primarily cabernet sauvignon, this blend is attractively ripe with smoky blackcurrant notes. It is drinking well now and for £8.99 is better value than a lot of other clarets I could mention.

Blason de Bourgogne is a rare species – a palatable French wine brand that offers a great interpretation of good-value white burgundy. St Véran is often overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbour Pouilly-Fuissé which means it is frequently under priced. Tesco is running Blason de Bourgogne St Véran at £6.56 a bottle, down from £8.74. This is a snip at the price.

Counting calories

Finally, I notice that Blue Nun is attempting yet another comeback, this time with a low alcohol number – Blue Nun Heavenly. Targeting female drinkers, it comes in just below 9% alcohol with, according to the release, only 77 calories a glass. Perhaps this is the way to save the nation's alcohol problem. With most large glasses of red packing in around 100 calories a glass, that makes that ripe, juicy bottle of red the equivalent of two full-size Mars bars. If Blue Heavenly takes off be prepared for a raft of diet wine.