SPAR’s passion for wine sits within their core values with community and sustainability at the heart of everything they do.
To celebrate this passion, Thursday, April 11 marks the start of SPAR’s 2024 Wine Festival: part of their SPAR-tacular Summer promotion.
The festival will feature a range of delicious wines across multiple price brackets, great value deals and some amazing giveaways on SPAR South West’s social media.
SPAR wants to make choosing wine simpler for all of their customers while raising the bar within convenience.
Carefully curated
All of SPAR’s wines are carefully curated by Philippa Carr, a Master of Wine - one of only 409 individuals worldwide to hold this prestigious title.
In fact, this qualification is so exclusive that fewer people have achieved it than have ventured into space.
After a decade of creating award-winning wines for a major supermarket, Philippa returned to SPAR where she now enthusiastically works as a consultant creating deliciously exclusive own-brand wines for SPAR’s customers.
Adam Georgiou, Brand Manager for Own Label Beers, Wines and Spirits at SPAR UK says: “It’s an understatement to say that our Master of Wine knows a thing or two about the best wine!
Every month, Philippa Carr carefully hand-selects a Pick of the Bunch wine to feature across SPAR’s stores.
This month’s pick is a New Zealand White, the SPAR Fern Hills Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. With flavours of gooseberry, well-balanced zesty fruit, green apple, and ripe melon, mixed with subtle herbaceous mineral notes. This wine produced on New Zealand’s South Island is a light, dry white which pairs well with shellfish, vegetarian dishes, or goat’s cheese.
From Chardonnay to Shiraz, Prosecco to Pinot Grigio, Philippa Carr is synonymous with good wine. Join her each month via the SPAR website or in-store for her Pick of the Bunch and soak up her expert insight on the best wines available at SPAR.
Vegan own-label wine range
SPAR is also proud to be the first grocer with a 100% vegan own-label wine range.
The range includes over 70 wines, which have won more than 190 awards over the last three years.
Adam Georgiou explained: “Every year, more than half a million people take part in Veganuary in the UK alone.
“But, regardless of their eating habits or lifestyles, people are increasingly looking for vegan products.
“So, we decided to create more inclusive ranges that cater to our customers.
“We have a fantastic range of high-quality, affordable wines and we’re confident there’s something for every wine drinker – whether they are vegan, flexitarian or a meat eater.”
What are the most popular food and wine pairings?
The most popular food and wine matches are those that work for you, but there are some pairings which a lot of people find successful so here are some general guidelines (not rules!)
Match the body of the wine with the body of the food – big, full-bodied wines work well with rich dishes
If you find some red wines too tannic (that’s the drying sensation on your gums), then matching the wine with protein like meat or hard cheese will make the wine appear smoother
Acidity in white wines will soften how you sense the tartness in food and vice versa. If Sauvignon Blanc is too acidic for you, squeeze some lemon juice over your food and the wine will seem milder. The same works with salt – salty foods make a wine taste less astringent.
Fancy a glass of wine with your pudding? Make sure the wine is sweeter than the dessert, otherwise, the combination will taste really tinny.
And if you need some inspiration, remember you really can’t go wrong when pairing the food of a country or a region with wines from the same place. Think pasta dishes with SPAR Chianti Colli Senesi.
SPAR Wine Festival – featured wines
Later this summer SPAR will launch their new entry-level value wines -white, rosé and red for customers who are looking for a simple, affordable wine option to pick up in-store.
The new designs showcase bold visuals with eye-catching colours and descriptors that are engaging and accessible to the shopper, helping them to navigate the range more easily.
Generally speaking, the red wine is bold, full-bodied and tastes like blackberries; the white wine is crisp and refreshing and tastes like apples and pears; and the rosé is fresh, fruity and tastes like strawberries and summer fruits.
SPAR's new entry-level wines are keenly priced, starting from only £4.99 a bottle, and are just perfect for the consumer who wants a simple offering of white, red or rosé.
SPAR-Tacular Wine Festival
SPAR’s Wine Festival runs from April 11 to May 1 and features some fantastic offers on great wines from SPAR’s own range and selected big brands, at participating stores in the South West.
So what wines feature?
SPAR Picpoul de Pinet
Tasting & Aroma notes: Fresh and delicate, crisp, citrus scented
Great for: Hot summers by the sea
Food Pairings: Oysters, fresh fish dishes
Price: £9.99
SPAR Marques de Vinos Rioja Tempranillo
Tasting & Aroma notes: Warming savoury flavours combined with red fruits
Great for: Tapas evenings, evening dinner parties
Food Pairings: Tapas, roast pork dishes
Price: £6.79
Jam Shed Rhubarb/Strawberry
Tasting & Aroma notes: Rosé, jam-packed with fruity flavours, berry notes, smooth vanilla.
Great for: Afternoon tea, summer, picnics.
Food Pairings: Fresh fruit, cream tea.
Price: £6.49
Jam Shed Black Forest Mess
Tasting & Aroma notes: Rich, sweet and jammy, Morello cherry and chocolate.
Great for: Afternoon tea, summer, picnics.
Food Pairings: Fresh fruit, desserts.
Price: £6.49
Mirabeau Classic Rosé
Tasting & Aroma notes: Wild strawberries, raspberries and gentle spice notes.
Great for: Summer, late afternoon meals, tapas.
Food Pairings: Spicy and aromatic meals, Mediterranean dishes.
Price: £11.99
Mirabeau Belle Annee Rosé
Tasting & Aroma notes: Red summer berries followed by zesty citrus flavours,
Great for: Summer, late afternoon meals,
Food Pairings: Spicy and aromatic meals, savoury dishes.
Price: £8.99
Kylie Prosecco 0%
Tasting & Aroma notes: Fresh strawberries, refreshing, finely balanced.
Great for: Brunches, summer, barbecues.
Food Pairings: Fresh salads, sushi, seafood.
Price: £5.49
Knock Knock Wine
Tasting & Aroma notes: Semi-dry, blackberry, raspberry, caramel, leather.
Great for: Barbecues, parties, summer.
Food Pairings: Dark food, bright and hearty dishes, spicy foods.
Price: £7.99
The Wanderer Wine
Tasting & Aroma notes: Full-bodied, rich, velvety black fruits, hints of spice, smooth oak.
Great for: Barbecues, summer, adventures.
Food Pairings: Grilled meats and vegetables, steak, barbecue.
Price: £9.99
Squealing Pig Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting & Aroma notes: Punchy tropical fruit, bright, refreshing with citrus and herbaceous notes.
Great for: Summer, beach barbecues, dinner with friends.
Food Pairings: Grilled fish, smoky flavours, fresh tomato and basil salads, Thai curries.
Price: £8.99
Thornbury Marlborough Sauvignon
Tasting & Aroma notes: Lime, lemongrass, freshly cut herbs, clean, crisp with a bright acidity.
Great for: Dinner with friends, afternoon barbecues.
Food Pairings: Shellfish, mussels in white wine sauce, fresh salads.
Price: £6.99
Sipping into summer
So try SPAR for local value right on your doorstep - www.spar.co.uk/store-locator
These products are only available to people aged 18+. SPAR follows the Challenge 25 policy so you may be asked for ID when purchasing. Please drink responsibly. Do not drink if you are pregnant.
