How to buy good cheap wine: Jilly Goolden's guide 

By Jilly Goolden

George Doyle

You can improve the taste of even a cheap red with Jilly's tricks

I drink a lot of wines that cost less than £8 a bottle. And love it!

When most people buy wine they look for a bargain. But let me say right away that a buy-one-get-one-free offer or 50% price cut is very seldom a real bargain.

As with all brilliant-sounding offers, the offer price is the actual price. The so-called original price is invented to make the false offer possible. Got that off my chest!

But it is possible to buy good cheap wine - and there are genuine bargains too such as big discounts on EVERY wine in the store.

Until November 25 Tesco is offering 25% off all wines if you buy two cases. The supermarket is also offering the same discount on four or more bottles of wine and Champagne on home delivery or click & collect orders.

I just bought Tesco Finest Pecorino, which I particularly like, for £4.49 a bottle with this discount.

Do you get what you pay for with wine? Is a £30 wine six times better or more enjoyable than a £5 bottle? Usually not.

Unless you know your onions your £30 could well be poured down the drain.

A lot of high prices are bumped up by the renown and pedigree of the region or producer - things you definitely don't taste in the glass. Bordeaux is a classic case in point.

Even a classy-looking Bordeaux at £30 could make your cheeks pucker.

You'd most likely find one under £10 more enjoyable.

If buying wines in the £5 to £7 price band, it's best to avoid the well-known big brands (the sort you see advertised) which are usually dull and often unnecessarily sweet.

Instead look for a wine you haven't heard of (maybe from a grape you know and like).

Going to a supermarket that prides itself on good prices (Lidl, Aldi, Asda, Co-op) is a good place to look for a bargain.

And they pride themselves on their wines. If you buy really cheap white, before you serve it, chill it until it's really cold.

If you buy cheap red, open it, pour out a glass, and leave the wine in the glass and in the bottle to breathe for an hour. That makes it softer-tasting.

Finally, there are delicious offerings which cost a bomb and are worth it for a treat. But don't take a stab in the dark talk to someone who knows.

Read Christelle Guibert's guide to the 10 best bottles of wine costing under £10 . 

Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/personal-finance/how-buy-good-cheap-wine-4654122