Lidl is selling a £9 budget version of Chateauneuf du Pape – but it won’t last long in stores
The wallet-friendly chain have just launched their exclusive Rhone Valley Wine Tour range
LIDL is selling a budget version of a very fancy red wine - and it's perfect if you want to sip on a posh tipple but don't want to break the bank.
The wallet-friendly chain have just launched their exclusive Rhone Valley Wine Tour range in time for Christmas - and one of the standouts is a bottle of £8.99 Vacqueyras.
And now a top wine expert has revealed it's similar to a much pricier tipple - Chateauneuf du Pape.
Master of Wine Richard Bampfield, who works with Lidl, told The Sun: "The Vacqueyras is made from the same grape varieties and the same region as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, so stylistically the wine is similar - and some of these famous wines can be much more expensive."
Chateauneuf du Pape is famed for being grown in the Rhone region and has won dozens of awards but it'll set you back anywhere from £25 to £250.
If you don't have that kind of budget to splash out on the regular (and really, who does?) you'd better get to Lidl fast, as the range is only there while the limited stock lasts.
Lidl's Rhone Valley Wine Tour range in full
Sparkling
Cuvée Cesar, Clairette de Die AOP, 2016 - £7.99
White
Café Terrasse Muscat, Vaucluse IGP, 2017 - £5.99
Colnem Blanc, Costières de Nîmes, AOC, 2017 - £6.49
Red
Dame de Clochevigne, Rasteau AOP, 2017 - £7.99
Vacqueyras, AOC, 2016 - £8.99
Les Aumoniers, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Seguret AOP, 2016 - £6.99
If you really want to go for the real deal however, Marks and Spencer is selling a Chateauneuf du Pape for £41 that .
One branded it "excellent", adding: "As I'm swallowing my first sip I'm thinking what a fab wine...love it and will definitely be buying more!!"
While another insisted it's the "best choice ever".
If you're in the market for a white though, Lidl's £6.49 Colnem Blanc looks to be a good bet.
Mr Bampfield even says it could be the perfect Christmas dinner tipple, adding that it has "plenty of body to stand up to the roast".
Other Rhone Valley wines on a budget
Tesco sells a Chapoutier Cotes Du Rhone Villages for £9 that has aromas of red fruits and spices such as liquorice and pepper.
Morrisons' award-winning Crozes Hermitage costs £12 and the supermarket claims its bold flavour is the perfect partner to a succulent steak.
Sainsbury's has also got a bottle of Côtes du Rhône Villages in its popular Taste The Difference range. The blend of Grenache and Syrah is best served with hearty casseroles and red meat dishes.
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But Lidl's not the only place you can pick up a great deal on booze before the festive season kicks in.
More of a G&T fan? Sainsbury's own-brand gin was crowned best supermarket gin in a blind taste test - and a 700ml bottle will only set you back £16.
And last month, Aldi launched a two-in-one gin and wine - and it's more boozy than normal bottles of the spirit.
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