Susy Atkins

Flavoured gins continue to grow in popularity as brands expand into fruit, floral, spicy and experimental varieties. A tasting of 35 full‑strength gins found that the best maintain clear juniper character and natural balance, while overly sweet or artificial versions fall short. Experts advise pairing flavoured gins with plain tonic or soda to preserve flavour clarity, using stronger garnishes like ginger or citrus when desired. Standout successes and several gins to avoid are identified across a price range from budget to premium.

Susy Atkins highlights Sainsbury’s strongest wines for summer 2026 after tasting 70 bottles at the retailer’s spring/summer media tasting. French and Italian whites and French reds performed particularly well, while six recommendations cost £9 or less. The retailer’s Taste the Difference range dominated the tasting, although the rosé selection was judged inconsistent. Shoppers can also benefit from Sainsbury’s occasional buy-six, save-25-per-cent promotion, including a current offer running until 30 May.

Susy Atkins recommends the best wines currently available at Co-op after tasting 72 bottles at the retailer’s spring-summer press tasting in London. She highlights classy European whites, good-value New World reds and selected Fairtrade wines, while criticizing some rosés, particularly older 2024 vintages. Co-op’s expanded Irresistible range now includes 43 wines, and member-card holders can receive 25% off when buying three qualifying bottles from May 20 to 26 in England and Wales.

Wine expert Susy Atkins assesses Marks & Spencer’s spring and summer wine range, highlighting its expanded Found collection of unusual grape varieties and lesser-known regions. Italian wines emerge as the strongest overall selection, with five of the top picks coming from Italy. The retailer’s range also includes experimental styles such as low-intervention rosé, pet-nat, orange wine and English sparkling red. M&S offers a permanent 10 per cent discount when customers buy four or more wines, rather than temporary promotions on individual bottles.

Vinho verde from northern Portugal is presented as an affordable, refreshing spring wine with crisp acidity, relatively low alcohol and food-friendly flavours. Modern versions have moved beyond the fizzy, sweet and bland reputation of older examples, offering dry or off-dry wines with citrus, apple, peach, herbal and lime notes. The article recommends exploring single-varietal loureiro and alvarinho, highlights white wines as generally superior to rosé examples, and recommends the richer Márcio Lopes O Camino Monção e Melgaço Alvarinho 2023 as a £20.50 premium option.

Icewine is a rare, expensive dessert wine made from grapes harvested and pressed while frozen on the vine, producing concentrated sweetness balanced by crisp acidity. Germany, Austria, New York’s Finger Lakes and China make it, but Canada—particularly Ontario—is the leading producer. Canadian versions commonly use Vidal or Riesling grapes and offer flavours of peach, apricot and marmalade. The wine is best served chilled on its own or paired with fruity desserts and blue cheese; sparkling versions complement creamy desserts. Because production is small and labour-intensive, icewine is generally sold in half-bottles for special occasions and is available in the UK mainly through retailers such as Waitrose and Majestic.

Susy Atkins explains how to use leftover port before it loses freshness, noting that opened bottles generally keep for up to a month when resealed and stored cool and dark. Suggestions include serving it in mulled wine, hot toddies and cocktails; pairing white or pink port with tonic; matching red and tawny ports with cheeses, meats and desserts; and using red port in sauces, gravies, braises and fruit jellies. The article also outlines serving temperatures and recommends buying additional bottles if supplies run low.

South Africa’s Cap Classique is recommended as a high-quality, good-value alternative to Champagne, Prosecco, Cava and other New Year’s Eve sparkling wines. Made using the traditional bottle-fermentation method and aged on lees for at least a year, it offers richer, more complex flavours such as brioche, toast, cream and fruit. The category began in 1971, now represents about 11 million bottles annually, and has grown rapidly through the Cap Classique Producers’ Association. Six recommended bottles are priced between £9.99 and £16.

Wales’s wine industry remains much smaller than England’s but is gaining recognition, with 56 commercial vineyards producing sparkling and still wines. The hot 2025 vintage has generated optimism among producers, particularly for traditional-method sparkling wines, Solaris whites and emerging styles such as pet-nats and orange wines. Variable harvests and the acidity associated with cool-climate viticulture remain significant challenges, but strong 2025 results suggest Welsh wine is becoming an established category. The article also recommends visits to White Castle Vineyard, The Dell Vineyard and Llanerch Vineyard Hotel.

Britain’s cider and perry producers are reporting an unusually abundant and high-quality 2025 harvest, driven by early picking and high sugar levels in sun-rich fruit. Although dry weather stressed young trees and could reduce the 2026 harvest, artisan producers may release stronger, richer or sweeter single-vintage drinks once the new season begins. The piece explains the distinction between apple-based cider and pear-based perry and advises avoiding overly sweet, fruit-flavoured high-street products, with a forthcoming selection of recommended bottles.

Limoncello is gaining popularity in Britain as a spritz made with prosecco and sparkling water, with Marks & Spencer reporting strong sales of its canned version and Wetherspoons adding the drink to its menu. Traditionally, the Italian liqueur is served neat as a digestif, especially in southern Italy, and is made from lemon zest, neutral spirit and sugar syrup. The article recommends seeking bottles that balance sweetness with tart lemon flavour, explains how to store the liqueur, and provides a two-week homemade limoncello recipe.

Susy Atkins recommends lower-cost alternatives to expensive summer wine styles, including crémant or Cava instead of English sparkling wine, Burgundy crémant or South African fizz instead of Champagne, southern French or Spanish rosé instead of premium Provence bottles, Chilean Sauvignon Blanc instead of Cloudy Bay, unoaked French or cooler-climate New World Chardonnay instead of Chablis, and Pinot Noir from countries such as Chile, South Africa, Romania and New Zealand instead of costly red Burgundy. For barbecues, she contrasts expensive Penfolds Shiraz with cheaper but carefully selected alternatives.

A properly made Pimm’s should use a 1:3 ratio of spirit to well-chilled lemonade or ginger ale, with the mixer added just before serving to preserve its fizz. Fresh strawberries, orange, cucumber and mint are recommended as traditional garnishes, while tinned fruit and unconventional additions such as marshmallows, olives and bacon are discouraged. The guide also recommends several alternatives to Pimm’s, including Aldi’s Austin’s Summer Punch and Sacred’s Rosehip Cup, as well as The Pathfinder Hemp and Root Non-Alcoholic Spirit for a booze-free version. Ice should be added to individual glasses rather than the jug to avoid dilution.

English wine is expensive because cool-climate vineyards produce low grape yields, the industry lacks economies of scale, bad harvests can raise costs, and most sparkling wine is made using the labor-intensive traditional method. Despite the price, good vintages offer fresh acidity and zesty fruit flavours. Better value can be found through English Wine Week promotions, retailer own-labels, Charmat-method sparkling wines, and still whites and rosés, which are often cheaper than sparkling wines. The wines are best served moderately chilled, consumed within a few days, and paired with light summer dishes.

Lower-alcohol wines can help reduce alcohol and calorie intake, but moderation remains important. Cooler climates such as Germany’s Mosel, northern Portugal, France’s Loire Valley and England tend to produce lighter wines, while riesling and prosecco are particularly suitable choices. Vineyard practices, early harvesting and halted fermentation can also reduce alcohol levels, though halted fermentation may leave more sugar and therefore not necessarily fewer calories. The piece recommends dry, medium and sweet options and explains how to identify sweetness, why lower-alcohol reds are uncommon, and how long lighter wines remain fresh after opening.

Susy Atkins assesses Sainsbury’s spring and summer 2025 wine selection, focusing on the retailer’s 141-strong Taste the Difference range and its limited-edition Discovery Collection. She praises the light whites and several New World reds, while finding many New World whites, sparkling wines, rosés and European reds inconsistent. The selection includes new wines from regions such as Argentina and New Zealand, with seasonal multi-bottle discounts offering potential savings.

Susy Atkins recommends affordable wines for common takeaway meals, matching off-dry riesling with Chinese dishes, pinot noir with pepperoni pizza, carménère with Indian meat curries, chardonnay with fried chicken, sauvignon blanc with Thai green curry, crémant with fish and chips, rosé with falafels and hummus, and Rioja with beef burgers. She also advises avoiding heavily sauced foods, very oaky wines with fried chicken, reds with coconut-based Thai dishes, and excessive ketchup, vinegar or hot sauces that can overwhelm wine.

Albariño, known as alvarinho in Portugal, is presented as an especially refreshing spring and summer white, with citrus, peach, floral and saline notes. Traditionally associated with Galicia’s Rías Baixas and northern Portugal’s Vinho Verde, the grape is gaining momentum in New Zealand, where ocean-influenced climates produce more fruit-forward wines while retaining brisk acidity and subtle salinity. It is recommended with seafood, salads, asparagus, risottos, goat’s cheese and lighter chicken dishes, with prices ranging from approachable party wines to premium bottles for special occasions.

Susy Atkins reviews nearly 100 wines from Aldi’s core and spring-summer ranges, identifying 12 recommended bottles and three to avoid. She argues that Aldi’s unconventional offerings—including Austrian white blends, Bulgarian rosé and a Washington state red—are more compelling than many familiar styles such as New Zealand sauvignon blanc, Argentinian malbec and French rosé. The seasonal range is available through summer, with further additions expected in May.

Susy Atkins recommends crémant as an affordable alternative to champagne and English sparkling wine, noting that it is produced using the traditional bottle-fermentation method in French regions outside Champagne. The article highlights its dry, refined character, explains how lees ageing adds complexity, and identifies Asda Extra Special Crémant de Loire Rosé Brut NV as the best value at £11 and Morrisons The Best Crémant de Limoux Brut Rosé NV as the leading supermarket choice at £12.50. Regional differences are linked to grape varieties and climate, with Burgundy, Jura and the Loire Valley singled out for distinctive styles.

A simple seasonal rhubarb Kir cocktail is made by stewing chopped rhubarb with sugar and water, straining the resulting pink syrup, and topping it with cold, dry white wine. The recipe serves two to three and recommends crisp, unoaked wines such as Burgundy aligoté or English bacchus.