Is Aldi's new online wine delivery service full of fizz or flat?

The budget supermarket is now venturing into deliveries for the first time. But what's its wine service offering and how does it compare to its more established rivals?

Aldi has unveiled an online wine store which will deliver across Britain.

The German supermarket has won awards for its wine range and has become a popular place to stock up on booze for less.

Aldi claims one in every 13 bottles of wine and one in 12 bottles of champagne purchased in the UK are bought in its stores.

Matthew Barnes, CEO of Aldi UK, said: "Starting with wines is a logical first step for us. It's a standout category for Aldi and often the entry point for customers who haven't shopped with us before.”

The £35 million online launch is part of the retailer’s long-term strategy to grow profits and get more people to shop at Aldi even if they haven’t got a physical store nearby.

Aldi currently operates more than 630 UK stores and plans to open a further 83 this year.

What you can get

Aldi’s new site features more than 90 different wines including bestsellers from its stores and online exclusives.

Shoppers won’t be able to mix and match bottles. Instead they can choose a case of six or order a ready-mixed case from a selection of regions.

A six-bottle case of Toro Loco Tempranillo Superior for £20.94 is the cheapest you can get on the site, while the priciest is a six-bottle case of Champagne Blanc de Blanc 2010 for £119.94.

Home delivery is free on orders over £50, but there’s a £3 fee if your basket falls under this amount. Shoppers can also collect their orders from over 5,500 Collect+ locations    

Deliveries are available in England, Scotland and Wales but not Northern Ireland.

Aldi plans to expand its online service between April and June to include its range of popular ‘special buys’ – weekly offers which can be on anything from electrical items to DIY tools.

How Aldi compares

We’ve taken a look at the wine you can get from Aldi and compared it to what you would pay for a similar bottle at supermarket rivals Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s as well as major wine retailer Majestic Wine.

Red wines

Here’s how Aldi compares on a Spanish tempranillo and an Italian amarone red wine.

*Not sold individually online

**Bottle available for £6.66 when you mix six in one order

Aldi is the best value option if you’re after a taste of tempranillo from Rioja. However if you are willing to mix and match with Majestic Wine you could get it for even cheaper.

Now here's a comparison for amarone.

*Not sold individually online

**Bottle available for £27 when you mix six in one order

When it comes to scoring a bottle of amarone Tesco is cheapest at £12.50 a bottle followed by Aldi at £14.99 a bottle.

White wines

Here’s how Aldi compares when looking to buy a Chablis and a New Zealand sauvignon blanc.

*Not sold individually online

**Bottle available for £10.65 when you mix six in one order

For some Chablis Aldi is cheapest at £7.99 a bottle followed closely by Tesco who has a version for £8 a pop.

*Not sold individually online

**Bottle available for £8.99 when you mix six in one order

Aldi comes top again with a New Zealand sauvignon blanc at £5.89 a bottle followed by Asda and Tesco which both offer a bottle for £9.75.

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Verdict

Aldi can certainly challenge big supermarket rivals on price and in some cases even outdoes major wine retailer Majestic Wine.

But when it comes to wine your personal taste should be your starting point. For those that don’t have an Aldi store nearby the new online shop is the perfect way to see if you like what’s on offer.

Once you’ve done a taste test you can decide if it is worth switching where you stock up to save money.

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