The latest Marks & Spencer (M&S) tasting showcased wines for seasonal drinking and al fresco fun. There were 21 brand new listings, including six new varietals joining the Found range, which shines a light on unusual grapes and styles (see below).
Perfect for summer, there are also six new rosés. Alongside classic pale pink Provence styles, look out for the great value Myrtia Xinomavro Rosé 2024 (£10) from Greece and the crisp Italian Etna Rosato 2024 (£14), made from Nerello Mascalese grown in the volcanic vineyards of Sicily.
Scroll down for tasting notes and scores of the best M&S wine buys for spring and summer
English & Orange
M&S also continues to fly the flag for English wines, in response to increased demand from its customers. ‘One of our heartland areas for innovation is English wine, where we have introduced the first own-label Charmat method English fizz, first English pét-nat on the high street and now the first own-label English orange wine,’ says Caroline Thompson-Hill, head of beers, wines and spirits for M&S.
‘We know orange wine was a massive trend for us last year, with the launch of our Found Verdil, and this year we have two new skin-contact wines joining our line-up – a Kisi from Georgia and a Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio blend from England – which excitingly gives us the biggest offering of orange wine on the high street,’ adds M&S winemaker Sue Daniels.
Sparkling quality
The M&S fizz range continues to impress, with bottles to suit every budget for your summer celebrations. At £8 the new M&S Sparkling Ribolla Gialla 2024 makes a great alternative to Prosecco. ‘This is my top pick for summer,’ says senior wine buyer Dror Nativ MW. ‘Beautifully aromatic and floral, it is great enjoyed with all manner of antipasti in the sunshine.’
If you’d prefer to splash out on Champagne, seek out the dependable M&S Champagne Delacourt Brut NV (£25). Though if you’re looking for French fizz without Champagne prices, consider regional Crémants. The M&S range includes a Classics no12 Crémant de Bourgogne NV for £14 and Etoile de Timberlay Crémant de Bordeaux Brut (£10), both great value choices.
Or champion home-grown fizz with the new Rockferne English Sparkling Brut 2020 (£28) – my star pick from the sparkling lineup.
Brave New World
The latest intake of newcomers to the M&S range also featured a good proportion of bottles from the Southern Hemisphere. I was particularly impressed with wines from Yarri-Karri, a producer in Australia’s Margaret River. The 2022 Yarri-Karri Cabernet Sauvignon (£13) is a good value taster of the top-level Cabernets that this region can produce.
From South Africa, Marks & Spencer’s Classics No5 Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc 2024 (£8.50) is a versatile summer white. Made for M&S by South Africa’s Chenin King, Ken Forrester, this offers plenty of varietal character and is super value for money.
Fans of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc will already be familiar with the M&S Clocktower label. ‘This year our Clocktower wines have the potential to become the biggest premium NZ wine brand in the UK, overtaking Cloudy Bay – which is a real testament to the hard work we have done with our partners at Wither Hills to ensure these wines offer exceptional quality and a real sense of place,’ says senior wine buyer Jospeh Arthur.
Look out for the new addition to the range: Clocktower Chardonnay 2024 (£14) from a single vineyard in Wairau Valley. ‘This complements the other single-vineyard wines in the Clocktower range, championing Marlborough’s incredible terroir,’ adds Arthur.
Value discoveries
The exciting M&S Found range continues to showcase ‘unexpected and undiscovered varieties’ at prices that don’t make you afraid to try. Newcomers to the range that are worth seeking out this summer include the Found Scheurebe 2024, a bright zippy white from Germany’s Pfalz region (£9), and the juicy red Found Marzemino 2024, from Veneto in Italy, which you can serve lightly chilled on hot days (£8).
Several popular Found wines have now been repackaged under the Expressions label, which is a range of single-varietal wines from well-known regions but made from less-familiar grapes. They include a roster of easy-drinking, versatile Italian whites: Vermentino, Pecorino, Refosco and Ribolla Gialla (£8-£9). Perfect for summer tables or as a crisp refreshing sundowner.
M&S wine picks for spring and summer
Tasting notes come from the M&S Spring Tasting 2025. Older recommendations have also been included if the wine is still available in store or online. All bottle prices are correct at time of publication. All M&S wines are now sold online via Ocado. Wine is only sold as part of the retailer’s range of gift packs on the M&S website.
