Italian wines at M&S

During a recent wine tasting, a regular attendee arrived carrying a few bottles in a Marks & Spencer shopping bag. At the end of the tasting, after everyone had left, he asked if I could spare a few minutes. With his wife sitting beside him, he took the bottles out of the bag and showed me the back label of the M&S house rosé. To my surprise, the label stated that the majority of grapes used in the wine came from Abruzzo, a region in the north-west of Italy.

Being from Abruzzo, which is located in central Italy along the Adriatic coast, I immediately noticed the error. A simple glance at a map of Italy shows that Abruzzo is not in the north-west, raising questions about the accuracy of the label. Beyond the regional mistake, labeling a wine solely by region without specifying the grape variety is misleading. A rosé made from Montepulciano is completely different from one made with Sangiovese, even if both grapes are grown in Abruzzo.

The attendee also brought a house red and white from M&S, produced by the same winemaker, with grapes sourced from different regions - Sicily for the red and another region for the white. This illustrates another point: when buying wine, knowing the grape variety is essential. It informs the style, flavor, and fairness of price. Selling a bottle by region alone, without specifying the grape, is like labeling a steak without stating whether it is Angus or another breed - it doesn’t give consumers the full picture.

The following day, we visited M&S to explore their Italian wine selection. While they stocked the usual popular wines, I was struck by some of their product descriptions. For example, their Amarone was described as made using a “traditional rich method,” which is misleading. Amarone is always produced according to strict disciplinare rules, with the only difference that the grapes are dried to concentrate flavors. A description implying a special method can confuse consumers.

This trend of marketing-driven descriptions was consistent across many bottles, seemingly intended to attract casual shoppers rather than educate wine enthusiasts. It serves as a reminder: never rely solely on supermarket labels or fancy marketing language. Understanding the grape, region, and winemaking method is essential to truly appreciate a bottle of wine and ensure you are paying a fair price.

For those who want to explore authentic, properly labeled Italian wines with expert guidance, it’s best to buy from a trusted wine retailer such as us that offer carefully curated selections, detailed descriptions, and expert advice, ensuring every bottle you purchase delivers the true, authentic taste of Italy.