Lidl shines light on Eastern European wines

Lidl is shining a light on Eastern Europe as it launches three new wines from the region.

(Photo: Wiki)

The latest Wine Tour includes a red, white and rose from former Eastern block countries, which it has previously described as having great potential.

The whites include an Aureos Sauvignon Blanc (RRP: £5.99) from Bulgaria, an ‘unusual’ Haraszthy Sir Irsai from Etyek, Hungary using the distinctive Irsai Olivér grape from Etyek, east of Budapest, and a delicate and dry Pinot Noir Rosé, Kamocsay Ákos (RRP:£5.99), from Neszmély, Hungary, on the Slovakian border as part of the latest Wine Tour.

The retailer has consistently stocked wines from countries in Eastern Europe, after its first Hungarian range of three red, four white and one dessert wine “flew off the shelves” in January 2016, bringing out its largest Eastern European Wine Cellar in 2017.

Lidl’s consultant MW Caroline Gilby MW previously told db she wanted to expand the retailer’s Eastern European wine range in the longer-term to incorporate wines from Romania and Moldova which were showing potential as well as Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Bulgaria.

Last week, Kantar data showed Lidl has bucked the trend for poor supermarket booze sales in recent weeks, thanks to a well-timed wine promotion.

The retailer is also thought to be mulling the launch of selling wine online having confirmed it to The Grocer magazine it was ‘actively exploring’ launching online after advertising for an e-commerce project manager and a junior project manager in the UK. The move follows the creation of a holding company last year called Lidl Digital Logistics in the United Kingdom, which was revealed in May 2018 by the Daily Mail’s This is Money.