Never knowingly undersold is a motto that not only the John Lewis Partnership lives by. No wine retailer can bear to see its customers decamping to a more avid price-cutter, and in these straitened times keeping the deep discounters such as Aldi, Lidl and Netto at bay has been tough. Tesco and Sainsbury’s, who account for a scary one-third and one-fifth share of the wines we drink at home, saw the light sooner than most. Earlier this year, there were rumours of new, savagely discounted Tesco Value wines joining Sainsbury’s Basics, the vinous equivalent of their bulk-buy, slashed-price, frill-free foodstuffs.

Thankfully, we have heard no more of new evil economy ranges. More predictably, though, with the escalating credit crunch, both Tesco and Sainsbury’s saw their wine- drinking customers shopping elsewhere for everyday drinking bottles, with Asda and Morrisons favourite destinations. For all the talk of encouraging customers to trade up, supermarket wine buyers have fallen over themselves this autumn to resurrect £3.99 wines – and even resuscitate £2.99ers, a price whose death rattle was first heard years ago. Tesco has a whopping 40 discounted £3.99 wines on offer this month, and not just creepy Gallo and Blossom Hill either, but tasty vintage, varietal and regional offerings. Somerfield, Morrisons and Asda have all followed suit, albeit less spectacularly.

The average spend on a bottle of wine is still just £3.99, and while Sainsbury’s may once have been pleased with its £4.20 spend, and Tesco its £3.90, clearly both are now chasing the likes of Asda’s £3.64 level, and Morrisons’ £3.86. What this means for drinkers is that Britain’s wine consumption has polarised. At the bottom end, if you don’t want to spend more than £4 on a weekday bottle, you won’t have to. At the top end, £10 to £20 and up, there’ll be plenty of choice. But there will be a lot less worth drinking in-between, especially in the previously much vaunted £4.99, £5.99 and £6.99 slots.

With small harvests, a strong euro, duty and freight increases, inflation and increased costs, I have no idea how wine buyers make any money on £3.99 wines. But we’d all be bonkers not to snap up this unexpected autumn windfall. The star Tesco Finest £3.99 turns, both down £2 until October 7, are a terrific 2007 Fiano with its floral, grapey style, and the ripe, plummy 2006 Nero d’Avola, both from the quality-minded Cantine Settesoli. The best of Tesco’s £2.99 trio is the herby, curranty 2006 Viña Albali Valdepeñas Tempranillo-Cabernet red. Over at Asda, the bottles to buy are the own-label range, including the lively, verdant 2007 Soave (£2.98), the off-dry, apricoty 2007 Chilean Chardonnay (£3.18) and its juicy, chunky, blackcurranty red partner, 2007 Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon (£3.18). Expect more where they came from.

jane.macquitty@thetimes.co.uk

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