There will be many last-minute dashes to the nearest local shop by forgetful partners needing to grab a St Valentine's Day gift or celebration.
Convenience stores and corner shops will be the saviour for many relationships - but there's much more available than a last-minute gift with some top-quality wines now sold to celebrate any special occasion.
From a fruity fizz to a robust red, wine experts have toasted the quality of various bottles sold by the Co-op chain of grocery stores. Even staff from 10 Downing Street rushed to a local Co-op to purchase wines for one of its lockdown parties.
Co-op sells 463 wines in total across its stores with 95 own brand and 57 Fairtrade varieties.
The supermarket stars set to get hearts fluttering for St Valentine's Day are:
Co-op Garnacha – An entry level price but is superb red definitely a party pleaser.
Co-op Irresistible Organic Fairtrade Malbec – Previously named the best Fairtrade wine in the world. Money from its sales has helped to build a school in Argentina, as well as provide a clean water supply to a village.
Co-op Irresistible Leyda Valley Sauvignon Blanc – This is an all-round stunning wine that has won plaudits from many experts.
Les Pionniers NV Champagne – The multi-award winning fixx has just won the Which? Best Buy for Champagne and was the cheapest own brand to be named a Best Buy.
There are also several good alternatives to alcoholic drinks that don’t compromise on quality or taste. These include: Irresistible Non-Alcoholic Botanical Drink; Co-op Low Alcohol Cabernet Tempranillo and Co-op Low Alcohol Garnacha Rose.
Research by the Co-op found 37 per cent of drinkers admit they now think it’s now fashionable to consume lower alcohol versions and 21 per cent of people admit to reducing their alcohol intake. The ability to enjoy a night out without a hangover the next day (28 per cent) and to protect health and wellbeing (21 per cent) are top reasons for the choice.
More than half of those surveyed (51 per cent) are comfortable ordering a non-alcoholic drink when out in a pub or bar, with half of those (25 per cent) saying they’re able to enjoy a night out without an alcoholic drink.
Whilst 33 per cent of those surveyed find it easy to turn down a drink, 41 per cent have felt pressure to drink alcohol when out with a group of people and of those, 71 per cent saying they gave into this pressure to avoid looking boring.
The popularity of vegan wine continues to grow each year and now half of the Co-op wine range is suitable for vegans, which is the biggest selection on the market, with an average price point of £7.
Gyles Walker, no and lo drinks buyer at Co-op, said: “Whilst the no and low category is still relatively small, we’re seeing sales increase by up to 30 per cent as our shoppers are looking for lighter options.
"With the introduction of better quality non-alcoholic alternatives, we fully expect sales to continue to rise and we’ll continue to increase our range to be able to cater for these customers.”
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