The best of the supermarket summer wine sales

The Aldi Wine Lover's Sale starts on Thursday, August 9th, and will feature wines from Germany, Slovenia, Australia, Spain, South Africa and more. The Slovenian Cabernet Sauvignon (€9.99) is rich and powerful, with plush dark fruits; The Restless Merchant Merlot is equally rich but rounder, with a touch of spicy oak. Either would go well with steak or a roast of beef.

The Portuguese Gloria Rosé (€8.99) is light and full of fruit, while Aldi introduce two new style of wine, one a sulphur-free whitethe other an orange wine. The Earth's Essence Chenin Blanc (€8.99, treated with Roiboss and honey) is certainly different, full of ripe honeyed tropical fruits. I didn't get to try the Orange Wine, a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon, but for €8.99, it seems well worth a try.

Lidl have an Italian wine sale running, including a number of good interesting off-beat wines. The lineup features a softly fruity Ribolla Gialla Trevenezie (€8.99), a refreshing crisp Alto Adige Kerner (€9.99) with clean apple fruits, a light Teroldigo Rotliano Rieserva (€8.99) showing elegant redcurrant fruits. The bargains for me include two wines from Feudi di San Gregorio, a very posh producer.

The Greco di Tufo (€9.99) is full-bodied and dry with almonds and minerals while the Albente is floral and full of fruit. The Lidl Soave Classico (€8.99) is great value for money, as is the red Monica di Sardigna (€7.99) with its sweet jammy fruit.

JP McMahon: Make the most of our traditional river fish

---

Inis Meáin Restaurant: Train, bus, boat and taxi – a place worth taking a trip for

---

For the table or the deckchair: two summery beers for the weekend

---

Meanwhile Dunnes Stores have introduced four new Spanish wines to their range. The La Fea Red (€8.50) is a very gluggable soft easy ripe wine, made from a blend of Tempranillo, Syrah and Garnacha. The La Fea White, also €8.50, is a blend of Viura and Chardonnay.

Light (12.5%), with tropical fruits, this would go nicely with fish dishes or as an aperitif. Moving up in price the Paloma de Plata white (€12.50) is a classic Albariño, full of zesty pineapple and pear fruits; one to serve with salmon or sea bass. The Paloma de Plata red (€12.50) comes from Alicante in the south-east of Spain. Rich and rounded with spicy dark fruits, this is one to savour with a barbecued steak.