If you’re anything like me and my other half, you may be looking at your lockdown alcohol consumption over the past couple of months and thinking ‘oops!’ When did a glass of wine a night become a bottle? Or more sometimes, if we’re honest.
I know that it's unrealistic - in my household anyway - to think that we are going to give up drinking entirely, but we do realise that we can and should tone it down now and think about more mindful drinking. Yes, we’ll take more nights off booze a week but there’s one thing we know would really help: smaller bottles. If the bottle is smaller in the first place, you really have to think about what you’re doing before opening another and often, just that pause to think is enough. With that in mind, I looked for places to find half bottles of wine, but not just any rubbish wine - really good wine. Thankfully, the half wine bottle world is growing quickly, so the choice is now better than it has ever been. Here are some great wines in half bottle that I found of varying styles and price levels for every budget:
Half bottles of white wine (37.5cl)
Macon Blanc Villages, Louis Jadot, 2018, £8:30 from Morrisons
Soft, easy drinking, melon-scented Chardonnay with a touch of vanilla.
Chablis, Louis Jadot, 2018, £10.99 from Wholefoods
Cool, dry, classic Chardonnay from Chablis with a characteristic, savoury tang and a leafy note.
Sancerre, Reverdy Terre de Maimbray, 2017 £13 from Dulwich Vintners
Sauvignon Blanc at its most elegant and understated from its spiritual Loire Valley home.
Kumeu River Chardonnay, New Zealand, 2017 £15.95 from the Little Fine Wine Company
Full-on, fruity Chardonnay with toasty, smoky oak.
Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc, 2011, £17 from Dulwich Vintners
A glorious, weighty and aromatic blend of white varieties led by Viognier, from the Languedoc.
Condrieu, Guigal, 2017 £22.50 from the Little Fine Wine Company
Creamy, apricot and blossom-scented Viognier at its finest from its most famous appellation.
Half bottle of Rosé wine (37.5cl)
Côtes de Provence, Whispering Angel, 2019, £10.95 from the Little Fine Wine Company
Pale and pretty, dry and complex with a saline tang from one of Provence’s famous producers.
Half bottles of red wine (37.5cl)
Beaujolais Villages ‘Combe aux Jacques’, Louis Jadot, 2018 £6.85 from Tesco & Morrisons
Light in its feet with crunchy, strawberry and raspberry notes. A perfect summer red.
Rioja Crianza, Beronia, 2017, £7 from Ocado
Brilliant, concentrated Rioja, packed with spicy red fruit with a touch of tobacco-smoke.
Zinfandel, Seghesio, Sonoma County, 2017, £18.95 from The Little Fine Wine Company
A modern, more elegant style of Zin with notes of damson jam and cinnamon spice.
Chianti Classico, Fontodi, 2016, £14.50 from The Little Fine Wine Company
Old-school Chianti Classico with a cool, mineral core, tangy red fruit and fresh herb notes.
Morey St Denis, 1er Cru, Lignier, 2013, £21 from Dulwich Vintners
Moreish (!), Burgundian Pinot showing some secondary tobacco and leather notes. Delicious.
Half bottles of Champagne (37.5cl)
Mumm Champagne, NV, £18 from Ocado
Rich, brilliant value bubbles from a well-loved house.
Bollinger Special Cuvée, NV, £23.99 from Ocado
Weighty, complex Champagne with toasty, brioche notes.
Billecart Salmon Brut Rosé NV, £ 36 from Dulwich Vintners
The benchmark for elegant pink fizz. Delicate colour with red apple skin and patisserie notes.
If you like this, check out our piece on the best no and low alcohol drinks and Small Beer.