One is the top selling luxury rosé wine in the world right now thanks to rave reviews from the likes of global music icon Adele. The other is a cheapish plonk from Aldi.
But rosé wine fans have suddenly discovered that Aldi's Sud De France rosé, priced at £5.79, is something of a match for the posh Whispering Angel which costs £20 at supermarkets like Waitrose and Sainsbury's. The Aldi dupe has been causing a stir over on Instagram and TikTok, where fans have been saying it's a convincing match for the hit Whispering Angel blush vino.
Whispering Angel has become a wine sensation, created from the acclaimed Chateau d'Esclans in the heart of Provence, giving a new cool appeal to once-naff rosé wine. It gained an even bigger following when music icon Adele was quoted as saying, upon drinking the brand through lockdown, "it turned me into a barking dog, it did not make me whisper."
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But at £20 it's definitely in the posh end of the wine market. So when a load of influencers suddenly started to talk about this £5.79 Aldi dupe, it definitely sounded worth giving a try at such a vastly cheaper price.
Podcast host and influencer Ashley Stobart raved about it on Instagram, and her followers were swift to take the recommendation, with scores of them posting their own rave reviews in reply. Video reviews of the Aldi version are also all over Tik Tok too.
So, there was only one thing left to do - put the two to the taste test for myself. Being something of a rosé wine fan, having loved the pink stuff since back in the 1990s Mateus oval wine bottle years, I feel I've enjoyed enough of the genre to make a decent judgement.
In terms of presentation here, you can see why Whispering Angel has become such a global hit, worthy of its own space on many, many an Instagram grid. The bottle looks pretty classy doesn't it? With its grey angel figures on the label, and the winemaker's crest even embossed into the glasswork.
In comparison, well, I'm afraid to say the Aldi Sud De France doesn't exactly scream luxe to me. Although it's pleasant enough with a pink abstract scene splashed across the front.
When poured into the glass, both had a similar pale, dusky rose pink finish. The Whispering Angel undoubtedly had a more sophisticated and fragrant nose, and a greater depth of taste I'd say, with notes of grapefruit.
But the Sud De France was more than a match in my opinion, giving a pleasant and highly drinkable Provence-style dry rose finish. Both had a smooth and easy style, while I felt the Sud De France had just a slightly sweeter end note, which made it actually a more pleasant drink to my personal taste.
And, at almost £15 cheaper than Whispering Angel there was a clear winner here for me, and yes, it was the Aldi dupe.
I can, however, confirm, that drinking a bottle of either of these vinos has the capacity to turn you into an Adele-style "barking dog" as she so vividly put it, if that's the sort of effect you're after. Although naturally we would encourage everyone to drink responsibly, folks.
You can order the Aldi Sud De France online where it is currently on offer priced at £5.79. Whispering Angel is available online and in store at both Sainsbury's and Waitrose, where it is priced at £20 at both stores.
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