WinesDirect Consumer Choice Awards 2026: Press Releases

Lidl has been named Wine Supermarket of the Year in the WinesDirect Consumer Choice Awards 2026, beating Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose to the accolade.

Every year, consumer champion website WinesDirect asks shoppers to rate supermarkets across five areas: value for money, range of wines, shopping experience, customer service and trust.

This year's respondents gave Lidl an average of 8/10 across all five areas, praising Lidl's range and trustworthiness, as well as its overall value for money.

42% of consumers told WinesDirect that discovering new wines was the most important thing when rating their supermarket experience. Lidl scored particularly highly (8/10) with those reviewing the range, who described its discovery section as offering "excellent choice" that includes "sometimes unusual regional wines". One participant described Lidl as "extremely adventurous and creative in their wine selection", adding: "As far as bang for buck goes for quality, they are outstanding."

"We are thrilled to see Lidl win a wine award. It has been a long time coming. What stood out about Lidl wasn't value in isolation; consumers rated its range and trust just as strongly. That suggests Lidl has moved beyond simply being somewhere shoppers go for a cheap bottle. Consumers increasingly trust the range and are prepared to explore it."

"With Christmas on the way, we think we will see consumers becoming much more adventurous this year when it comes to wines for their table. If you want new, exciting wines that cost less, Lidl is your answer."

Jon Rebuck, Managing Director, WinesDirect

With Christmas approaching, the results suggest shoppers can afford to be more adventurous with their wine choices this year, without paying more for it, at Lidl.

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More than a third (36%) of UK wine shoppers say delivery charges are their biggest frustration with buying wine online, according to new findings from the WinesDirect Consumer Choice Awards 2026 survey.

Misleading discounts came second (13%), followed by overwhelming choice (12%). The findings raise an interesting question for wine retailers: will more shoppers buck the digital age and choose to buy their wine in store?

It may be no coincidence that this year's Wine Supermarket of the Year, Lidl, took the title without offering online delivery. Its shoppers avoid the top online frustration altogether, and its everyday low-price approach also sidesteps the "was/now" discounting that shoppers ranked second most frustrating.

"There is an interesting tension here. Consumers value the breadth and convenience of shopping online, but when delivery significantly changes the final cost of the basket, that convenience can quickly feel expensive. Physical retail doesn't have that final checkout surprise, which gives stores an opportunity to compete on immediacy as well as price."

Jon Rebuck, Managing Director, WinesDirect

The timing could prove significant. Think tank IPPR has proposed a 2% levy on large retailers' online sales and 1% on click-and-collect, with the money funding business rates cuts for struggling high street shops. Chancellor John Healey has been urged to include it in his first Budget on 28 October. Nothing has been confirmed. However, if it goes ahead and retailers pass the cost on, already-frustrated online shoppers could find even more reasons to head to the shops.

The research suggests the shop floor still has a strong pull. 37% of wine drinkers buy wine every week, a habit more likely to be fed by a bottle or two picked up in store than a weekly online order. It's good news for physical retailers heading into the Christmas rush.

For images, interviews and exclusives, see media contacts.

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For images, interviews and exclusives, see media contacts.