Why can’t I rely on my favourite wine always being on the shelves of the local supermarket?

Why does my favourite wine keep disappearing off the shelves of my local supermarket? And why does the price keep going up and down?

The short answer is most supermarkets run cycles throughout the year changing the range of wines they offer. Prices go up and down because Irish consumers love a bargain and cannot resist wines on promotion.

Both Aldi and Lidl have a relatively small core range of fewer than 100 wines that are on the shelves throughout the whole year. On top of this, they introduce about 50 seasonal wines twice a year. These are available in limited quantities so when they run out, they are not replenished. In supermarket speak, these could qualify as WIGIGs – when it’s gone it’s gone. Speaking of acronyms, minimum unit pricing rules mean retailers can no longer offer quantity discounts on alcohol, so BOGOFs (buy one, get one free) are no longer allowed. Seasonal wines may reappear for the same period the following year, but some do not. The two supermarkets work to very slim margins (EDLP or everyday lower pricing) – sometimes less than 10 per cent – so further discounting is not usually possible. Their wines are usually own label and sourced through the UK office or from the European office, so you won’t find them in any other outlet.

The other main supermarkets – Dunnes Stores, Tesco and SuperValu – all offer a greater range of wines, anything from 400 to 450, although smaller stores will have fewer options. All will have a near-bewildering number of wines on promotion at all stages throughout the year. Most import some of their wines directly from the producer, allowing them to either sell at very competitive prices or add a full margin and make a healthy profit. In addition, they will also stock the better-known branded wines, usually negotiating an LTA or long-term agreement, basically a kickback for listing and promoting the wine.