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Thanks. I regret not buying more direct from Spain when I had the chance.
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I seem to find Decantalo as the best way of getting Rioja.
I’d also agree that Majestic has a great selection, they have decent discount offers throughout the year too.
I’m often disappointed by the range at TWS for Rioja, I always want more of the more popular wines but I guess they don’t always offer great value for money. However, I think what Pierre does really well is find a new/young producer that is making exciting wines, TWS range is a great way to discover new favourites.
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I used to buy from here a lot. Amazing prices at the time. Sadly they now seem more expensive than UK (and that’s without shipping).
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To answer my own question Spanish Wines Online is an obvious choice although their rudimentary website doesn’t make it easy. And charging delivery by bottles rather than sum spent is not attractive.
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This is the best that Carrefour had to offer on a recent visit in southern Spain. The expensive end of the seven sections dedicated to Rioja (five dedicated to Ribera del Duero).
I don’t know why I expect to find bargains on top Riojas when visiting a supermarket in Spain, as I wouldn’t expect to find top wines in a UK supermarket at any price, but somehow I just do.
Not many bargains here…
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But also very similar pricing to the UK, at least we aren’t being ripped off yet for imports
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The Vina Albina is always a bargain 
(notwithstanding, I got mine from Spain for about €12).
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I can’t help but think the cool stuff is in the up and coming section just before 
I’ll be sure to take more pics next time
that’s a really interesting pic @cnssjw Julian. Travelled in Spain in motorhome for 7 weeks last Sept/Oct having previously focussed on France and italy. I was surprised at how little wine was available generally in Supermarkets.
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López de Heredia, Viña Cubillo for under £14 is a good price in 2023 isn’t it?
£35 for Tondonia not so much.
Not the most inspiring collection of course.
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Carrefour is the only supermarket whose wine shelves we’ve explored really. Others such as Mercadona and Eroski are obviously available, but this hipermarket is the biggest of the supermarkets in Malaga as far as I know, and so I figured it would have the largest range. More exploration/sampling needed!
In the same shop in November 2022, the 2015 Ardanza was €25, so quite an increase in a few months.
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I found Spanish supermarkets pretty disappointing for wine when I was there last summer. You could get most of the usual suspects in terms of Rioja tinto, but there was no albarino or godello to be seen!
I love going to supermarkets on holiday for the sheer novelty of food on offer, but I’ve also found many French and German supermarkets underwhelming when it comes to wine (the range of riesling on offer in Germany was abysmal, albeit I was in smallish inner-city supermarkets).
It seems you have to go to more specialist cavistes (or equivalent) for the really interesting stuff, or cellar doors obviously.
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I think it’s key to understand that the French national psyche seems to be the polar opposite of ‘we’re all fed up of experts’. They (quite rightly in my opinion) revere specialists. It’s why many shops specialise, and why many a shopkeeper/assistant are champing at the bit to share their product knowledge with you. (I rather enjoy it…sometimes, when I’m not in a hurry 
)
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It depends a bit on the supermarket. I grew up in Malaga and some small supermarkets bring in interesting local wine (but not much). Different supermarkets specialise somewhat on wine but you sort of need to know which, and the interesting wines (for me) might be more in the mid range than the top range (where you get the ubiquitous RdDs and Riojas also available in UK). Hard to stock very expensive options, though, as people just don’t really spend that much per bottle in Spain - those are found in specialists.
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I think that was pretty much my empirical conclusion @Joni-B73F0 regarding supermarkets . The principal difficulty then became finding those specialists especially as we usually had no particular clue where we were going next. 1st world problems indeed 
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El Corte Inglés traditionally had a good, but overpriced range. I find it a bit meh, but sometimes you find something good (say, VORS sherry). Large out of town Carrefour is usually the best bet. There was one just before Marbella I used to stop at sometimes when travelling that had good stuff. Random places like the Coviran in La Malagueta has a couple of shelves of local wines of mixed quality but good price. The wine shop in La Alameda is pricey but has an interesting selection and the place that sells salt cod on the street behind has really good stuff at decent prices, mainly from around Andalucía. You can get Cortijo Los Aguilares PN there.
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4 bottles of this left if anyone is interested
https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/lopez-de-haro-classica-gran-reserva-rioja-2001
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Yes please. Thanks for highlighting.