It is understood that the line, due to appear on shelves before the end of the year, will primarily consist of mainstream varietals such as Chardonnay. The launch is being overseen by Tesco director of beers, wines and spirits Dan Jago.
The supermarket already offers lager as part of its Tesco Value range, while its own-label wine is currently sold under its standard and Finest labels.
A Tesco spokeswoman said the Value line was still in the early stages of planning. 'The idea is to have a range of wines that fit in with the current economic climate and customers' budgets,' she said, adding that prices and branding had yet to be decided.
In August last year, before the start of the downturn, Tesco unveiled a plan to expand its wine range to 1100 varietals. Of the 370 wines added, more than 200 were priced at £6.99 or higher and branded under the Finest label. However, the spokeswoman denied that the cut-price launch was a U-turn as there were no plans to drop the more expensive wines.
The planned introduction of the Value range has attracted criticism from lobby groups, which say it will encourage binge-drinking, a charge denied by the retailer.
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