Lidl is now doing wine tastings and you get to try 8 wines for just £4.90

LIDL is launching a series of wine tastings in the DARK across the UK – and it means you'll get to try eight wines for less than a fiver.

The discounter believes it will help shoppers identify real quality plonk, without looking at fancy labels, design or price.

The events, called Chateaux Noir, will take place in London, Manchester and Glasgow.

Guests will get to sample eight 75ml taster glasses of wine and light nibbles.

And the best news is that tickets are just £4, plus a 90p booking fee, with all proceeds going to the NSPCC to help keep children in the UK safe.

If you're on a budget, do bear in mind that it would be cheaper to buy a 750ml bottle of wine, which costs £5.56 on average in the UK.

But the supermarket's event is great for those who want to taste different types of plonks for a bargain price.

According to Lidl's own research, the confusion around wine quality means customers are often paying too much for a bottle.

9 easy ways to cut your booze costs

WE spoke Steve Nowottny, news and features editor at MoneySavingExpert.com and Hannah Maundrell, editor in chief of money.co.uk about how you can spend less for great wine:

• Be aware of marketing tricks: Remember a supermarket’s job is to make us spend. So don’t be hoodwinked by stores’ marketing tricks, such as hiding bargain products on the bottom shelf and using sales-type signage for non-sale items.
• Drop one brand level as you shop:  Premium to branded, branded to regular, regular to value. Doing this on everything you buy could save some an estimated 30 per cent off your bill.
• Don't be a supermarket snob: Aldi and Lidl have decent wine at really good prices. Have some fun with this and do a blind taste test.
• Be wary of duty free: You might think you’re getting a bargain when you buy duty free but you may find cheaper elsewhere.
• Buy in bulk: Buying wine in cases will often give you the best value for your money. Look out for deals in supermarkets which give you 25 per cent off when buying 6 bottles.
• Download the wine app Vivino: You can take a photo of any wine label and it will compare prices for you.
• Sign up to an online wine club: Signing up to online wine clubs like Virgin wines will mean you earn rewards and get great deals – but beware of rip-offs too.
• Buy with friends: If you like a bargain but don’t want to splash out too much, consider splitting the cost with friends.

Almost a third think you have to spend at least £9 for a good quality bottle of wine.

And a further 37 per cent would spend a whopping £13 for a bottle of wine for a Christmas party or festive social occasion.

Richard Bampfield Master of Wine said: “At Lidl Chateaux Noir, we want to encourage visitors to see if they can identify a wine’s quality in a completely new setting – using darkness to dispel common prejudices that come with buying wine.

This is a unique opportunity to forget everything you thought you knew about wine and come and challenge your senses with us.”

If you're interested, you'll need to book tickets on EventBrite here.

The so-called Chateaux Noir event will open on November 8 and 9 in London – before travelling to Manchester on November 16 and 17  and Glasgow on November 23 and 24 .

Fine wine doesn’t need to cost a fortune as we reveal the best cheap bottles you can buy for under £5.

Looking for more bargains? Aldi is bringing back its wine advent calendar and it includes 24 mini  bottles of booze.

If you're not entirely convinced by your bottle of plonk, here's how you can make a cheap bottle of wine taste better.

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