Reds under £10
Asda Portuguese Tinto, NV (£3.87, Asda)
Not the most prepossessing of bottle designs – it simply screams "CHEAP!" – but inside there's a surprising amount of character and intensity for the money. A blend of native Portuguese grape varieties, it's a lively if simple wine that tastes of fruitcake and spice.
Popolino Rosso, Sicily, Italy 2009 (£4.99, Marks & Spencer)
This will be my standby party red for Christmas, and it makes an excellent midweek pasta wine, too. Juicy and unpretentious, with bright cherry fruit, it has just enough tannin to mop up a ragu.
El Chaparral de Vega Sindoa Old Vine Garnacha, Navarra, Spain 2008 (£6.99, if you buy two bottles, Majestic)
I'm not sure I've ever come across a better garnacha (aka grenache) at this price. Produced from very old bush vines in Navarra, it's full of character, tastes of fresh raspberries and pepper, and has a lovely silky texture.
Viñalta Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina (£6.99, Marks & Spencer)
The very well-regarded French winemaker Hervé Joyaux Fabre is behind some of Argentina's most serious wines, and this is a very approachable introduction to his talents. Unoaked, it is abundantly fruity, with notes of violets, plums and raspberries.
Biferno Rosso Riserva, Camillo de Lellis, Italy 2004 (£7.25, The Wine Society)
A really great price for a mature, comfortingly old-fashioned wine from the somewhat obscure Biferno appellation in Molise in southern Italy. A blend of Montepulciano and Aglianico, this has mellowed beautifully into a smooth, late-evening, fireside red.
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Douro, Portugal 2008 (£7.99, Sainsbury's)
Another longstanding favourite of mine from Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range, this is the work of Quinta do Crasto, a very reliable producer in the Douro Valley, the home of port. It's gutsy but perfumed, with velvet-smooth tannins.
Lea & Sandeman Bordeaux 2007 (£7.95, Lea & Sandeman)
It's a tough call finding a decent claret for less than a tenner, but this is a fine effort from London independent merchant, Lea & Sandeman. Made predominantly from merlot, it has all the classic blackcurrant fruit, dusty tannins and freshness that you could ask for from a young Bordeaux at a very good price.
Carignan, El Léon Vineyard, Maule Valley, Chile 2006 (£9.99, Marks & Spencer)
The rediscovery of old-vine Carignan (such as the 55-year-old bush vines used for this wine) by Chilean winemakers has yielded some wonderful results. This dense, powerful example has vibrant blueberry fruit and a savoury edge.
Reds between £10 and £20
Fleurie Clos de la Roilette, Domaine Coudert, Beaujolais France 2009 (£12.16; Domaine Direct)
Beaujolais tends to be regarded as a soft, easy-drinking young wine, but it can be rather more than that. One of my favourites from a great vintage, this is full of alluring black cherries with thrilling acidity and fine tannins.
Vin de Corse Porto Vecchio Domaine de Torraccia 2007, Corsica, France (£12.25, Yapp Bros)
Corsica's wines are always intriguing and frequently delicious, if a little hard to come by in the UK. A blend of the native nielluccio and sciacarello grape varieties with grenache and syrah, it's a delicious meeting of Italianate sour red cherries with the spicy garrigue of the Languedoc.
Craggy Range Te Muna Pinot Noir, Martinborough New Zealand 2009 (£13.49, Marks & Spencer)
At 14.5% alcohol, this is a powerful pinot noir but it doesn't feel like it. With its gorgeous red fruits, slick, almost slippery, texture and soft, silky tannins, it's not at all clumsy, but it is dangerously drinkable.
Crozes-Hermitage, Yann Chave, Rhône, France 2008 (£13.99 until end of November, Majestic)
Rising star winemaker Yann Chave makes northern Rhône syrahs of quite astonishing purity. Here he's come up with a kind of distilled essence of pepper and blackberry with a silky texture that means it simply skates across the tongue.
Archaval Ferrer Malbec, Mendoza 2008 (£13.99, Corney & Barrow; £14.95, Wine Direct)
If you thought Argentinian wines were all about power and big flavours, then this may be the wine to change your mind. It is dense and concentrated, but it's also fragrant, violet-scented and graceful.
D'Arrenberg d'Arry's Original Grenache/Shiraz 2007 (£14.49, or £11.59 as part of a case of 12, Oddbins)
If you like your wines rich, powerful and smooth, then this classic Australian blend continues to be one of the best Aussie reds on the market. There's a lot of spicy oak here – and, at 14.8%, a lot of alcohol – but not so much to overwhelm the delectable plummy fruit.
Ladoix Rouge Domaine Chevalier Père et Fils, Burgundy 2007 (£14.99, Majestic)
A really well-made, sumptuous modern Burgundy from Ladoix in the Côtes de Beaune. Carefully oaked, it pits glossy, pillow-soft texture against cherry compote, subtle perfume and a hint of something savoury.
Quintas dos Roques Reserva, Dão 2003 (£18.50, The Wine Society)
At its best, the Dão region of Portugal makes some rich but elegant reds that are highly distinctive. From a warm vintage, this powerful, broad-shouldered wine is full of dark, ripe fruit and would be very comfortable with a hearty, herby stew or a plate of sausages.
Reds over £20
Domaine de l'Aurage, Côtes de Castillon, Bordeaux, France 2007 (£21.60, Corney & Barrow)
Classy, well-crafted, modernist claret from a relatively new estate in the Côtes de Castillon appellation next to St-Emilion. With merlot dominant in the blend, it combines a glossy texture and fine tannins with some very generous ripe fruit.
Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas Les Mejeans Rhône 2006 (£22.99, Waitrose)
Jean-Luc Colombo has a reputation for producing the kind of big, sweet red wines that are popular with the powerful American critic, Robert Parker. But this is nothing like that: it's an elegant, haunting syrah that mixes spice, pepper, red berries and leather into a fine-textured, seamless whole.
Schubert Syrah Wairarapa, Martinborough, New Zealand 2006 (£29.99, Waitrose)
New Zealand's syrah is fast earning a reputation to match its pinot noirs. Schubert's is one of the best, with coffee, redcurrants and black pepper held together by nippy tannins and refreshing acidity.
Cullen Diana Madeline, Margaret River, Western Australia, 2007 (£43.55, Halifax Wine Company)
Western Australia's Margaret River region is home to some of the New World's finest, Bordeaux-inspired reds, such as this intensely aromatic, beautifully structured, complex, cabernet sauvignon-dominated blend. Alluring enough now, it will also keep for several years in case you're looking for a gift for an oenophile loved one.
Whites Under £10
Asda Moscatel de Valencia, Spain (£3.98, Asda)
A bargain from the Asda team, this Spanish dessert wine has an unctuously sweet marmalade character that is nicely undercut with fresh citrus fruit and a zesty finish. It would work beautifully with a nice plate of stinky cheese or a fruit-based pud.
Gerard Bertrand Winemaker Selection Muscat Sec, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 2009 (£4.79, Tesco)
Formerly a French international rugby player, Gerard Bertrand has gone on to become one of the most important wine producers in the Languedoc. This charming white is like a vinous fruit salad, mixing classic muscat grape notes with more exotic fruits to make a satisfyingly juicy whole.
Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie, Domaine Fief de la Brie, France 2009 (£6.90, Tanners)
At its best, Muscadet offers a tangy mix of lemon and savoury yeasty flavours with a crisp, almost saline freshness. All of those qualities are very much in place in this well-made example, which has terrific focus and depth of flavour and is a well nigh perfect match for seafood starters.
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain 2009 (£6.99, Sainsbury's)
A highlight of Sainsbury's consistently good Taste the Difference range, this nicely judged white offers a great value introduction to the charms of the trendy albariño grape. Rich and aromatic, it's a heady blend of tinned peach and white flowers, with just a suggestion of wild herbs.
Wither Hills Pinot Gris, Marlborough, New Zealand 2009 (£6.99, down from £9.99 until 7 December, Waitrose)
New Zealand's excellent Wither Hills are new to pinot gris (aka pinot grigio), but they already seem to have mastered the variety. Forcefully aromatic, with a spicy orange and floral character and a moreish, zesty palate, I'd be happy recommending this wine at its full price, but at £6.99 it's something of a steal.
Secano Estate Sauvignon Gris, Viña Leyda, Chile 2009 (£7.49, Marks & Spencer)
Sauvignon gris is a pink-skinned cousin of sauvignon blanc with less of the trademark pungency and more body and spice. From the superb Viña Leyda, this is the best example I've tried so far: full-bodied, rich yet bracingly fresh.
Vouvray Domaine de la Pouvraie, France 2009 (£7.99, Marks & Spencer)
Taking a sip of Domaine de la Pouvraie's Vouvray is like biting into a particularly good green apple. It's fresh and crisp to the point of making you wince, offset with just enough sugar. A classic young chenin blanc from the Loire Valley,
Firefinch Sauvignon Blanc, Springfield Estate, Robertson, South Africa 2010 (£8.99, Tesco)
Abrie Bruwer at South Africa's Springfield Estate regularly makes some of my favourite sauvignon blancs. This one is absolutely box fresh, with zippy acidity, a blast of tropical fruit and a very appealing mineral twist.
Whites over £10
Etna Bianco Fondo Filara, Nicosia, Italy 2009 (£10.95, The Wine Society)
Though it is grown on the volcanic slopes of Sicily's Mount Etna, this wine's flavour profile is evocative of somewhere much further north. It has blossom, orchard fruits and a gentle note of tarragon that together make this subtle, restrained white utterly beguiling.
Château Boucassé Pacherenc Sec, France 2008 (£11.50 to £13.99, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols; Oxford Wine Company, Stainton Wines)
A mouthful of a wine in both senses, this is a splendid, complex white from the master of Madiran in south-west France, Alain Brumont. Earthy flavours provide the bass notes below the limey acidity, wild herbs and pear. Delicious.
Domaine Gerovassiliou Malagousia 2009, Regional White Wine of Epanomi, Greece (£12.49, Laithwaites)
Grown in northern Greece near the city of Thessaloniki, this graceful wine, from the indigenous Greek grape Malagousia, is one of the country's finest whites. Aromatic and floral on the nose, it has a complex palate of fresh citrus fruit and herbs and a very long clean finish.
3 Amigos White, McHenry Hohnen, Margaret River, Western Australia (£12.49, or £10.39 as part of a case of 12, Oddbins)
An unusual blend of Marsanne, Chardonnay and Roussanne (the 3 Amigos of the name), this is a white Rhône-alike of considerable depth and class. Carefully oaked, it has vivacious acidity, a lovely fragrant stone fruit character and a satisfyingly nutty finish.
Seifried Nelson Sweet Agnes Riesling, New Zealand, 2008 (£13.29, Waitrose; £14.98 Laithwaites)
Kiwi dessert wines – or stickies as they're known Down Under – are a bit of a rarity in the UK, but this one puts most other sweet wines at this price in the shade. It's a remarkably dense, unctuous experience, full of honeyed, citrus fruit and crystal clear acidity.
Arneis Cornarea Piedmont Italy 2009 (£15.95, Berry Bros & Rudd)
A simply fabulous Italian white from a specialist in the arneis variety. It's pin-sharp, but with lovely rounded, waxy fruit, notes of honey and a long, teasing, mineral-inflected finish.
El Transistor Verdejo, Rueda, Spain 2009 (£17.95, Adnams)
The work of the highly energetic itinerant winemaker, Telmo Rodriguez, this is a full-on modern Spanish white that opens with a pungent, herbaceous nose, follows up with a gorgeous, rich textured palate, and has a finish that goes on forever. Outstanding stuff.
Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos, Hungary 2006 (£19.99, 50cl, Alexander Wines Glasgow; Corney & Barrow; Haynes Hanson & Clark; Lea & Sandeman; Majestic; Oxford Wine Company ; Tanners)
Sweet wines from the Tokaji region are among the most underrated wines in the world. I've never been quite sure why, especially when they are as straightforwardly gorgeous as this beauty, with its incisive acidity and toffee, apricot and zesty orange palate.
Whites Over £20
Domaine Pfister Riesling Grand Cru Engelberg, Alsace, France 2005 (£21.50, Tesco)
Domaine Pfister's open-minded, well-travelled winemaker Mélanie Pfister makes some startlingly focused Rieslings, which can evolve for years. This one will certainly be happy to sit in the cellar for a while longer, but it's delicious now, too, with a subtle rose petal and caraway seed nose and a thrillingly long, clean palate.
Tyrrells Vat 1 Hunter Semillon, Hunter Valley, Australia 2002 (£24, The Wine Society)
Hunter Valley semillon is one of Australia's great wine styles, and quite unlike anything else in the world. This is an absolutely classic example: low (10% ABV) in alcohol, it's taken on a whole range of savoury, herbaceous and mineral flavours in its eight years of life, but retains its frame of cut-glass acidity.
Eben Sadie Palladius 2008 (£29.75, Slurp Wine; £31.75, Berry Bros & Rudd)
Eben Sadie is quite possibly South Africa's best, and certainly its most challenging, winemaker, producing wines that show the kind of complexity and minerality that is usually associated with the Old World. This is one of his best: a blend of viognier, chardonnay and chenin blanc, it has a seam of citrus fruit around which you can find spring blossom, apple and apricot.
Mersault 1er Cru Sous Le Dos d'Ane, Domaine Leflaive, Burgundy, France 2007 (£59.99, Corney & Barrow)
This is a wine for a very special occasion or a gift. It's a very fine white Burgundy from a good vintage by one of the finest producers in the region. Scintillating acidity, remarkable nutty, mineral complexity, endless layers of flavour and real elegance.
10 sparkling wines
Asda Cava Brut NV (£4.28, Asda)
Hats off to Asda once again for coming up with this very drinkable fizz at such a low price. Though the bubbles aren't exactly fine, it's got crunchy pear and apples, a little bit of cream cheese and really good depth of flavour.
Okhre Organic Cava Brut Nature, Spain NV (£9.99, Marks & Spencer)
Taut, refreshing, vivacious and very dry, this was a real find for me at a recent tasting of M&S's wines. Made without the use of the sugary solution known as dosage (which is added before the cork goes in at the end of the classic sparkling winemaking process), it's a fine alternative to zero dosage Champagne.
Château Moncontour Vouvray Brut, France 2007 (£9.99, Marks & Spencer)
Another excellent sub-£10 sparkler from M&S. I would call it an alternative to Champagne, but it has such a powerful personality – all tingling acidity, elegant mousse and custard apple aromas – it deserves to be recommended on its own terms.
Taste the Difference Prosecco Conegliano DOCG, Italy 2009 (£9.99, Sainsbury's)
In my opinion this is still the best of the high street proseccos. Light, fresh, appley and vivacious, with a delicate mousse, it's all you need from a prosecco, and it's a great base for a bellini.
Cloudy Bay Pelorus Sparkling Wine, New Zealand NV (£13.99 to £14.99, Harvey Nichols; Waitrose; Majestic; Philglas & Swiggot)
Is this New Zealand's best sparkling wine? It could well be, and it's certainly a more interesting wine than the sauvignon blanc with which Cloudy Bay made its name. A blend of chardonnay and pinot noir in the Champagne tradition, it's a very refined, fresh, focused fizz.
South Ridge Cuvée Merret, Sussex, England 2007 (£19.99, Laithwaites)
A palate of buttered toast and citrus fruits, nervous, steely acidity, and a touch of minerality. Made by leading producer Ridgeview in the South Downs, this is English sparkling wine at its best.
Barnaut Grande Réserve Brut Grand Cru Bouzy NV (£23.95, Lea & Sandeman)
Made by a grower from the village of Bouzy, this pinot noir-dominant, multi-layered Champagne is broad and creamy, with a super slick mousse. It knocks spots off many better-known houses at this price.
Waitrose Brut Special Reserve Vintage Champagne 2002 (£26.99, Waitrose)
From the P&C Heidsieck stable, and produced by their extravagantly talented chef de cave, Régis Camus, this is a seriously high quality Champagne for a supermarket own-label. Rich, full and complex, with notes of exotic spices and fresh berries.
Bollinger Grande Année 2000 (£50 to £60, Majestic; Waitrose; Berry Bros & Rudd; Handfords; Haynes Hanson & Clark)
A truly great Champagne from a truly great producer that is drinking beautifully now. Delicate, gossamer bubbles, focused, elegant, slightly honeyed fruit and a precise finish. Just lovely.
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1999 ((£140, Berry Bros & Rudd, Majestic, Waitrose)
Taittinger's top cuvee has never attracted the same level of blinged-up attention as DP and Cristal, but in its way it is equally fine (and at this price I suppose it should be). A 100% chardonnay, it has an ineffable, otherworldly charm, with classic brioche notes merging with white chocolate and citrus fruit.
