A fine drop for under a fiver

10 April 2012

What is your idea of a perfect evening? Peace and solitude? A good book? A couple of soft-boiled eggs, Marmite soldiers and a pot of Earl Grey? Nothing wrong there. It's a fine evening of self-indulgence. But the most memorable times are surely those spent with a partner or close friends. Nothing lavish, mind. Just those gatherings for nothing particularly special, a few hours in front of the television, a take-away meal or an informal party - the perfect time to open a bottle or two. But what kind of wine - and at what price?

Lavish bottles are not needed, so keep the vintage claret and champagne for special occasions. Yet your pals deserve more than cheap winebox plonk or the rancid half bottle left over from Sunday lunch. Britain has an outstanding array of wines on sale from all over the globe. The choice is vast. Unlike the French or Italians, we have little desire to protect our wine industry, which, although rapidly improving, is on a par with hopscotch and tiddlywinks compared with the mainstream producers' Olympic games.

But we are fanatical about price. Nowhere else in the world are so many wines deliberately priced just below the next unit up: £2.99, £3.99, £4.99 and so on. We British appear more concerned with the price tag than with the contents of the bottle. I know several price diehards who would refuse point blank to pay more than £5 a bottle, whatever the occasion.

So, in deference to them (and because most people I asked agreed), the price to pay for a simple home-based gathering is generally accepted to be £4.99 a bottle.

But what can you get for your money? And which wines will fit best with the evening you have in mind? Here is a very small, and in no way definitive, selection of what can be found for that one pence less than a fiver.

Friday night with Friends and Frasier
It's been a long week. Channel 4 could be good for a few laughs, so put supper in the microblaster and settle on the sofa.

L'If Merlot Carignan 1999 Vin de Pays du Torgan Mont-Tauch (Safeway). Full-bodied, rustic, fruity red, a Silver Medal winner at the Paris 2000 Concours G?n?ral Agricole. Good with red meats and cheese.

Fiesta de San Juan Tannat Merlot 1997 Uruguay (El Vino: 020 7353 5384). The Tannat detracts a little from the Merlot, making this soft, spicy red a little less bombastic.

Summer Spring Riesling 1999 Mosel (M&S). Off-dry, fresh, and vivacious. 8.5 per cent alcohol. Hints of tangerine and grapefruit.

Fetzer Echo Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 1998, California (Safeway, Oddbins). All the classic flavours of this grape. Great with fish and poultry.

French Connection Viognier 1999 Vin de Pays d'Oc (Waitrose). Classic dry French white. Fruit aromas with lime and apricot palate. Good on its own, or with Thai and Chinese.

Take-away curry night
It's become a tradition. Order a load of Indian food and eat till you drop. Plenty of wines can cut it with spicy grub.

Caliterra Cabernet Sauvignon 1999, Chile (Thresher, Wine Rack, Bottoms Up). Ripe cherry and blackberry with notes of vanilla and chocolate. Good with any spiced meat dish. Taste how the wine opens up.

Columbia Crest Grenache 1997 (Tesco). This ripe, forest-fruited, Washington State red is great with lightly spiced veggie dishes.

Devil's Rock Masterpiece 1999 (Waitrose). Peach and apricot aromas dominate this Pfalz Riesling. Juicy, refreshing, with acidity to live with a curry.

Kaituna Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 1999 (M&S). Fresh, lively and fruity with pear-drop aromas and refreshing acidity. Good with the hot stuff.

Sutter Home 1998 Californian Merlot. A black cherry and plum fruited red. Equal to mild dishes.

Bring-a-bottle to your mate's house
One of the team makes the food, everyone else brings a bottle. Perfect.

Valpolicella Classico 1998 Single Estate (M&S). Bright, ruby, lively raspberry and red-cherry favourite. Good with sausages, pork, ham or creamy cheeses. Watch it disappear.

Oak Village Pinotage 1998 (Co-op). Smoky, plummy South African red with a surprising balance and depth. A complex wine for the price.

Domaine La Rieste 1999, C?tes de Gascogne (Bordeaux Direct: 0118 903 0311). Classic gooseberry and cut-grass flavours make this easy drinking right to the fourth bottle.

Tuella Douro Tinto 1997 (www.madaboutwine.com). Never lose sight of how concentrated and fruity some Spanish reds can be. Lots of bangs for your bucks.

M?con-Villages Chardonnay 1998/99 (www. waitrosedirect.com, Freephone 0800 188 881). Delicate, clean, mineral and stone-fruit flavours make this a super value buy. Impress your friends.

Supper at home with a new partner
Always a tricky one, this: how to impress someone special on a very tight budget. Don't despair - try one of these.

C?tes du Lub?ron Rouge, Verget du Sud, Vaucluse (Lay and Wheeler until the end of August: 01206 764 446). A well-balanced wine with a good structure, this should prove to be an irresistible salvo of love.

Ch?teau La Hore Bergez Fitou (Asda). Easy drinking, vibrant, berry-fruited red. As accurate as Cupid's arrow.

Bright Brothers Reserve Chardonnay, 1999 (Sainsbury's). A big, oaky Argentinian white. A great mouthful with enough body to knock a polo player off his horse.

Domaine Vieux Manoir de Maransan Cuv?e Sp?ciale, 1998, C?tes du Rhone (Safeway). Elegant, fragrant and slightly peppery red. The name should be enough for any seduction.

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