Wine Box: Bargain bottles

Budget dinner parties can be fun - no one expects too much and everyone feels relaxed.

So, what value wines and foods can be served at dinner parties where the cost is less than £10 a head?

Waitrose Sangiovese, Marche (£3.49). The grape that makes Chianti also thrives in the Marche region on the Adriatic coast, east of Tuscany - as this red shows. It's bursting with ripe fruit, yet has a trademark bittersweet twist. An ideal match for home-made pizzas.

Domaine de Mont-Auriol Roussanne, Vin de Pays de C?tes de Thongue 2000 (Laytons & Jeroboams, £5.70). Well-made, unoaked Roussanne like this has wonderful crispness and exotic white peach and apricot flavours. This is state-of-the-art stuff from a domaine that's been in the hands of the same family since 1488. Practice makes perfect, I'd guess. A superb white for a light summer supper of grilled fish or chicken.

Blue Ridge Merlot 2000, Boyar Estates Sliven (Tesco, £3.99). Bulgaria, at its best, can produce a few good, reliable reds. This is an improved vintage with smooth, modern style and good plum and cherry fruit. Perfect with a pot of chilli con carne, rice and garlic bread.

Previously on Wine Box