Wine Box: Be a Wine Snob

What is so special about sitting by an open fire on a chill autumn day sipping a glass of red wine? It's all to do with being a wine snob. Time and place are all important to the cognoscenti - consider how many books and movies have scenes in which the hero and heroine quaff away in front of a roaring log fire. It's clich?d fantasy that has almost turned into part of our national heritage.

The snag is that most of us don't have a dozen cases of Latour 1966 in the cellar, or an open fire for that matter, to complete the illusion - in fact, you live in a fourth-floor flat in a smokeless zone and the nearest thing you have to a cellar is a cupboard next to the dustbins in the basement. So what can you do to fulfil your wine-snob fantasies?

First, never admit that you don't have room to keep wine, or worse, that you don't have the money to buy it. While ostentation is not respected, a certain appearance of financial credibility is desirable. Second, explain that you do have a private cellar but the thermostat is broken (to nods of agreement and sympathy). Third, explain that any of the following wines were 'all you could manage to lay your hands on'. When tasted, other budding snobs should immediately accept that you 'know your stuff'. In a nutshell: ditch the open fire and wing it.

Luigi Bosca Malbec 1999 (Adnams Wines, mail order: 01502 727 222, £8.50). The unbridled fruity style of Argentinian Malbec continues to impress us Blighty drinkers. Rich, soft and balanced, with big aromas of black cherry and plum, this one is a class act. The burly strength of this style of red is great with roast meat. Start roasting that ox.

Spier Private Collection Merlot 1999 (virginwine.com, £9.99). South Africa's Stellenbosch can produce great wine. This is one of the better ones. More fiery and passionate than so many Cape reds, this impressive Merlot has delightful leather aromas mixed in with gutsy black fruit flavours. Hide the label, say it's Pomerol and see who notices.

Pirramimma Petit Verdot 1998, McLaren Vale (Majestic, £8.99 or £7.49 if you buy two). Huge, tannic, muscular stuff with amazing depth and richness. Loads of blackcurrant, toffee and spice in the mouth. Intense, full-bodied and rewarding.

Ribbon Vale Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 1997, Margaret River (Laytons/Jeroboams, £10.40). A gift of a wine at this price, so get in quick before it all disappears. This rich, ripe, succulent Western Australian is the winery's flagship red and bristles with strawberry, plum and French-oak spice. Gentle tannins give it a tremendous long, dry finish. Drink now or keep for a decade - but make sure you get out the best glasses.