Wine Box: Boutique Bottles

'Which wines should I drink and which should I avoid?' A common question. The trite answer is: drink the ones you like, ignore the ones you don't. Follow your instincts about the smell and taste of a wine and you will soon find out which ones appeal most - hey presto, instant expertise. There are plenty of average and dire wines around, but there is a huge middle range where it is difficult to applaud one wine more loudly than another. The really fascinating wines, for my money, are the result of the passion of individuals whose wineries are mainly small, often referred to as 'boutique'. Here are a few bottles from producers you may not have encountered yet.

Chapman's Chance Pinotage, 1999 (Laithwaites, £8.99, stockists: 0870 444 8383). The Flagstone winery, on the waterfront in Cape Town, has only been running two years and this plummy, rich, soft red is its first vintage and good for a Pinotage (often an insipid grape, in my view). Winemaker Bruce Jack is also a keen poet who recites verses to his fermenting grapes. The wine is named after John Chapman, a first officer on the British merchant ship Consent, who, in 1607, made a 'chancy' trip to shore. A storm blew up and he was lucky to return alive. The bay was hence called Chapman's Chance ? now the name for this concentrated, fruity wine.

Valpolicella Superiore Ripassa Zenato, 1997 (First Quench, £7.49, stockists: 01707 385 000). A mass of chocolate, stewed cherries and herbs mix superbly on the palate in this robust, dense Italian red. Quite special and a match for any meat or cheese.

St-Joseph, Domaine du Ch?ne, 1998 (Wine Society, £8.95, stockists: 01438 741177). Mellow, perfumed red with a rich flavour of blackberry, this is a clear reflection of the soil and climate of the northern Rh?ne. Perfect for a slushy, romantic night at home.

M?con-Vir? Quintaine, Domaine Emilian Gillet, 1998 (pictured, Lea & Sandeman, £13.95, stockists: 020 7244 0522). There can be little better than a crisp, clean, high-quality white burgundy as an ap?ritif or with fresh fish. This one scores on all counts. It's zesty and lip-smacking with notes of honeysuckle and apple. Worth every penny.