2007 Oddbins Own White, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France, £3.99. Stand-alone cheap and cheerful French white made from a hodgepodge of Languedoc grapes, including viognier, sauvignon blanc, muscat and chardonnay, whose citrusy verdant style has a mouthwatering lemon and celery finish.

2007 Oddbins Own Red, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France, £3.99. In the same mould as the white, this jolly picnic and barbecue red, made principally from southern France’s syrah and grenache grapes, bursts with ripe, crunchy, plum and cherry fruit and works equally well chilled or at room temperature.

2007 Il Clandestino Buglioni, Bianco Veronese, Great Western Wine (01225 322800), £8.55. Unusual Veronese white, from Buglioni and a part of northeast Italy that is better known for soave than it is for this fellow garganega grape-based wine, which delivers some delicious, fine, waxy, grapey fruit.

Elatis Vino da Tavola, Rosato, GB Burlotto, Italy, Great Western Wine, £9.55. The label doesn’t say so, but this delicious 14 per cent alcohol Italian pink is a fresh-faced, mostly nebbiolo and barbera ‘07 blend that seduces with the sort of smoky, curranty, raspberry-scented fruit that wins fans.

2005 St. Joseph Rhône, France, tesco, down £4 to £8.99 until August 26. Scoop up while you can this heavily discounted classic red from an excellent northern rhône vintage, complete with its gorgeous, seductive, elegant, peppery syrah spice.

2004 Finest Hermitage, Cave de Tain, Rhône, France, tesco, £18.99. Spot the name of the top Cave de Tain co-operative on the label, and you’ll find one of the rhône’s greatest reds, oozing with the distinguished blackberry and black-pepper spice of the 2004 northern rhône vintage.

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