Artesano de Argento Organic Fairtrade Malbec-Cabernet Franc

An elegant Argentinean red blend from Sainsbury's

The two things to know about Argentina are:

- high altitude
- Malbec

High altitude does a number of things for a wine - in very simple terms, it means cooler overnight temperatures and therefore more freshness alongside lots of fruit ripeness. This is A Good Thing.

Malbec (aka France's Côt) needs lots of sun and makes dark, full-bodied wines. By contrast, Cabernet Franc is naturally more elegant and has aromas of plum, raspberry and tobacco. Both grapes originated in France and are grown in the Loire, Bordeaux and Languedoc

This Argentinean wine combines all these elements very successfully; the dark, inkiness of the Malbec, the high-altitude ripe-fruited freshness of Argentina and the peppery, plummy elegance of the Cab Franc; it is technically well-made with a vibrancy and deftness.

Artesano de Argento Organic Fairtrade Malbec-Cabernet Franc, 2018 (£10, Sainsbury's) concentrated, inky and dense, with dark plummy fruit, spice, pencil shavings and liquorice; fresh, pure and elegant with gentle-yet-firm tannins. Vibrant, dense and muscular - deft and well-made.

Improves with aeration and can be aged.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Match with an Argentinean steak or any roast meat.

Tom Cannavan is also a fan; he finds the tannins a little chunky and rustic in his video review.

Fiona Beckett finds it smooth and plummy in her review.

Corvezzo Prosecco DOC Treviso Extra Dry NV

A smart Italian fizz from Virgin wines

Well-made Prosecco is a good, crowd-pleasing fizz. With more ripe fruit than cool-climate fizzes, it is an affordable easy drinker for a mixed group, such as Christmas visitors.

Corvezzo Prosecco DOC Treviso Extra Dry NV (£14.99, Virgin Wines) fresh citrus and sherbet with apples-and-pears fruit; white flowers, lemon peel and some creamy leesiness.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Serve as an aperitif.

5OS Project Shiraz Viognier

Big, almost porty Aussie Syrah-Viognier blend from Virgin Wines

Syrah-Viognier is a classic blend from the Rhône; this is an Australian take from the Mediterranean-climate McLaren Vale area.

With a couple of years in bottle, it's still very primary and, initially, fruit-driven; it is only with extensive aeration that it starts to show its more serious side.

5OS Project Shiraz Viognier (£16.99, Virgin Wines) dark berry and morello cherry fruit, liquorice and spice with cool, minty florality; inky pencil shavings with ripe, very fine tannins; intense and concentrated.

Benefits from aeration and will repay cellaring.

Good.

Match with darker game such as venison or hare.

Matthew Jukes is also a fan.

Trimbach Riesling 2017

A racy, mineral, age-worthy Alsace Riesling from Virgin Wines

Riesling is something of a wine geek's wine - aromatic and high in acidity with a mineral backbone and an ability to gain complexity with age, it seems to appeal more to enthusiasts more than to "ordinary joes".

Riesling's spiritual home is Germany, but in next-door Alsace it is one of four noble grapes to get star billing.

This Trimbach Riesling is supremely well-made and a textbook Alsace example. With taut, racy minerality, it will benefit either from a bit of aging or aeration, so don't be afraid to pop it in the decanter for an hour or so before drinking.

Trimbach Riesling 2017, Alsace (£15.99) yellow stone fruit, citrus and pineapple fruit; grapefruit pith and fennel, floral and minty with flintiness. Lean, limey and mineral.

Taut and uncompromising in youth; expect it to broaden out with age.

Good.

Match with tarte flambee.

L'Apogée, St Chinian 2015

A very accomplished Languedoc Syrah blend from Foncalieu

St Chinian might just be my favourite Languedoc sub-regions.

And Foncalieu could well be one of my favourite Languedoc producers.

St Chinian, by the way, is set around 25 miles inland from the Mediterranean near Beziers and Narbonne at the foot of the Massif Central. It became an AOC in 1982 and falls into two distinct parts; the north has schist soils and produces the better wines. To the south, the soils are chalky clay and the wines less concentrated.

This Syrah blend is a true vin de garde, one whose texture and concentration require significant aging before reaching maturity. Born into a great vintage, at five years old it is still very youthful and quite closed up. That's not to say you can't enjoy it now, but it will need significant time in the decanter first.

L'Apogée, Foncalieu, St Chinian 2015 intense, concentrated and inky; dark berries and bramble fruits, florality with minty eucalyptus, cocoa and spice. Substantial and supple, complex and harmonious with very fine, well-integrated tannins. Still tightly-wound and youthful, this needs aging for several more years before it reaches maturity.

Very Good.

Herve Lalau has reviewed this vintage on Chroniques Vineuses and Tom Cannavan has scored earlier vintages in the 90s.

ArtWinery Traditional Method White Brut 2014

An elegant aged Ukrainian fizz from Artwinery

I have something of a soft spot for Ukrainian fizz; at its best, it is clean, elegant and thoroughly pleasant.

This fizz is made by the traditional method from Chardonnay, Aligote, Riesling and Pinot, then aged for a year on the lees in the gypsum caves of Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk) in eastern Ukraine.

Now five years old, it is still very fresh and primary.

ArtWinery Traditional Method White Brut 2014 fresh citrus and white stone fruits, florality and vanilla spice. Elegant, mineral and pure.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Drink as an aperitif or match with light starters.

Chiarli Medaglie Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC 2018

A lip-smacking Italian red fizz from Virgin Wines

Lambrusco is the oenological equivalent of riding a Vespa; fun, stylish and joyously uncomplicated.

For the uninitiated, Lambrusco is a red fizz from Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, which is also home to Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano cheeses as well as pasta dishes such as tortellini, lasagne and tagliatelle.

Like many classic wines, context is important because the wine often needs to be matched with local foods to make most sense; Lambrusco's fruity tartness cuts through the rich flavours of Emilia-Romagna.

The dinner party fact for this wine is that Lambrusco Grasparossa is the grape variety and Castelvetro the area, hence the appellation name of Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro.

With freshly-squeezed fruit and crimson froth, how can you not love this wine?

Chiarli Medaglie Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC 2018 (£11.99) fresh, juicy blackcurrant and blueberry fruit with a touch of spice and gentle tannins; rich, bold and fruity with a pleasantly tart rasp on the finish.

Good.

Match with typical Emilia-Romagna foods - especially pasta with a rich meaty tomato sauce.