Best known in Beaujolais, Gamay also excels in the Loire, lending juicy strawberry notes, while Cabernet Franc is more raspberry and leafy. After a gentle crushing, the juice was drawn off the skins to ensure a pale pink hue and cool fermented to retain lovely summer berry notes.

A local boy and talented winemaker, he knows exactly where to find the finest Glera grapes to make this elegant, creamy fizz.

Add extra sparkle to your weekly wine routine with this fresh, inviting Prosecco. It's full of delicious apple and lemon-scented flavour. After all, right across Italy Prosecco is the bubbly of choice and as much a part of daily life as gelato or an espresso. This wine is from northern Italy's Alessandro Gallici. He knows every grape grower worth knowing, every premium vineyard, and has spent his life making outstanding wines. We first met him when he was head winemaker at a large winery. Every vintage, he'd impress us, but he was also keen to go out on his own. We were delighted and promised we'd be his first customer. We're still championing his great wines today. His fizz is beautifully fresh and, served chilled, makes a tasty aperitivo.

Wine Enthusiast calls Amarone “one of 15 icons in Italian wine”. They are certainly some of the country’s most treasured reds. Rooted in the ancient tradition of sun-drying grapes before fermentation, Amarone wines offer exceptional richness and a glorious combination of power and complexity that cellars well, too. No wonder they are sought after worldwide. This 2020 from esteemed Cantina Negrar pays tribute to 18th century poet Bartolomeo Lorenzi, whose epic poems celebrating rural life made Valpolicella wines famous.

The grapes are from the ancient, dry, stone terraces of the cool Marano Valley, where they ripen slowly. They are then air-dried for 120 days to intensify flavours. Decant early and enjoy with hearty dishes, or cellar.

Lots of customers associate the Cabalié name with a richly flavoursome red. Now meet its oh-so-moreish white sibling, our top-selling southern French white, with 7 Golds in just four vintages! Ripe, crisp and, best of all, terrifically versatile.

Here volcanic soils lend a flinty minerality to the orchard-fresh flavours of Prosecco. Enjoy a crisp glass of this bubbly spumante.

With Prosecco, you can’t help but smile. It’s the UK’s fizz of choice, and being kind on the pocket, you can drink it whenever the fancy takes you! The Italians do anyhow! This delightful example was sourced from vineyards in the Euganean Hills near Padua. Known locally as the ‘happy hills’, here life is sweet – la vita è dolce! – and vacationers flock to the promise of fun and good wine. These Glera vines grow on volcanic soils which lend crisp minerality to the lively, fruity character of Casa Cantalini. Pop the cork and out fizzes a fragrant ensemble of crisp orchard fruits and flinty freshness. It's a spumante, so it offers a steady stream of bubbles and is very moreish. Don’t wait for a celebration, enjoy a chilled glass any time.

Fronsac's fine Château Dalem perches high on a hill, surrounded by its 14 hectares of sloping vineyards. It's an historic estate, with records dating back to 1610, that stayed in the same family until 1955. Michel Rullier then took it over and today it's run with great success by his descendant, Brigitte Rullier-Loussert. Its vineyards are nearly all planted to Merlot, with a small amount of Cabernet Franc, and tended with meticulous care.

As you can see from critics' scores (92 points from James Suckling and 94 from Vertedevin), it is an admired claret and one that ages very well too. Matured in French oak (50% new), it has structure and length, but above all an appealing fruity depth. Perfect with roast meat or wild mushroom risotto.

The Pic Saint-Loup was elevated to AOC status in 2016 in recognition of the region’s consistently outstanding wines. Named after the peak which bears the same name, the waters here are pristine, and the south-facing vineyards embrace the cool breezes of the Mediterranean.

La Closiere is an 80/20 split of the region’s iconic Syrah and Grenache. Small barrels are used for the Syrah (half of them new), while the Grenache is left to its own devices in larger 2,000L foudres. At 15% alcohol level, this is a hefty beast of a red but retains a beautiful elegance thanks to exquisite craftsmanship.

Château Lavabre La Closerie 2018 has been racking up some excellent scores from the world’s top wine critics…

“… a blockbuster bouquet of black fruits, camphor, graphite, ground pepper, and cured meats. With a touch more finesse and focus compared to the appellation release, it's full-bodied and has a beautifully balanced, concentrated, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish…”

“Blueberries, blackberries and licorice notes mark the nose, supported by hints of crushed stone and spicy oak. It's full-bodied and ripe but still balanced, with a more streamlined feel than the other Lavabre reds, along with silky tannins and a long, licorice-laden finish.”

“Opulent! Incredibly concentrated… Lots of sweetness but at the same time it isn't sweet. Fig molasses. Coal dust. Graphite. Caraway. Lots of texture on those tannins… Huge power and broad, glossy, muscled shoulders. Nothing understated about this wine."

Founded 200 years ago, Château Pédesclaux is a magnificent estate, both in terms of wine and architecture. It combines the beauty of the 19th century with the modernity and technological advances of the 21st.

The additional work was undertaken by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, whose aim was to place “production at the heart of the estate within a high-performance building that is entirely fit for purpose and makes a harmonious whole with both the château and its surroundings”. It's quite something to behold.

Since the Lorenzetti family took ownership they've converted to organic. Their top wine is a rich, Cabernet-based claret, supported by Merlot, and finely expresses its gravel terroir. Still a young wine – best to cellar or open early.

From a family estate in Italy’s beautiful, alpine Colli Orientali del Friuli, Col Moniér provides a pleasing creamy mousse and fresh lemon and pear fruit.

Sometimes an occasion just calls out for some extra sparkle. From a cosy night in to a full-swing party or picnic in the garden! With Prosecco there are no rules, just chill down your bottle, pop it open and serve – it’s as delicious and moreish with or without food. Col Moniér is an appetising fizz from the Civa family’s winery in the heart of Colli Orientali del Friuli, in northeast Italy. The vineyards lie between the Alpine foothills and the high plains of Friuli, providing a mosaic of different soils and microclimates. The family’s speciality is Ribolla Gialla, but they also excel with other native varieties including the Prosecco champion, Glera. Chill down your bottle and enjoy a glass any time – on its own or with light antipasti.