Weary of supermarket offerings, Alan Kingsbury finds a wine merchant who can put the fun back into bargain hunting.

As the 14th approaches like a remorseless romance machine we start to think of champagne. Alan Kingsbury finds going for the pink can keep prices down and romance still high

From the depths of winter and with Valentine’s Day around the corner, I thought we could have another rummage around the Foodepedia Champagne cellar for something a bit special to share. Right now, I can’t think of anything more appropriate than ‘Wintertime’ a Champagne from the historic house of Pommery based in Reims.

Foodepedia advocates fizz with finesse for Christmas. Herewith, our selection…

Bloom is a premium new gin from master distiller Joanne Moore with its tones of chamomile and honeysuckle Bloom creates a sweet subtle taste perfect for enticing the gin virgin.

Situated in Valdobbiadene in the Treviso province, northern Italy, Bisol process the grapes for their wines from 16 farms whose vineyards cover an area of over 45 hectares, all at an altitude of 250 to 300 metres. All of the Bisol Prosecco wines we tasted are elegant and excellent wines to have as an aperitif, as well as for drinking with desert, most would also work well in cocktails like Kir or Bellini.

It seems that wines these days are getting stronger and some of you might be looking for lighter options for those summer afternoons. We’ve sampled three Banrock Station wines at 5.5% by volume and a fourth at 12%, and these might just suit a change of regime or be the right thing for that long summer afternoon garden party.

Laithwaites had invited media flunkies to a tasting of some of their Californian wines available to customers during the summer months. There were only fourteen wines, so this was a little more manageable than some tastings I’ve been to; wine tastings can be a little trying, for me at least, but there were several that I particularly liked.

With summer here, well, trying to be, you might be looking for a wine that’s just right to accompany the barbecue you’re planning, or attending, or to take along to the park in your picnic basket brimming with goodies. We tasted three of their wines that we think are ideal for summer drinking recently, each of which filled our mouths with fresh fruity zinginess.

With father’s day coming up you might want to do something special for the old man, like a full on lunch with nicely matched wines to go with the dishes you prepare. Or if you dad’s a guy who likes a glass of wine or two while relaxing in front of the telly, you might just want to drop a few bottles off with your card and leave him to it.