Buyer beware are this month’s watchwords if you’re out hunting and gathering wine bargains for Christmas. They’re not about to fall off the Christmas tree any time soon and it won’t be enough to know the price if you don’t know the value. Evidence of the cynicism with which some retailers are approaching the credit crunch was highlighted by thewinegang.com’s recent exposure in Off-Licence News of a raft of depressing new so-called ‘value’ wines: Tesco’s Spanish tetrapaks, Sainsbury’s Basics and Asda’s Smartprice wines. We gave them a firm thumbs down, but is it all that surprising? If all but 40p goes on tax on a bottle of wine costing £2.20, what does that say about quality? It says never mind the quality, feel the price, hardly a responsible approach when the government is promising to crack down on anything seen to be encouraging binge-drinking. Having scoured the offers of the high street wine retailers, most buy-one-get-one-free or three for £10 offers have the blood boiling rather than set the pulse racing.

That doesn’t mean that December isn’t the time to take advantage of some genuinely well-aimed promotions being forced on retailers fiercely competing for our absence of cash. Champagne is a favourite battleground and the discounts have been piling up. Asda caused a stir when it announced on 21 November that it was slashing the price of its Francois de Rozay Brut Champagne in half from £19.98 to £10. It’s decent enough but not a patch on its fuller, richer Janisson Premier Cru at £22.98. Champagne lovers are better off opting for the classy Taittinger Brut NV is £31.98 at Asda, £36.65 at Majestic, but £21.99 when you buy two. Wine Rack has halved its price on one of its champagnes (Druart) and Tesco on four, but I’d go for a trusted name, such as Bricout Prestige Champagne NV at Tesco, down from £28 to £14, while Waitrose is halving its list price of £25.99 for the very attractive Duval Leroy Fleur de Champagne Premier Cru NV to £12.99, although not until the new year’s eve week of 27 December.

Elsewhere, there are some good buys to be had if you’re selective in your shelf-scouting. Some of the reductions at Tesco are worth having, its Tesco’s Finest Chablis, a satisfyingly minerally chardonnay, down from £8.98 to £5.98, for instance, the flinty, gooseberryish 2007 Finest Pouilly Fumé a snip at down from £10.98 to £7.98 and the rich and spicy 2005 Gigondas from £10.99 to £7.99. For the sweet of tooth, Majestic have one of the pudding wine bargains of the year in the 2005 Concha y Toro luscious marmalade and apricot-like 2005 Maule Valley Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Concha y Toro, normally £5.99 in half-bottle but buy two and it’s £3.99. There’s a good everyday claret too in the 2005 Roc de Calon, Montagne Saint Emilion, reduced from £9.99, to £7.99 when you buy two. Majestic is also bringing the price of the pungently aromatic, passion fruity 2008 The Ned Black Label Waihopai River Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, normally £9.99, down to £6.95 when you buy two, while Waitrose is reducing the price of the same wine to £6.99 until 6 January.

If you’re still at a loss as to what wines to buy or indeed whether to spend any money on wine at all this Christmas, I aim to solve your last minute problems with 50 Best wines for Christmas next week. Bearing in mind that help is imminent, why not take the opportunity to indulge early in one or two seriously good treats for yourself or if you’re in generous mood as presents that will give immense satisfaction. Majestic’s Fine Wine stores are well worth exploring for a wealth of great Christmas treats such as the traditional, succulently gamey and mature 1995 La Rioja Alta Grand Reserva 2004, £25, buy two = £20, or the classy, succulently textured, aged claret, 2000 Château Poujeaux, cru bourgeois exceptionnel, £25. Or try Oddbins Fine Wine stores for the intense, butterscotch-rich and fruity 2004 Frédéric Magnien Morey-St-Denis Blanc, £21.99, or the impressive, intensely flavoured 2005 Bodegas Palacios Remondo Rioja Propiedad, £22.99. Just a foretaste of the mouthwatering prospects to follow next Saturday.

Something For the Weekend 6 December 2008.

Under a Fiver

2007 Bushland Single Estate Shiraz

All of Aldi’s wines normally listed at £4.99 are reduced to £3.99 this month, so now’s the time to head for your local store in search of affordable wines like this smoky and approachably ripe Hunter valley shiraz whose smooth and generous blackberry fruit is attractively tinged with oak. £3.99, Aldi, normally £4.99.

Under a Tenner

2006 Tinto da Anfora

Distinctively Portuguese in its make up of mainly aragonez and touriga nacional grapes, but with a touch of cabernet sauvignon in recognition of the modern, this is a powerful Iberian red enveloped in stylish oak whose vivid raspberry and mulberry scents give way to a damsony juiciness and bite. £6.49, Sainsbury’s.

Splash Out

2007 Domaine Thibert et Fils, Pouilly Vinzelles

Pouilly Vinzelles, much like Pouilly Fuissé, is a chardonnay from the Mâconnais region, so it’s not surprising that this fine dry white burgundy, with its aromatic undertones of toasty oak, displays a similar sort of richness of fruit and the oatmealy, nutty character of the lees stirred in the barrel, all the while finishing on an appetisingly dry note. £11.99, Waitrose.

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