Somerfield is a chain which until recently wasn't represented in Bradford, but this week the small store in Manchester Road is joined by a larger one at Wyke.

The choice isn't huge but the new stock includes that little-represented part of France, the south-west, with a range of wines from Domaine du Tariquet. The basic Cotes de Gascogne, from £4.99, is a very fragrant melange of grape varieties, attractively easy to drink and with an enjoyable, lingering finish.

The opening of the Wyke store coincides with a 50 per cent reduction on about 25 different wines as old Somerfield stock is cleared out to make way for the new, so it may be worth your while checking the range.

Netto's wines are as close to rock-bottom prices as you can get. The remains of earlier offers linger on the shelves, so it's possible to have the choice of quite a few wines with big discounts. Recently they have been offering the reliable Argento Chardonnay at £2.99 which is normally between £4.99 and £5.39.

Moving up from the cut-price stores, Marks & Spencer's are giving a 20 per cent discount on all Australian wines this month, so there's plenty of choice, especially if you go to the Owlcotes store.

For some people quality takes precedence over price.

For "hand-picked" wines and helpful advice you need to go to the independent merchants.

One of the best is Andy Paterson at the Halifax Wine Company. As well as wines from the prestige (read "very expensive") regions he has many New World and European wines which offer terrific quality at approachable prices.

The Chilean Casa Lapostolle Cuve Alexandre Merlot 2000, for example, is a wonderful black, opaque wine which provides full, deep, ripe, plummy fruit and a juicy, very long finish. It's £14.99, but so much better value than most wines from classic regions of Europe.

Tim Hamilton Russell is one of the best producers in South Africa, as his Chardonnay 2002 demonstrates. It combines refined French oak, ripe fruit and fresh acidity to produce full flavours without being over-the-top, followed by a long dry finish. It's priced at £14.95.

For those adventurous souls who like something out of the ordinary, try Nectar from the Greek island of Samos. This is made from Muscat grapes semi-dried in the sun to concentrate the sugars.

It makes a delicious dessert wine, raisined and rich, with distinctly orange flavours. All that care lavished on a wine and only £9.95 a bottle!

Here's wishing you adventurous, good-value wine drinking in the future.