Wine with Andy Cronshaw

THE cold hard reality of the cost of living crisis is most definitely being laid bare in bank accounts everywhere.

This week had me rummaging through charity shops for some holiday clothes and comparing every price at the supermarket to find the very cheapest deals for food.

One of the very sources of decent budget wines other than supermarkets is the Wine Society and two listed here are absolute corkers.

Here then are some wines that offer lots of quality for those summer barbecues without breaking the bank.

THE SOCIETY’S HUNTER VALLEY SEMILLON 2021 (Top, £8.75, The Wine Society) Hunter Valley Semillon is an Aussie export unlike any other. And on a warm day, it matches Vinho Verde for lightness and refreshment.

This is made for the Society by Brokenwood.

Hunter Valley is a unique region where there’s plenty of rain and this allows the Semillon to be harvested early.

Lime-driven and very pure with a linear taste profile, it still captures a little bit of this grape’s tendency to offer honeyed notes and there’s a slight piney edge too.

THE SOCIETY’S AUSTRALIAN SHIRAZ 2020 (£8.25, The Wine Society)

Made by Bleasdale in Langhorne Creek, this is Aussie-style Shiraz at its best for this price point. It’s the perfect barbecue wine with layers and layers of blackberry and cherry fruit.

There’s some gateaux-like sweetness but that’s brought into shape by softish tannins and a decent finish.

VERAMONTE CHARDONNAY 2019 VALPARAISO, CHILE (Down to £9.50 from £11.50, Ocado)

This is a proper bargain at this price. Casablanca Valley does cool-climate grapes very well but here there’s a big generous offering of waxy, lemon-curd and pineapple spiked fruit.

Some oak fermentation means there’s vanilla and toast on the nose but ultimately the wine never gets out of shape. It’s the perfect choice for some barbecued chicken but perhaps won’t like too much spice.

DV CATENA CABERNET FRANC HISTORICO 2018 (Bottom, £10, with clubcard Tesco)

Tesco is offering some decent wines these days that fall outside the most popular grape varieties - and this Argentinian wine produced by familyowned Catena Zapata, is a very fine example .

Cabernet Franc is found in Bordeaux as a blending agent with Cabernet Sauvignon and also in the Loire valley where it makes charming, dry reds that offer delicacy with firmish tannins.

This is a lovely expression of Franc’s charms with concentrated, vivid cherry fruit. It finishes fairly firmly with a lovely lick of licorice and black pepper.

I have to say I was more than pleasantly surprised. This will be a beast for a steak or aubergines on the barbecue.