On the grapevine

Waitrose discount: Rush to Waitrose, either on-line or in-store to pick up some of the bargains it has available until closing time on Tuesday. There is 25 per cent off the whole range of wine and Champagne priced £5 and over. It is always tempting to take the discount and stick with the same favourite wines, but this really is an opportunity to trade up and see if you like new wines. I recently tasted through over 100 Waitrose wines.

These are the ones I will head for.

Bodega Norton Colección Sauvignon Blanc, Argentina, normally £8.99: Crisp and bright with a definite minerally streak.

Trefethen Estate Grown Chardonnay 2018, Napa Valley,

California, normally £32.99: A rounded elegant Chardonnay, in perfect harmony. Save it for family gatherings.

Ch Pey la Tour Reserve 2016 Magnum, normally £24.99: Perfect for a festive celebration, when you have enough people around the table to do it justice. Ripe, elegant and supple.

Rustenberg Malbec 2020, Stellenbosch, South Africa, normally £12.99: Top marks for this deep-flavoured, rounded, mulberry-filled Malbec.

Festive spirit: Today the York Gin Shop starts its Sparkly Christmas Gin

Tastings. For £40 per person, you get a welcome cocktail made with grenadine, lime and sparkling gold leaf, taste six gins and end with a G&T to round off your hour-long session. Book at

www.yorkgin.com.

Rioja bargains: Rob Hoult in Huddersfield has so many offers of Rioja that there is probably a permanent queue outside his shop. Rioja is the perfect wine for these long dark nights so if you manage to get there before he sells it all, head for Bodegas Ontanon Rioja Reserva, down from £18 to £13, and the outstanding Cosme Palacio Rioja Crianza, down from £22 to £17.