Under 10

Laurent Miquel Nord-Sud Syrah 2004, Vin de Pays d'Oc 9.99 As regular readers will know, I am a big fan of the Laurent Miquel wines, none more so than their basic Syrah, which is one of the great bargains on the Irish wine scene.

This is a crowd-pleasing, all-purpose wine, with enough power and concentration to go with most meats, richer pasta dishes and cheeses, but supple enough to be drunk on its own. It is the perfect wine to crack open with dinner on a wet Tuesday.

Rounded plum and liquorice fruits, with a hint of spice, finishing dry.

Dunnes Stores

Under 15

Maris Syrah 2004, Vin de Pays d'Oc, Robert Eden 10.99 Englishman Bertie Eden moved to the Languedoc some years ago, where he founded Comte Cathare winery. Most of the vineyards are farmed biodynamically, and Eden has in the past created special cuvees to raise funds for the Rainforest Foundation and the Woodlands Trust. Most importantly the wines are very good indeed rich powerful stuff, but with plenty of class. The Maris is a gorgeous big Rhone-style wine, chock-full of black pepper, liquorice and piquant dark plums. I wouldn't venture near it without a plateful of venison, beef or something equally substantial.

The Celtic Whiskey Shop, Dawson Street; McCabes, Blackrock and Foxrock; Baily Wines, Howth;

McHugh's Kilbarrack and Malahide Road

Under 25

Domaine de la Colombette Lledoner Pelut 2003, Vin de Pays des Coteaux du Libron 21 This is one to fox your wine-loving friends.

Apparently Lledoner Pelut is a relative of the Grenache grape variety, found exclusively in French and Spanish Catalonia. Pelut or Peluda means 'hairy', referring to the hairy leaves on the vine. It certainly tastes like a top-quality Grenache. This is one for lovers of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a big rich wine with delicious soft, ripe strawberry fruits, a hint of spice, and some real complexity.

Bin No 9, Clonskeagh; Terry's Wines, Limerick