They may be a little more expensive than your normal drop, but then it is Christmas, and I can promise you that you will notice a difference by trading up.

Australia does a lot more than Chardonnay and Sauvignon. I have raved about the Rieslings many times, and love some of the Viogniers and Semillons too. The Marsanne would rank amongst my all-time great value bottles, a wine with real class at a very reasonable price.

On then to the Iberian peninsula for the next three wines. Spain is the most exciting country in the wine world today, with masses of thrilling new wines arriving in this country every month. If the winemakers would only lose their fascination with now oak, the wines could be even better. Portugal, for so long the forgotten wine country, is at last starting to make a real impact in this country.

Tahbilk Marsanne, Victoria, Australia Senorio de Cruces 2005 Rias Baixas, Spain Azul y Garanza Tinto 2005, Navarra, Spain Santos Lima Palha Canas, Alenquer, Portugal 2004

Stockists 11.99 at Red Island Wines, Skerries; Hole in the Wall, Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7; Uncorked, Rathfarnham Dublin 14; Superquinn 15 at Listons, Camden Street; Fallon & Byrne; Morton's, Ranelagh; Bin No 9, Clonskeagh; www. spanishwines. ie 10.60 at O'Donovan's Off Licences, Cork; selected O'Brien's Wine OffLicences, and Manning's Emporium, Ballylickey, Co Cork 12 at Red Island Wines, Skerries; Power & Smullen, Lucan; Harvest, Galway; Jaynes, Ennis; Sweeneys, D11; Searsons, Monkstown, Co Dublin

Description The clean crisp lemon and mineral streak is offset perfectly by some luscious pears and honey. It is light, a mere 12.5%, and free of oak flavours. Overall, a wine with some real complexity, medium-body and impressive length Another delicious mouthwatering, plump fruity wine from Galicia in the north-west of Spain. Fresh but gentle pears and apples, given a bit of zip by some lively lemon notes and a dry finish I came across this delicious, inexpensive organic wine at a recent tasting. It has lovely easy, light, blackcurrant fruits with a peppery edge. This finish is smooth, and free of drying tannins. If you are feeling flush you could try the more expensive Seis de Azul y Garanza at 17, but this is so good why bother?

An old friendship renewed on a recent trip to the Estremadura region north of Lisbon. The best wines of this region are quite elegant and refined, with a lovely quality of fruit. The Palha Canas is a drop-dead gorgeous wine, with brilliant cool dark fruits, a creamy texture and a rounded finish. Different, and utterly delicious

Drink with it By itself, with hot or cold salmon, chicken or maybe cold ham. Best of all would be with cold turkey and a fruity stuffing Great by itself, or with mussels, oysters, prawns and crab . . . in fact all manner of molluscs and crustaceans, the plainer the better The perfect all-purpose wine, light enough to drink by itself but with enough body to go very nicely with turkey sandwiches, or any light meat and cheese dish A good all-rounder, but this would be perfect with leftover cold meats and stuffing, with cheddarstyle cheeses, or most red and white meats

Score 16/20 14/20 12/20 15/20