This Squealing Pig Tempranillo is fantastically drinkable, with verve and minerality. With bright cherry and forest fruits lifting out of the glass, this wine is medium -bodied and bursting with red fruit flavours.

Antinori Solaia is an intense ruby red colour. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, it delivers aromas of ripe fruit, spices, black pepper, chocolate, coffee and vanilla.

As with the white Prosecco, this Rose from the leading Spanish producer, Freixenet, is also available in the cute, yet extremely convenient size of just 200mls. An Italian classic, it also offers those delightfully refreshing notes of florals, apples and red berries in an extra-dry style. What picnic or lazy summer afternoon would not be made even better by a few of these chilled gems?

The word 'Nacional' is reserved for treasures that fly the flag for Portugal. Touriga Nacional certainly does that. Ten years ago the Freitas family planted the grape on their acclaimed Fava vineyard. In 2015 it produced a wine so special that it was bottled under the vineyard name for the first time ever. It won a string of Gold on its debut - making over 60 Golds in 10 years for this fine family estate. The 2016 won Grand Gold, and the 2017 here has won Gold, Double Gold, Grand Gold and Best in Show ... ! Dating back to 1920, Casa Ermelinda Freitas is run by fourth generation Leonor Freitas, who has been awarded a 'Comendadora' (equivalent to a Dame) for her services to Portuguese wine. Her daughter Joana follows in her footsteps. Aged in barrel, this rich red is packed with spicy berry, herb and mineral character. A top match with slow cooked beef or lamb.

A frequent Gold medal winner, Stones & Bones is so-called because it’s grown in a landscape littered with ancient boulders and dinosaur fossils. In the modern Portuguese tradition, the wine is a blend of local and international grapes. Touriga Nacional, the backbone of vintage port, joins forces with Syrah, Tinta Roriz and Alicante to produce truly mammoth, rich fruit flavours. Equally impressive is the winemaker, Diogo Sepúlveda, who relaxes after work by cycling or playing football, or, more unusually, bull wrestling! Having worked in Pomerol, then in the Barossa with heirloom Shiraz vines, his credentials for making this rich, old vine Portuguese red are second to none. For maximum enjoyment, decant and serve with a rich beef casserole.

Save the vines and enjoy a gorgeous, rich red! Poggioreale used to be an important wine village in Sicily. It was where Dino Taschetta grew up, like generations of his family before him. After an earthquake reduced Poggioreale to ruins in 1968, a new town was built further down the hill and the vineyards above the village, the highest and oldest in Sicily, were then neglected for decades. Now, with many of the island’s oldest Nero d’Avola vines grubbed up, there’s even more reason to treasure what’s left. Dino recently returned to the family estate and began to restore the vineyard. His first vintage was 2017 and he was in urgent need of a customer. Our Buyer tasted the wine and reserved it all. A year later, we’ve returned for more.

The region of Cariñena is “home to some of the best value reds of Spain, if not the world” (Decanter) and this gorgeously intense, ripe fruit red is from one of the most awarded cellars there. High up and inland, the Cariñena region (confusingly it’s also the name of a grape!) enjoys a climate both Continental and Mediterranean. In lay terms, that means plenty of sunshine, but not too hot. Add in the grand age of the vines and the stony soils and it’s the perfect recipe for intensely flavoured, well balanced reds. Viña Altogrado in a nutshell. Made from old vine Garnacha grapes, this red is seriously long and brightly fruity – the ideal partner for traditional Spanish lamb dishes, grilled meats or tapas. A great choice for a barbecue, too.

Wine Spectator calls Portugal “the most exciting wine place on the planet”, with its terrific range of native grape varieties and wines that always offer standout value. The rich, mouthfilling Lobo e Falcão fits firmly in that category. It’s made at a 17th century estate owned by the Lobo de Vasconcellos family, once the location of the king’s falconry. Special barrels of wine were kept for the king when he visited. Today, talented winemaker Joana Lopes makes this red specially for us, blending Syrah with Portugal’s exciting native grapes. Previously awarded a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Award, the 2018 has lovely intensity of flavour due to another low yield year. Generous wild berry fruit and spice with a velvet texture – a very moreish red.