Stretching along Italy’s Adriatic coast, the Abruzzo boasts pretty coastal coves and dramatic landscapes of soaring mountains, rolling verdant hills, deep valleys and ancient castles. It's a favourite spot for holidaying Italians, but is otherwise little known. Yet its extensive vineyards produce a range of deliciously accessible wines – creamy, plum-filled Montepulciano reds, citrusy Trebbianos and this fruity Pinot Grigio. This white addition to our Farinelli range provides excellent value, yet over the vintages it’s scored an amazing 93 points at the IWC competition and won four medals. Enjoy here a lovely balance of ripe peach and apple fruit with citrusy zip. It makes an ideal apéritif and goes well with lemon chicken and creamy pasta.

Portuga is made by Casa Santos Lima, a grand Portuguese estate in the Lisboa region, just north of the capitol. João Santos Lima founded it in the 19th century and it has been in the same family for three generations. Diogo Sepúlveda is the winemaker today. He has worked vintages all across the world, including Bordeaux's prestigious Pomerol and California's Napa Valley. He is a talented winemaker, who relaxes in his spare time by wrestling bulls (all muscle, no knives!). Portuga is a rich, velvety blend of traditional native varieties, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, aged gently in oak. Delicious either served on its own, with rich pork dishes, or tangy tomato pasta. It's an ideal wine for a barbecue too or with mature hard cheeses.

The talent behind this contemporary white Rioja is the Murúa family, real movers and shakers in the region. They own Bodegas Muriel in the Rioja Alavesa, a winery established in 1926 by Jose Villaverde, the father of the current owner, Julián. Julián and his son, Javier, have for years made our customers the much-loved red Barón de Barbón. Always a top seller, it's adored for its generous, ripe fruit and value for money. This fresh white is in the same class – no doubt why our customers order it more often than any other blanco. It’s pure Viura, fermented at a cool temperature in stainless steel to capture every single flicker of freshness. You’ll find it delicious served chilled with tapas, barbecued chicken or spicy prawns with noodles.

The Posada del Rey label is synonymous with quality wines that far exceed their humble table wine classification. This wine’s fresh, unoaked fruit (plums, redcurrants and cherries) comes down to a judicious blend of grapes from vineyards across northeast Spain. In our view, Posada del Rey offers a canny alternative to young Rioja. No wonder it has such a large following and is among our most notable bestsellers. Those who try it seem delighted with both quality and price – “stunning value” wrote one online customer. Pure Tempranillo, the prized grape of Rioja, it’s brimful with juicy plums, redcurrant and black cherries. Enjoy alongside tapas, garlic mushrooms, roasted vegetables with feta, or chicken. It’s great as a glass on its own, too.

In the most northwesterly corner of Rioja, the flatter land starts rising up into soaring mountains. It's here you'll find the start of the Rioja Alta vineyards – a fine enclave of Spain’s greatest region. There extra altitude freshens as well as ripens grapes slowly to full flavoured perfection. Since most Riojas blend grapes from across the region you almost never see Rioja Alta on labels. In fact, there are only two villages permitted to add it. In one you'll find Juan Antonio Leza’s family winery, the cellar behind Castillo de Epifania. Every grape comes from their sleepy Rioja Alta village. Full of silky dark fruit and strawberry, with a kiss of oak, this red has a delicious 'drink me' style, lovely on its own or with tasty tapas.

Fans of our bestselling Vinha do Fava fell instantly in love with this Reserva edition, whose debut marked the 100th anniversary of Casa Ermelinda Freitas. This award-winning estate is proud to have been run by three generations of women, with the much acclaimed Leonor Freitas in charge today, assisted by her daughter, Joana. Their spellbinding Reserva is a blend of Castelão, from the property’s oldest vineyards, Touriga Nacional, from the famed Fava vineyard, and Alicante Bouschet lending trademark fruitiness. Ageing in French and US oak barrels seasons the dark fruit with exotic spice. Like the centenary it was first created to mark, Vinha do Fava Reserva is a memorable red – intense, velvety and textured. Food matches are best hearty!

Pure Tempranillo Rioja Crianza with silky, bright berry fruits and lightly toasty oak notes, making a perfect match for tapas dishes, a rice pilaf or grilled meats. Rioja’s Luis Alegre bodega was founded in 1968, just west of the village of Laguardia. It now boasts 52 hectares of vineyards in some prime spots of Rioja Alavesa, many of those ancient bush vines. Planted largely on limestone soils on sites protected from the cold northerly winds by the Cantabrian mountains, the vines produce ripe, intensely flavoured grapes with great freshness. They also pride themselves on promoting biodiversity and sustainability, as you may guess when looking at the wine’s label. This is their fine Crianza from vines over 50 years old. All Tempranillo, the wine was aged for 14 months in a mix of French and American oak barrels.