2009 Surani, Fiano, Pietrariccia, Salento, Italy (£10.50, Moreno tel. 020 7286 0678 & merchant@moreno-wines.co.uk). A brand new wine made from the alluring and mesmerising fiano variety, this is an utterly delicious drop, with fantastic notes of wild flowers, lime pith and pineapple husk. Widen your horizons with this imperial Italian beauty and watch it harmonise with all starters, particularly smoked salmon.
2010 Blind River Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand (£13.99, reduced to £11.19 for 12 bottles, Oddbins). With hints of mango, guava and papaya on the nose and a core of thrilling lime zest on the palate, this is a stunning starter wine and it is great with smart fish dishes, too. This is one of the best Kiwi sauvignons of the year.
2009 Wither Hills Chardonnay, Marlborough, New Zealand (£8.99, Waitrose, Majestic £8.99, reduced to £6.99, if you buy any two bottles until 31 January, Majestic). I cannot believe the price reduction here, because this wine is one of New Zealand’s most complete and delicious chardonnays. With more exotic fruit than the white Burgundy on this page, this is a massively rewarding wine and it is spot on with turkey.
2007 Bourgogne Rouge, Domaine des Maréchaudes, France (£10.99, reduced to £8.79 if you buy 12 bottles, Oddbins). It is so difficult to find good, accurate, inexpensive pinot noir from its spiritual home in Burgundy, but one sniff of this fine wine and I knew that I had nailed it. With wild strawberry and cherry orchard notes on the nose and a velvety palate, you simply must roast a turkey in honour of this wine.
2008 Les Vignes de Bila-Haut, Chapoutier, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, France (£8.99, Noel Young tel. 01223 566744, The Sampler tel. 020 7226 9500, Booths Supermarkets). This cunning Roussillon red is a bargain price for such a massive amount of flavour and class. Made from syrah, grenache and carignan, the wonderful thing about wine is that it uses no oak whatsoever – so the flavours are totally pure. It’s a stunning all-rounder and it’s brilliant with turkey and all of the trimmings.
2008 Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir, Napa Valley, California (£14.99, reduced to £9.99 if you buy two bottles until 31 January, Majestic). The price deal here is incredible, because this really tastes like a fifteen pound bottle of world class pinot noir. Mondavi was a legend and his wines still continue to wow us all. This sensational pinot is liquid velvet and it will romance the turkey like never before.
