They said he was 'aluado' ('loony') but the ever inventive José Neiva Correia has proved his doubters wrong. Alicante Bouschet produces some of the world's deepest coloured wines and is often used to enhance Portugal's top reds. Here you find it in its pure form thanks to José. A legend of Portuguese wine, he combines generations of tradition with an inquisitive spirit undimmed at 60+ years of age. Following on from last year's triple Gold medal triumph, José again used grapes from his own historic estate, Quinta de Porto Franco, which dates back to the 12th century and is thought to be the oldest vineyard in Alenquer. Thanks to a great season, Aluado 2017 is a big, rich wine best served with roast meats - try with pork or rack of lamb.

Italy’s deep south is best known for big, smoky wines made from its prized local varieties – Primitivo, Negroamaro, and in this case the uniquely Puglian Susumaniello grape. In local dialect Susumaniello means something like “loaded like a donkey”, referring to the wine’s massive amounts of aroma and flavour. Pillastro’s creator Angelo Maci is a leading figure in Puglia’s recent quality revolution, and is fervently proud of local traditions and rare grape varieties. As fans of southern Italian wines – and Pillastro fans in particular – will agree, Puglia offers “undreamed-of character and potential” (Hugh Johnson), and mouthwatering Susumaniello is the supreme example of this. Serve in large glasses with braised lamb shanks or caponata.

Nero di Troia is named after the city of Troia in northern Puglia, which Greek hero Diomedes is said to have founded after helping to defeat the city of Troy with the famed Trojan Horse. There, outside the city walls, he planted vine cuttings, which flourished and were named Nero after their dark skin grapes and the deep coloured wine they produced. Rich, warming, full-bodied Corsiero is rich and velvety with intense black fruit and spice flavours … just perfect served with full-flavoured pasta and rich meat dishes.

Entry: Velvety and plush and fragrant rich blackberrycherry fruits. Some tangy cedar and lingering cigar box characters. Middle Palate: Juicy round black cherry fruits, tempered with the soft idiosyncratic "milk chocolate" McLaren Vale Shiraz sweetness and roundness. After Palate: Lashings of trademark milk chocolate with blackberries and dark-fleshed plums and spice with velvety, smooth tannins. Finish: Juicy blackberry and mocha notes intertwined with signature lush McLaren Vale tannins. It's like taking a big mouthful of Black Forest cake.

The Knappstein name remains a hallmark of quality and we are excited and proud today to announce the official launch of the delicious Spring Farm Shiraz Cabernet, which unites the two red grapes for which the Clare Valley is rightly famous. Today you have the opportunity to enjoy it at its special Summer Launch price. Michael Kane, Chief Winemaker at Knappstein has a love for wine, and travel that has led him to visit and work across the world – Burgundy, Champagne, Oregon, Napa and Central Otago, and he has crafted many award-winning wines for celebrated brands such as Devil’s Lair, Stella Bella and Wolf Blass. The team at Knappstein consider themselves guardians of the vines, most of which are in excess of 50 years. They adopt a minimal intervention approach in the vineyard with the aim to create wines of real personality and unique regionality while maintaining rigorous high standards of sustainability.

Between Rhône and Provence, Ventoux takes its name from the imposing mountain which forms the backdrop to its ancient vineyards. Its footslopes provide ideal terroir for growing exceptional quality grapes, a fact first recognised by the Perrin family over 40 years ago when they discovered this sandy (safres) plot. As the Ventoux name implies, it's a windy region and, coupled with the height of vineyards, the area’s red wines have “a kind of mountain coolness and freshness” (Andrew Jefford). This is a terrific wine from the 5th-generation Perrin family, the leading organic producer of the southern Rhône. Using a classic blend of grapes, it's a vibrant red with scents of herbal fruit and tobacco. Ideal with lamb kebabs or roast squash pilaf.