Winter red wines

As the winter chill sets in, it's the perfect time to shut out the cold, snuggle up inside and while away the evenings with some seriously good red wine. If you love a glass of red but get stumped on what to choose, browse through this selection of crisp rosés, light reds, and some gutsy, darker numbers for those cold winter nights.

Refreshing rosés

At its best, rosé should be refreshingly crisp, cerise and lovingly chilled. This pink wine can vary greatly in colour and taste, with wines from the Loire region in France displaying paler hues and delicate flavours in contrast to Australian offerings, which can be rich and powerful. If you fancy sinking some pink, it serves as a great partner to seafood, salmon steaks and vegetarian dishes. To avoid sipping on sugary, bland varieties, pick out a decent producer:

Bargains (under £5):

Bordeaux Rosé 2006, Sichel, (M&S) £3.15 per bottle or £37.85 for a case of 12

Mid-priced (up to £10)

Fezter Syrah Rosé, Tesco £6.49 per bottle

Sancerre Rosé 2006, Cave Sancerre, (M&S) £6.30 per bottle - £37.85 for case of 6

Light-hearted reds

Lighter reds are perfect for quaffing on their own, or for accompanying less hearty food like pasta, pizza and mild cheeses. Light reds tend to be easy-going and fruity when it comes to getting your mouth around a glassful. Pinot Noir and Beaujolais are great choices in this bracket, although steer clear of Beaujolais basic and nouveau. Go for bottles labelled "Beaujolais-village" if you can and try this little lot for starters:

Bargains - under £5

Beaujolais 2006, Paul Sapin, (M&S) £3.15 per bottle - £37.85 case of 12

Mid-priced - up to £10 :

Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2005, (Tesco) - £5.96 per bottle

Splash out - £10 upwards :

Gevrey Chambertain 2005, Les Caves des Colombe, (M&S)£12.67 per bottle - £76.04 case of 6

Medium mellow reds
Medium-bodied reds offer up smooth, mellow wines in the shape of Merlots, Chiantis and Riojas. Most Bordeaux reds, Californian Merlots and Chianti Classicos are barrel-aged giving them more depth than lighter reds and a more rounded, fruity finish. Partner medium reds with game, pork, lamb and bulkier meat-based pasta dishes.

Bargains - under £5:

Reserve Naturelle Merlot, (Tesco) - £4.99 per bottle

Mid-priced - up to £10:

Chianti Classico 2005, Cafaggio, (M&S) - £9.41 per bottle - £56.50 per case of 6

Splash out - £10 upwards:

Contino Rioja 2002, Contino, (M&S) - £19 per bottle - £114 per case of 6

Full-bodied gutsy reds

If you're after something with a little more weight, a robust, full-bodied red will pack a punch on the first sip and linger on your palette with the rich taste of fruit, spice and oak. Pierre Mansour, wine buyer for The Wine Society predicts that "the bigger body, richer tasting red wines from warm regions of the world: Rhône, Southern France, Italy, California etc" will be the trends for autumn/winter 2007. Heavy-weight wines are best matched with more substantial dishes such as stews, roasted red meats and mature cheeses. Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Grenache are amongst the best loved in the bracket of big, strapping reds. The fruiter side of lighter and medium-bodied reds is sidelined when it comes to full-bodied wines, which show their maturity through hints of spice, leather and toffee.

Bargains - under £5:

Hardys Nottage Hill Shiraz Tempranillo, (Tesco) £4.98 per bottle

Mid-priced - up to £10:

Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, (M&S) - £7.58 per bottle or £45.50 for case of 6

Splash out - £10 upwards:

Baron De Courcelle St Emilion, (Tesco) £11.99 per bottle