State-of-the art wineries give way to Italianate villas, all interspersed with top restaurants in California’s Napa Valley. The razzmatazz aside, this is a serious and mature industry stuffed with winemakers trying to make world class wines, and mostly succeeding. The only trouble about these top wines is that British consumers have to compete with American collectors who, more often than not, have deeper pockets. But there is good value to be had, our new Angel’s Flight wines being great examples, and we are constantly on the lookout for tempting wines while avoiding the confected mega-blends which buy space on UK shelves. Also keep an eye on our Oddments list for interesting small parcels.

Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, often called Fumé Blanc after Pouilly-Fumé, can be superb and is often more interesting with bottle age. The pure Malvasia Bianca is a full, Alsatian style white. Tablas Creek is the American venture of the Perrins of Château de Beaucastel. The vineyard is planted with cuttings taken from France and intense wines, which need a bit of time to develop, are made.