Super wines - perhaps the best that the New World produces - but what a shame about the prices! Knock out all the wine investors in New York, together with the employees of Silicon Valley and Microsoft up in Seattle, then the prices might appear more attractive but until that unlikely event our Californian range will have to remain necessarily small. That said, please try the wines we do list: they have passed our value for money criteria and are excellent. 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.