Seasonal buys: best-value wines for Christmas

A great festive fizz from Spain, fresh and zesty on the nose with a lovely, and seriously dry, palate comprising of rich citrus fruits, apricot and just the right amount of bitter orange peel flavours. Complex with a liveliness that makes it perfect for aperitifs as well as with food.

Made in a luxurious, creamy style, this keenly priced blanc de blancs is produced from 100% night-harvested Chardonnay grown on limestone-rich soils. It spent 48 months on lees before disgorgement. There's lemon-lime citrus freshness, and green apple fruit, but this is all about the lees, with a brioche, biscuity richness that feels very hedonistic.

Although slightly musty on the nose, this tastes lovely and clean in the mouth, with good depth of flavour. A touch of mushroom joins the fairly intense citrus, nougat and brioche flavours, bringing a touch of savoury complexity. A good Champagne for under £20.

Made for Sainsbury's by Codorniu, this vintage Cava is great value for money. Bready citrus aromas, with a touch of honeyed peaches, lead to a vibrant citrus palate, with rounder notes of nuts and nougat. Super-fresh, with focused acidity and brisk bubbles.

A classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with the tell-tale 'cat pee' and gooseberry nose on a background of mango, passion fruit and elderflower. Green and red apple on the palate, unravelling layers of sweet apricot, grapefruit zing and minty grass. White pepper and zesty citrus on the finish. Great value at £7.5 per bottle, perfect for pairing with seafood salad and spiced Asian food.

For those who like their Loire Sauvignons, Aldi's new Winemaster's Lot line has both this and a 2019 Sancerre (£12.99), though for price and freshness this is the pick. The oak is well judged, supporting not overwhelming the nicely rounded guava and herbaceous citrus palate. Online and in store.

This organic Catarratto - an indigenous Sicilian variety - is grown near Marsala at up to 400 metres. It’s a textural wine with bright, mineral acidity and a delightful perfume which adds exoticism to the yellow fruit, pear and apple flavours. The leesy, stone fruit finish displays subtle spices.

Made for Sainsbury's by established Chablis producer J Moreaau & Fils. Old vine fruit (30-60 years) gives the classic Chablis mineral character, which is allied with nougat notes and bright citrus, plus streamlined acidity that balances the richness of up to 10 months on lees. A bargain for Chablis fans.

Labelled as Fiano, this is actually Minutolo, an aromatic Puglian variety previously known as Fiano Aromatico. Organically-farmed vineyards in the north of Puglia are cooled by sea breezes and produce this ripe, grapey wine showing orange blossom, pear and bitter walnut. Fleshy and at under £15 it offers great value for money.

Made using the indigenous Sandanski Misket grape, the white wine from Struma Valley features a passionate nose of apricot, elderflower, ripe peach and crushed grass, plus a light touch of smoke. Steely yellow fruits are spiced up by white pepper, ginger and crisp acidity, followed by a clean finish with melony depth.

Dry Riesling from the Mosel is such a joy when it's good. This is a great introduction to the style, with racy acidity and weight of peach and apple fruit that you'd expect, a touch of minerality, and great length. Good value at the price.

A Bacchus-driven white blend with grass, minerals, star fruit and apple on the nose and the palate. Partial fermentation in 6-year-old barrels softened the sharp acidity, leaving green apple and minty herbs on the palate. The 15% barrel-fermented Chardonnay in the blend gave the wine a touch of weight and honeydew melon roundness.

Made with fruit from cooler coastal vineyards in Aconcagua.The wine is aged in 40% French oak barrels, in pursuit of a more northern Rhône character. This is a ripe, rounded and fruit-forward style, with luscious peach and apricot stone fruit, a full body and a warming finish. Try it with spicy Asian dishes.

A half-bottle for under a tenner? A no-brainer, especially with Christmas approaching. With 380g/L residual sugar, it's a dessert in itself – try serving it over vanilla ice cream. Glass- and mouth-coating, it's deep in colour and rich with plump curranty fruit, figs and toffee. The acidity keeps it fresh, despite the whack of sugar.

With similar flavours to Tawny Port, but not as sweet and with fresher acidity, it's a wonder Madeira isn't more popular. This one, from leading producer Henriques & Henriques, is beautifully mellow with sweet-savoury flavours of walnut skin, burnt orange peel, toffee and a tangy, cleansing finish. In store or via Ocado.

Clean sour citrus and blossom on the nose. High acidity at 8.5g/l brightens the luscious sweetness (140g/l of sugar) on the palate. The 100% Semillon was aged partially in oak for 12 months. Ripe apricot, honey and marmalade notes, followed by a long and citrusy finish. Made in partnership with De Bortoli.

Sold in bottles or half bottles, it's a blend of three vintages, 2014, 2015 and 2016, and is made by a top Sauternes producer whose name the Society can't reveal. It's not massively complex, but you can't dispute the value. Creamy, warm orange citrus fruit, 112g/L residual sugar.