IT'S an exciting time in our wee basement wine shop at the moment as we’ve just taken delivery of our annual allocation of the Bogle wines from Clarksburg, California. Bogle is one of only two suppliers that we accept an allocation from without having to taste the wine first. The other is a lovely dude called Helmut Donnhoff who produces brilliant Rieslings from the Nahe region in Germany. We are confident enough in the quality of these two producers that we are happy to take whatever they can send us on trust. They’ve never disappointed us yet.

The Bogle allocation normally lands just before Christmas, but it was late this year arriving just a couple of weeks ago. As a result, we managed to secure a few extra cases of the best-selling Essential Red as another shop had cancelled their allocation because it was later than expected. More fool them.

They have a great selection of wines including two Chardonnays, a Chenin Blanc, a Viognier and a Sauvignon Blanc in the whites and a Merlot, an old vine Zinfandel, a Petite Sirah, a Pinot Noir and a couple of big blends (The Phantom and the Essential) in the reds. They’re not all available all the time, but they are all worth a try and they’re accessible and very food friendly.

Six generations of the Bogle family have been involved in the wine business and the family have owned the current vineyard sites since 1968. They now have 1900 acres which they manage in a very green and sustainable way. Winemakers Eric Aafedt and Dana Stemmler have been working with the family for 25 and 10 years respectively and their experience and understanding of the vines really shines through.

Here are two to try before this year’s allocation runs out…

Bogle Chardonnay 2016 (Inverarity One to One, £15.99). Half of this wine is aged for eight months in new American oak barrels adding depth, complexity and a wee touch of vanilla to the glass. The overall balance is superb, and you should try this with langoustines and chips.

Bogle The Essential Red 2016 (Inverarity One to One, £19.99). This is a blend of old vine Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah and it spends twelve months in expensive American oak barrels before release. I love this wine with Laura’s home made burgers topped off with slow cooked pulled pork smothered in barbecue sauce. Cheers!