I've been meaning to start a thread on this for a while but kept forgetting to do it, so here it is! It will be updated regularly (by me at least!) and made into a sticky to form an effective reference point for anyone looking for a decent bottle of plonk or some quality real ale

I'm sure there are many of us here who enjoy real ale or a glass or three of vino, so let's hear your recommendations. I've deliberately mentioned real ale and not simply beer because this is a thread for connoisseurs, not for lager louts or Lambrini drinkers!

So which wines or ales have you enjoyed recently that were superb and offered excellent value for money?

Please include the name of the beer or wine, its price, and a brief description of how it tastes, or even food you've enjoyed with it and consider as a good accompaniment.

Which wines would you recommend for a special occasion?

Where do you normally buy your wine or real ale?

I'll start the ball rolling with a recommendation for a superb St-Émilion Grand Cru which Aldi are selling at the moment for £7.99 a bottle. Yes that's right - it's a total bargain and a wine of this quality would normally cost in the region of £18 per bottle in somewhere like Oddbins.

The relevant details are...

Name: Chateau Grand-Pey-Lescours.

Type: St-Émilion Grand Cru (Appellation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Controlée).

Grapes: 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc.

Alcohol content: 13% vol.

Price: £7.99

Importers description:

From a family-owned estate since 1924, located in the foothills of Saint-Émilion known for creating wines with mellow, silky, tannins, red berry flavours and spicy notes. 75% has been barrel-aged for 20 months to make it a perfect match for grilled meat, duck or lamb.

My comments:

We enjoyed this wine recently and it has all the hallmarks of good claret at a very affordable price. Buy now before stocks run out!

Also from Aldi I bought six bottles of Schöfferhofer Hefeweizen (yeast and wheat beer), 5% vol, and it's superb! Anyone who likes quality Weissbier (e.g. Stevie boy) will love it. I forget how much it was but it certainly wasn't expensive.

Right, who's next with a wine or beer recommendation?

Marco.