There's a chill in the air and that means autumn and so the season of wine sales is upon us. The latest is Superquinn's French Wine Sale. It's not due to start for another week but the stock starts arriving in shops today I 've been told so head in early to bag a bargain.

Wines Tasted on the Show:

Coteaux du Giennois Sauvignon Blanc 2012, Superquinn, €13.79, reduced to €10.

This is a little known Loire appellation half way between Orléans and Sancerre and like its international superstar neighbours, Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé it is made from Sauvignon Blanc and shares their limestone and flint soils (silex). It also shares a similar style, which is to say flavours of gooseberry and lenon with a stony mineral character. What it rarely shares is price. This is €13.79 normally and just €10 in the sale. Try it with fish, shellfish, asparagus, goats cheese or stirfires.

E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone 2010, Superquinn, €15.99 reduced to €8. Available at many other wine stores and off-licences across the country for about €15.

Supermarkets regularly promote 'fake' half price offer with 50% cuts on artificially inflated prices. This though, for once, is a genuine reduction, or almost half the price it costs elsewhere. Guigal is regarded as one of, if not the best, producers in the Rhone and his top Côte Rôties cost hundreds of euro. It's a blend of equal parts of mostly syrah and grenache with a splash of mourvedre, aged in steel and foudre (large old wood). Expect to find bramble and plum fruit with liquorice and a sprinkle of pepper. A versatile red that will go with all sorts of hearty food.

Martin writes a weekly column in the Sunday Times and you can also read him or contact him on twitter as @winerepublic or @thegargleguru, where tweets are limited to about drink.