SEVERAL readers have written asking for advice on what wines to buy while on holiday in France. By the time you read this, I hope to be there myself, happily researching. In the meantime, a few general hints:
1 Don't assume that supermarkets are the best hunting ground. Although their wine sections are improving - Carrefour, Leclerc, Intermarche and Auchon are the leaders - a good wine merchant who can offer guidance may be a safer bet overall.
2 Remember the regional nature of the French wine trade and use your trip as an opportunity to discover good local wines, rather than search vainly for something from the other end of the country. Note the names of any tasty strangers encountered in restaurants.
3 Tasting and buying at chateaux can be great fun and add extra flavour to the whole experience of enjoying French wine in France. In wine regions, the Maison du Vin in key towns points the way to good properties open to the public.
4 Don't let low, low plonk prices go to your head. Set a bottom limit of 25 francs - just £3, after all - and there's a better chance you'll have bought something worth drinking.
5 Packed with information about regional wines, good chateaux and wine shops as well as local dishes, The Food Lover's Companion to France by Marc and Kim Millon (Little, Brown, £14.99) is an enthralling companion.