Great session on BBC Radio Oxford today with Phil Mercer on the Garden Cafe show. Here are the four wines for Autumn that we featured:

Finca Flichman Reserva Malbec 2012, Mendoza, Argentina. Stockist: Waitrose £9.99.

Beronia Rioja Reserva 2008, Rioja, Spain. Stockists: Waitrose £12.99, Ocado £9.74 until 3rd December.

Edmeades Zinfandel Mendocino County 2010, California, USA. Stockist: Hedonism £18.10.

Quinta do Vallado 2010, Douro, Portugal. Stockist: winedirect.co.uk £23.

Really impressive selection. You can listen again here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01kfj57

Thank you to all the lovely people from Chadlington, Charlbury, Finstock and Billericay who came to The Wine Tipster’s Charity Gig for Friends of Chadlington School and Greatwood Caring for Retired Racehorses. The punters at the packed Chadlington Village Hall consumed Gordal olives, Marcona salted almonds from Brindisa and fabulous mini-pizzas from Cafe de la Post in-between tasting eight wines on sparkling form.

First up was the elegant Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV, Champagne, France on offer in Waitrose at £29.99 until April 2nd, followed by Esk Valley’s Sauvignon Blanc 2012, Marlborough, £9.99, Cafe de la Post, The Oxford Wine Company, which really does express the quality of

this New Zealand vintage. We moved on to the well-priced, elegant Planalto Douro Reserva 2011, Portugal (pictured right), £7.99, Majestic, with citrus and peachy flavours, whilst the Mâcon Charnay, Réserve Personelle 2011, Burgundy, France, £9.99, Cafe de la Post, The Oxford Wine Company, with soft, buttery and vanilla flavours is quality, good value Burgundy under a tenner.

Then Zalze Cabernet /Shiraz Rosé 2012, Coastal Region, South Africa, £7.99, Waitrose, full flavoured with attractive red fruits and spice raised the flag for the pink corner, with the wine options round revealing the soft, elegant, rounded and abv friendly 12% Aurora Reserve Pinot Noir 2012, Serra Gaûcha, Brazil, £9.50, Stevens Garnier. Interestingly, many people guessed Pinot Noir and chose Chile instead of New Zealand.

The final part of our journey ended in Europe with the smooth, Beronia Rioja Reserva 2008, Rioja, Spain, £11.99, The Oxford Wine Company, Cafe de la Post and the stunning Ramos Pinto Collectors Port, Douro, Portugal, £13.99 The Oxford Wine Company, Cafe de la Post.

A big thank you to all the wine producers, S.Pellegrino, Cafe de la Post, The Oxford Wine Company and Alex James, Craig Ogden, Ed Fenton, Nicola Leyland, Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival, Chadlington Quality Foods and The Tite Inn for the raffle prizes.

Finally, a big thank you to Robina, Lois, Jo and Steve for organisation and pouring.

The Wine Tipster was introduced to wines from the Dão region in northern Portugal when the wines were mainly cooperative produced, rustic and heavy handed on the tannins.  Today, is a different story, with many quality producers like Quinta da Bica, Dão Sul, Quinta de Pellada, Quinta de Saes and Quinta da Falorca making some of the best wines in Portugal, with the latter one of my favourite wineries from this region. Last night, after decanting, we had the Quinta da Falorca Reserva Lagar 2009, Quinta Vale da Escadinhas, abv 14%, £18.99,  www.armitwines.co.uk , which on the nose has plums, damsons and herbacious aromas, then intense flavours on the palate of ripe cherries, plums with spice and flint notes. This Touriga  Nacional, Arganoés and underrated Alfrocheiro dominated blend has many years of pleasure ahead. Also, look out for Quinta da Falorca’s Garrafeira 2004, Quinta Vale da Escadinhas abv 14.5%, £42.85, www.armitwines.co.uk which is refined, complex and full of the most delicious fruit flavours.

Away from the Dão region, the incredible 2009 Bordeaux vintage produced delicious wines at all levels, with Cru Bourgeois wines offering quality and value for us all to enjoy. For example Cháteau Arnauld Haut – Médoc 2009, abv 14%,  Cru Bourgeois,  is packed with full flavoured fruit, with tannins soft enough to enjoy this Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend now or certainly keep.

Staying in France, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Macon Villages 2010, abv 12.5%, £6.99 is strikingly good value as an aperitif wine and another example of much good white Burgundy is available.

Today at Cartmel I’m hoping that the Lucinda Russell trained Cadore in the 4.55 The Cartmel Cup will scoop the prize in a competitive race at 11/2.

Cheers and happy punting!