Stand on a street corner asking passers-by which country they would describe as a wine-growers' paradise and European nations would almost certainly come top of the list.

France, Italy and Spain would be right up there, but the real vinicultural heaven is probably a few thousand miles away. And if Bacchus, the god of wine, exists, he has probably taken up residence in Chile.

That's not to say this country's wine is necessarily better than the others, but it is truly blessed for wine-growing conditions. First, it has been untroubled by the horrible bugs which have plagued Europe for years, and second, it has a perfect climate and varied soils.

So if the wine god has moved across the Atlantic, maybe the Chileans are getting to partake in a few of those notorious Bacchanalian orgies.

We Brits have certainly developed a taste for the country's products - Chile is the fastest growing country sector in the UK.

The 138-year-old Vina Errazuriz, a sixth generation wine company still owned and run by the family which founded it, has just been named Chile's winery of the year for 2008 by the Wines of Chile Association.

I've been an admirer of its products for years, as a regular buyer.

Quality is the keynote, and it's particularly fascinating to compare the Chilean versions of classic European wines.

Gewurztraminer is the classic grape of Alsace - and having family connections with that part of the world, I know people who talk as though they have the stuff flowing in their veins.

But I doubt if they could find fault with Errazuriz Single Vineyard Gewurtztraminer 2006 (14 per cent, from £9.39, Thresher (three for the price of two) and www.chileanwineclub.co.uk).

The bouquet is intense, and the flavour full, rich and, above all, hauntingly aromatic. Flowery touches and hints of honey are there as well. That aromatic character makes it particularly good with smoked fish.

Errazuriz Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (13.5 per cent, £9.39, Majestic, www.chileanwineclub.co.uk and www.everywine.co.uk) dishes up the classic herbaceous taste of the grape, but with a more rounded, full-bodied taste than you would generally find in Europe, with citrus, lychees and mangoes as well. Youthful and fresh in character, but complex nonetheless.

From white to red, and Errazuriz 'Organics' Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

(14.5 per cent, from £9.99, Oddbins, www.everywine.co.uk).

This is from Chile's Aconcagua Valley, where the prevailing climate is Mediterranean. Powerful, concentrated, juicy blackcurrant, with hints of spice, and added complexity provided by 12 months reposing in oak barrels. I enjoyed a glass with a small selection of good cheeses - cheddar, Shropshire blue and an appealingly ripe Camembert.

Errazuriz The Blend 2005 (14.5 per cent, £15.25, Waitrose,

www.everywine.co.uk) is a fascinating example of the winemaker's art.

The skill involved is in melding five different grape varieties to create a soft, intense, fulsome wine - 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts' is the slogan on the bottle.

It was aged for 18 months, and red and black fruits, touched with black pepper, are among the up-front flavours.



A Burgundy hue

Two sound Burgundies, one red, one white, are in the frame today.

Pommard is a village built on the site of an early temple dedicated to Pomona, the goddess entrusted with the care of fruit.

The wines are full and rounded rather than elegant, and have been described as ',masculine' in character - although I don't think that would go down too well with Pomona.

Louis Jadot Pommard 2000 (135 per cent, £29.99 (three for the price of two at Thresher) and www.everywine.co.uk) is a fine Burgundy made from 100 per cent pinot noir.

This is a generous, fruity, earthy wine, with a mellowness no doubt enhanced by those eight passing years. Five to 10 years is reckoned to be the age needed for the wines of Pommard to be at their best.

A good accompaniment to big, beefy winter casseroles and hotpots.

I liked the dry, nutty citrus flavours of Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuisse 200 (13 per cent, £13.99, Tesco, www.everywine.co.uk).

This rich white Burgundy is made from chardonnay grapes, provided by more than 40 family estates from which Jadot has bought for many years.

But it's a dreamy, greeny-gold, French version of Chardonnay, dry and sophisticated, a world away from some of the vast quantities of Chardonnay produced by the New World. Not that I don't have a soft spot for some of the latter.

It's young and lively, and fine to drink now, but the wine can be aged, to develop a still more interesting character.



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