Since Steven Spurriers famous wine tasting competition between California and the Great wines of France I have always held California as a producer of High quality wines and yet so much Californian wine in our shops is pretty ordinary. Have they changed tack or do we simply not see the good stuff any more?

California has always been a provider of bulk wines. The history, climate and energy of the region have enabled them to make vast quantities of potable if simple wine that was predominantly sold in the USA market.

Specialist quality producers have always co-existed with the bulk wine industry in California. Their aspirational targets have always been the great wines of the world initially of course France. While making great wines in their own right it is evident that many of the best wines have their sights set on the great French Classic styles such as Bordeaux and Burgundy. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir are the stellar grape varieties employed.

The key problem for the producers of finer Californian wine is that their wines have become increasingly expensive in our ultra competitive UK market where price is almost everything. While the top California producers have battled to place their wines in our shops and supermarkets the bulk producers have managed to compete with the other New World wine makers at the value end for market share.

Therefore we see far more of the ordinary stuff in our shops. Rest assured they are still making some fabulous wines but in common with so many of the world’s great wines they are becoming increasingly hard for the average wine lover to afford.

Thankfully we have managed to locate some gems that reflect the amazing quality that California can achieve.

Wente Morning Fog £7.99 Waitrose has a ripe buttery lemon fruit nose with a rounded lemon and stone fruit flavour lifted by a zesty edge, spicy lovely lingering finish.

Bonterra Chardonnay 2006 Mendocino £9.49 Waitrose Fresh, fragrant melon flavours mingled with ripe lemon zest and an underlying lemon curd richness on the nose. Bouncy, lively lemon fruit on the palate with good acidity finishing clean and fresh.

Director's Cut Russian River Chardonnay 2007 £15.99 Hailsham Cellars, Bottle & Basket. Creamy, rice pudding, nutmeg sweet lemon and honeydew melon nose. Fat buttery Chardonnay with lemon, melon and pineapple notes on the creamy, peachy, weighty palate with a spicy, nutmeg edge. Ideal for full flavoured chicken dishes with cream sauces.

The excellent Sonoma Cutrer range starts with the Coast Chardonnay 2006 £14.99 Waitrose has a clean, clear, crisp, lemony melony nose and loads of ripe, clean, bright, fresh, lemon and melon fruit on the palate. For added character and finesse you can progress through the Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay 2007 Waitrose £16.99 to the Sonoma Cutrer Les Pierres 2005 £30.00 Majestic.

Mondavi Fumé Blanc 2008 - £14.99 or Buy any 2 Mondavi wines save £10 = £9.99 Ripe apple nose with a nice gooseberry edge. Rounded ripe and smooth on the palate juicy apples and gooseberries full weighty good.

Five Rivers Chardonnay 2006 - Majestic £8.99 or Buy 2 save £4 = £6.99 Deep vegetal onion beansprout edge to nose. Quality of slightly aged vegetal chardonnay beansprout, onions lemon slightly reduced.

Director's Cut Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 £19.99 everywine.co.uk, Hailsham Cellars. Intense ripe, cedary blackcurrant nose with smoky spicy traces. Smooth velvety and deep on the palate, crammed with firm powerful blackcurrant flavours with a spicy edge and a long lingering cassis finish.

Mondavi Pinot Noir 2007 - £14.99 or Buy any 2 Mondavi wines save £10 = £9.99 has a lovely earthy edged ripe strawberry nose preceding sous bois hints on full weighty red berries, strawberries cherry flavours nice length.

Ravenswood Lodi Zinfandel 2005 – Majestic £9.49 or Buy 2 save £4 = £7.49 Initial dark, ripe plum spice with a blackberry edge to the nose. Juicy vibrant plum spice and blackberry tones on the palate with a warm ripe finish.

La Crema Pinot Noir 2006 £14.99 Waitrose has a warm vaguely rooty, tonal, cherry and raspberry nose. The ripe classy medicinal palate has a tangy red fruit core.