My nameless wine-writing source agrees: “The ultimate test is whether people like the wine.”This seems a perfectly fair standard, and no wine writer can be all things to all readers. If my palate and yours don’t agree, go elsewhere for guidance. And, by the way, I welcome advice on what kind of wine recommendations you enjoy most. Adjectives by the dozen, or short, straightforward assessment of quality and VFM?Incidentally, the wine that didn’t show up in time was one that Jilly Goolden had recommended on the Food and Drink programme. The supplier told me that when Ms G gushes about a wine, the nation heads out to buy every available bottle “Do you like her tasting note?” I asked my panel. An embarrassed silence fell, followed by words like “ridiculous”.

But it’s probably not the details that make people rush out to buy; it’s the mere fact of her enthusiasm. Could she have caused gridlock at the checkouts by comparing the wine to rubber gloves, linseed oil, and Chanel No 5 on a Gladiator’s shorts?We’ll never know.THE WINES/THE DESCRIPTIONSMoet & Chandon Brut Imperial (widely available, around pounds 20) Remarkable aromas of great finesse, creamy and biscuity as well as showing hints of brioche with overtones of honey and vine blossom. The palate shows good depth and concentration of dried fruit, cinnamon and vanilla flavours. The wine is clean, mature and lively with a stylish dry finish.Moet’s own tasting notesChablis 1995, Henri Lambert (Majestic, pounds 5.99) Full of refined, steely, floral, herbaceous scents and flavours, this greeny-gold classic French white closes with a clean, nutty, leafy finish.Jane Macquitty, `Times Magazine’Aldara Reserve Grenache 1994, (Waitrose, pounds 5.99) A fruit like deep, red loganberries. It’s as though I’m actually crushing the black grapes in my mouth. There’s a rasp there, but it’s a rasp of liquorice and herbs.

And there’s a little bit of acidity that comes back just to make my mouth water at the end.Oz Clarke, `Food and Drink’Carta Vieja Vino Blanco 1996, (Majestic, pounds 3.99) A Chilean white of complexity, pace, richness and finesse. An utterly delicious Sauvignon with a cleanness of fruit – counterpointed by a subtle melony flavour and undercut by crisp, gently herbaceous acidity …Malcolm Gluck, `Guardian’Pendarves Verdelho 1995, (Stockists info: 01780 755810) Delicious spicy citrus and tropical fruit-scented white with appley overtones, plus the flavours of melon, pineapple and passion fruit.Paul Levy, `Mail on Sunday’Cabernet/Shiraz Southeastern Austra-lia, non-vintage, (Tesco, pounds 3.99) It’s intense, it’s heady, it’s like hot Bakewell tart. Like fairy cakes just taken out of the oven – that lovely, lovely, hauntingly sort of sweet fruity taste with a little lactic, pastry edge to it And it’s also got, of course, blackcurrant pastilles. You don’t get this kind of wine without that lovely, squashy blackcurrant pastille scent.Jilly Goolden, `Food and Drink’. I wasn’t going to mention the King.