I receive many invites to wine tastings in my capacity as wine writer for this respected journal. One or two a week on average, wonderfully designed and often embellished with personalised calligraphy.

Sadly, the events are always for tastings at Lord's cricket ground or some other noteworthy London location. Since writing Tipping's Tipples is not my full-time occupation, I rarely get to attend tastings in the Big Smoke.

I was delighted to find then, that the mountain is being moved to Mohammad. There are a number of very interesting events for wine fans at the York Festival of Food and Drink this year. It runs from September 10 to 19.

I'll be polishing my castanets for the first of the tastings at St William's College, when York plays host to the Rioja Roadshow. Tickets costs £10 for an early evening session on September 10.

On the following evening, TV personality Charles Metcalfe will introduce some of his favourite Champagnes, at Betty's Cafe Tea Rooms. The ticket price of £30 will treat you to an evening of fizz and fun.

York's splendid Guildhall will be the location for the Oddbins Wine Fair and Tasting on Saturday, September 18. Tickets, for what promises to be a very interesting slurping, cost £10.

Over the two weekends of the festival, Wines of Chile will be offering samples in Parliament Street. But don't overdo it if you're driving home!

You'll be able to try three wines from the Chilean producer Valdivieso, among others from the country. Because I am impatient, I've tried them already.

Good with or without food is Valdivieso Chardonnay 2003. It's getting on for being full bodied, don't let its refreshing characteristics fool you. It has strong flavours of apple with hints of mandarin and pineapple. It's noticeably but not overly oaked and won't break the bank at under a fiver.

Valdivieso Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 is an easy drinking, medium-bodied red. This wine is nice to drink on its own and would fulfil the crowd-pleaser category at a party. Raspberry flavours dominate and it's astonishingly smooth, given that it costs less than £5 a bottle.

A weightier alternative is the Valdivieso Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2000. This full-bodied wine is sublimely silky with spicy blackcurrant and black cherry flavours. There are sweet marshmallow notes on the palate and it benefits from the well balanced use of oak. It's the most expensive of the three wines at £6.99 but very good value nonetheless. A nice pairing with rich meat dishes.

Festival organisers are hoping to arrange more wine events in the next few weeks. I'll let you know of any developments.

Valdivieso Chardonnay 2003, £4.99 at Morrisons, Safeway and Tesco****

Valdivieso Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, £4.99 at Tesco****

Valdivieso Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2000, £6.99 at Sainsbury's and Tesco****

Updated: 16:39 Friday, July 30, 2004