In this week's Tipping's Tipples, Mike Tipping insists that it can be worth spending £10 on a bottle of wine.

WHAT can you buy for £9.99 these days? Just less than eight hours in a York car park, that's what.

I have an environmentally-friendly solution that would make City of York Council very happy. Walk into the city and spend the £9.99 on wine instead. That way your money goes directly to the Government, missing out the middle man.

Ernest and Julio Gallo wines, from California, are a common sight on the shelves of supermarkets, but the Coastal Vineyards range is relatively new to these shores.

Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 and Chardonnay 2000 are available from Tesco and Safeway for £9.99. The grapes are grown on California's Pacific coast. Gallo claim that this is the ideal climate and environment for bringing out the best of the varied characteristics.

The chardonnay is classy. It's smooth, crisp and well balanced with citrus flavours. Now, if I had my white of choice I'd nearly always opt for a chablis. I have to admit that in a blind taste test, I'd swear this Gallo Chardonnay was a chablis. The aftertaste of flint is distinct, as is the subtlety and zest. Now here's the sting. This chardonnay's really good but it costs a penny short of £10. For that price you could also have a decent chablis.

Coastal Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon was very pleasing. I've just treated myself to some new wine glasses which are the size of goldfish bowls. I was amazed how quickly my glass became empty, this wine is really quaffable. It's rich, full-bodied and flavoursome. I could taste cherry, almonds and vanilla, all finished off with a twist of oak. The nose was vibrant and intense.

I love the soft, approachable qualities of cabernet sauvignon and this is a particularly good example. Again, at nearly £10, this wine is no give away but I'd have a bottle any time.

Tipping's Tipples was pleased to receive a copy of the just published Oddbins Dictionary of Wine (Bloomsbury, £9.99 ).

As you might expect, the plot is a bit thin (tasting term, used to describe a wine that lacks body, depth and flavour).

But if the I-Spy Book Of Wines And Wine Terms is your sort of thing, this pocket-sized paperback makes for a great dip-in, dip-out read. Must dash, I've got to send off for my I-Spy membership pack. Anyone got £9.99?

Gallo Coastal Vineyards Chardonnay 2000

£9.99 at Tesco and Safeway

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Great white (swim for your lives)

Gallo Coastal Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 1999, £9.99 at Tesco and Safeway

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Fruit and nut case

Updated: 14:11 Tuesday, April 20, 2004