My French is bloody awful but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of our tour of the Rhone, Burgundy and Champagne last summer. In actual fact, two of the best tastings we went to (Javilier in Mersault and Pinson in Chablis) were conducted 100% in French, with lots of emphasis on gesticulation and pointing! But what did come out of these enormously enjoyable experiences were two very apt phrases: Vin du Mercredi and vin du Samedi. What a great way of judging the quality of a wine!

In the Twittersphere, #winewednesday is a big thing (@winegeekconfess if you want to follow my 140 character ramblings too) and it has become a big thing in our house also. No wine on a Monday or a Tuesday (unless there’s a very good tasting to attend) doesn’t half make that first sip on a Wednesday evening taste so much better. But you don’t want to open up a Premier Cru Burgundy or a Cru Classe Bordeaux on Wednesday. Well you do, but you know it just isn’t the done thing. So Wine Wednesday, or vin du Mercredi, is about finding some good value deliciousness. Here’s a few to consider:

The Exquisite Collection Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley (£4.99 Aldi)
Pungent Sauvignon aromas of freshly cut grass, gooseberry and also some asparagus. Plenty of crisp and dry acidity and the fruit is nicely restrained and very fresh. Also lots of flinty minerality. Very much like a Petit Sancerre. 85 points

Cape Heights Chenin Blanc 2011, Paarl SA (£5.99 Wine & the Vine)
A fresh, dry Chenin with intense floral and zippy citrus aromas. Lots of tropical fruit and well balanced by crisp acidity. 87 points

Le Bosq Blanc 2010, Vin de Pays France (£6.25 Wine & the Vine)
Sauvignon Blanc has been added to the less familiar Colombard, Ugni Blanc and Gros Manseng, giving this wine a fresh character, with hints of ripe grapefruit and a mouth-watering aftertaste. 88 points

Simply Garnacha 2011, NE Spain (4.49 Tesco)
A cocktail of stewed black fruits and just a hint of spice. On the palate there’s some black currants and maybe even a bit of dried morello cherry. 85 points

Broken Shackle Classic Red 2011, SE Australia (£6.25 Wine & the Vine)
Made from a blend of Shiraz and Merlot, this is a well-flavoured wine with a soft, inviting bouquet of cherry, spice and toasty oak. 86 points

The Exquisite Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, Clare Valley (£6.99 Aldi)
This is fantastic! Massively concentrated black currant and menthol on the nose and a huge whack of deep dark fruit, like cassis liqueur, eucalyptus and tobacco on the palate. Could this be the best value red wine anywhere? 91 points