I love a well-cooked, homely pub meal and am happy to be within walking distance of three (four if the legs are fresh!) that offer up a fair selection of food.

On the downside, the wine selection in each establishment is dire and, while I am not averse to a decent half of bitter, I do prefer a glass of wine with my bangers and mash or shepherd’s pie.

So, I get excited when I find myself in the sort of pub that has low, timber-beamed ceilings, chalkboard menus, a great range of beers, cosy seating . . . and a top-notch wine list.

You do have to stray a few miles over the Oxfordshire boundary to find such a place but I can enthusiastically recommend you make the journey to The Ebrington Arms in Chipping Campden (www.theebrigntonarms.co.uk Tel: 01386 593223) which has it all.

The food is delicious, the service efficient and smiley and the wine list is fairly priced, modest but well-chosen and has something for every taste and budget, with bottle prices starting in the mid-teens.

If you have time to squeeze in a visit before the holidays come to an end, do so.

On another note entirely, I am happy to report the discovery of some very respectable ‘budget-friendly’ sparkling wine from the Australian Griffith Park winery. The Sparkling Brut is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that offers up a gently frothy, green-apple-flavoured glass of wine. At just £6.98 from Asda (www.asda.co.uk) you cannot go wrong.

The Sparkling Rosé has a touch of sweetness, ripe strawberry fruit flavours and that same soft, frothy mousse. It is eminently quaffable and another steal at the same price as the Brut.

Now that I have saved you some money (well, sort of!), I am now going to spend it for you.

Majestic (www.majestic.co.uk) has an Italian white wine on offer from the Terredora estate that is one of my all-time favourites.

The wine’s name — Falanghina — is the unheard of grape variety that it is made from and it really is time for it to move into the spotlight. It has got weight and texture and heaps of flavour.

For me, it is all pears, candied fruits and a pinch of white pepper.

If you buy it as a single bottle it will set you back £9.99 but if you can stretch to two, the price drops to £7.99 and I think it is worth every single penny of that.

In fact, it is just the sort of wine that I would love to see listed on one of my local’s wine lists.

A girl can live in hope.