Trying out new wines and less common grapes

Buying wine can be boring. Most of us, when confronted with an overwhelming number of choices simply stick to what we know.

We lift a couple of bottles of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot or Shiraz because we've had them all before. And when we pop the cork back home... the wine is exactly as we expected it to be.

This is a massive shame, because if we could be tempted to experiment we are bound to eventually run into one of those €wow!' moments when something new and brilliant hits us between the eyes.

If you want a short cut to experiencing something new, how about giving these more unusual grapes a try? They are not completely new (you may have had them before in a blended wine), but they are generally less popular because relatively few of us have been tempted to give them a try.

Torrontes (to-ron-taze), from Argentina.

If you like aromatic, citrus character of Sauvignon Blanc then you are already half way towards appreciating the Torrontes grape. Good examples will carry a rosewater smell (Turkish Delight) €" so strong that my friends have always been quite amazed by it.

It's not a sweet wine, but when you take a whiff and slurp you find a musky, floral smell with an elderflower cordial taste that gives the impression of sweetness. There should also be some sharp grapefruit zest in there.

Its aromatic qualities make this one quite nice to have with mildly spicy Asian food (but not too hot). Good examples to buy include Tesco Finest Torrontes (8.99), Pacha-Mama Torrontes (6.99, The Co-op) and Vinalba Torrontes (9.99, Majestic)

Viognier (Vee-on-yay), from Chile, South Australia.

In a word... apricots. Or peaches (or both). This grape is used a lot in the Rhone valley, southern France, and tends to produce wine with a rich feel like Chardonnay, but with far more apricot, orange rind and fresh flowers in the flavour and an oilier feel in the mouth.

Often a bit is chucked in together with spicy Shiraz to add a more aromatic quality. So if you like your wines hugely fruity, but tire sometimes of Sauvignon Blanc's citrus zing, then give this grape a try, particularly if it's from Australia, South Africa or Chile.

Californians also do a mean Viognier and if you are willing to spend upwards of 7 hopefully you can find one from a wine maker content not to try to over produce it and who has been careful to delay picking his grapes until they are ripe, otherwise you might end up with something flabby that simply smells of pear drops.

Good examples pair well with prawns, salty shellfish and turbot. Or how about putting it with a buttery roast chicken or creamy fish? Try Cono Sur Viognier, Chile (7.49, Sainsbury's) or Yalumba €Y' Viognier, Australia (8.74, Majestic)

Gruner Veltliner (grun-ah velt-lin-ah), from Austria.

In some ways Gruner Veltliner is also close to Chardonnay for its full-bodied feel, but it comes from Austria so you may veer towards it if you have a penchant for Riesling. As a white wine it can be a surprise to open it and find it wafts smells of ginger, miso and spicy pepper, but it also carry flavours of apple, lime, lemon or peach.

It can stand up to some big food flavours too €" try grilled fish, chicken and pork. Great examples include Domane Wachau Gruner Veltliner (8.49, Waitrose), Weingut Brndlmayer Gruner Veltliner (14.99, Majestic).