Following my round-up of my favourite whites and rosés from Waitrose's recent gargantuan press tasting here’s my pick of their most affordable reds with suggested food pairings (in no particular order, just the order in which I tasted them). Look out for the promotional offers - and there's an extraordinary amount of well-priced shiraz!

Good ordinary claret £3.99
Exactly what it says on the tin. Can’t complain about the price. Simple British food - a couple of lamb chops, shepherds pie . . .

Corbières, Reserve de la Perrière 2008  £3.99
A very drinkable basic Languedoc red (50% Carignan, 40% Grenache, 10% Syrah) from the Cave de Mont Tauch which makes most of the Fitou that hits these shores. Good with garlicky sausages and beans or lentils. Great value

Saint Roche 2008 Vin de Pays du Gard £6.49
An extraordinary mish-mash of grape varieties (Merlot, Marselan, Caladoc, Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon) that results in a surprisingly harmonious ripe, spicy southern red. Roast or braised duck and lamb would be good partners as would a daube

Côtes du Rhône Villages, Vinsobres 2007 Cellier des Dauphins £8.99 but £5.99 until 02/06/09
Good Côtes du Rhône is a great food partner and this rich, warm, generous red would be great with a whole range of dishes from slow roasts to tagines. Good with Mediterranean vegetables too. Snap up at the promotional price

Walter Massa Barbera Sentieri 2006 £10.99 Waitrose Wine Direct
Expensive but worth it I think for a beautifully balanced Barbera that will just fuse seamlessly with all kinds of rustic pasta dishes (tagliatelle with duck sauce comes to mind) or substantial meat dishes like grilled lamb. (There is a cheaper Vinchio-Vaglio Barbera in the range at £5.99 which is perfectly drinkable but not in the same league)

Sella & Mosca Capocaccia 2004, Sardinia (£6.99)
This exotic dark blend of Cannonau and Cabernet was on sale recently for just £4.99 but is still good value at just off £7.  I wouldn’t have said it was particularly suitable for summer drinking - it makes me think of game, especially venison but given the unseasonal weather we’re having it could be just the ticket.

Stonecastle Premium Vranac 2007 , Kosovo £7.99
If you want to torment wine-buffs  serve them this Kosovan Vranac and see if they can guess what it is. I’d drink it with grilled lamb, garlicky sausages or cheese

Plantaze Merlot 2006, Montenegro £7.49
See above, though due to its Merlot content it’s somewhat fruitier.  Try moussaka

Baron de Ley Club Privada Rioja Reserva 2005 £7.99
Baron de Ley is a reliable label that delivers an attractively smooth, supple Rioja at a reasonable price. Roast or grilled lamb is the obvious pairing but it would go well with beef stews and cheese too. (on offer at £6.39 from 22/07 to 18/08)

Mas Collet Celler de Capcanes 2005 Monsant £5.99
I tasted this recently on the spot at the very go-ahead co-operative where it is made in Monsant the region that surrounds Priorat. With its glorious ripe, sweet (but not jammy) fruit it’s a must-buy at this price.  A good all-rounder with all kinds of red meat.

Vega Escal 2005 Priorat £10.99
A great price for Priorat but made in a slightly more forward fruitier style than I personally like.  Think shiraz in terms of wine matches - e.g. large chunks of chargrilled beef

Sogrape Pena de Pato Dao 2005 £6.99
There’s a real buzz about Portuguese wine at the moment and this modern Dao explains why. A lovely ripe red, on the verge of being porty so I’m reckoning it would be a great match for cheese, especially blue cheese.  And possibly even a rogan josh.

Vidal Syrah 2007 Hawkes Bay £9.99
There was a time when you’d never have got this sort of ripe fruit out of a North Island New Zealand red but this sweet, spicy Syrah is terrific. Good for an upmarket barbecue - steak rather than burgers

Zalze Shiraz/Mourvedre/Viognier 2007 Stellenbosch £5.99
Extraordinary value for this supercharged South African Rhone-style red even at this price but it will be even cheaper (£4.79) for the first three weeks of July. Great barbie wine though at 14.5% not exactly for glugging. Perfect for a steak, too.

Finca Flichman Gestos Shiraz 2007, Argentina £6.99
Another great value Shiraz blended from fruit from different regions, Tupungato and Barrancas. Very ripe and jammy but with some good acidity. I suggest something with a touch of spice or a char-grilled finish. Steak, obviously.

Mont Gras Carmenere Reserva 2008, Chile £7.49
I have to admit this incredibly lush, velvety type of red is not for me but it’s an impeccable example of the style and will be even cheaper (£5.99) from 10/6/09 to 30/6/09.  Again good for an upmarket BBQ

Cousino Macul Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 £8.99
Waitrose Wine Direct and 25 branches
One of the first ever reds I tasted from Chile and I still love it. Seductively ripe but with real elegance (it helps that it has a couple of years’ maturity) Roast lamb - or beef. Cheese.

Bridgedale Road Shiraz 2007 Margaret River £7.99
Much softer and more mellow than your typical Australian shiraz - one for New World conservatives. I’m not totally blown away at this price but it’s unmissable on the forthcoming promotion from 10/6-1/7/09 when it will only cost £4.99. Good for gastropub classics like cottage pie and lamb shanks.

Plantagenet Samson’s Range Shiraz/Cabernet 2007 Western Australia £7.99
An ultra-ripe sweet shiraz that delivers flavour in spades. A big bang for your buck. Usual suspects: red meat. barbies.

Waitrose Reserve Shiraz St Hallett 2007 Barossa Valley £8.99
And yet another . . . this time typically Barossa. Lashings of plummy fruit, nice touch of peppery spice. Only £6.74 from 10/6 to 30/6/09. See above for pairing suggestions

Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2007 New South Wales £15.99 Waitrose Wine direct and 6 branches
Couldn’t resist squeezing this in at the end. It breaks my self-imposed price limit but it’s just gorgeous - supple, velvety, beautifully balanced. Couldn’t come from anywhere else but Australia. Pairing? A seriously good piece of meat - beef or lamb.