Here are some great wines to look out for if you want to spend a little bit more

“A local couple who are getting married in a few weeks came for a tasting of wines that will be served at their wedding. We are so excited to meet our customers again and suggest wines they will like.”

It is the same story at many of the independent merchants across Yorkshire. In Ilkley, Martinez Wines has also managed to retain many lockdown customers. “Lockdown changed everything, with sales switching overnight from mainly shop purchases to the website,” said Chris Wood, “and now customers have got used to buying by the case and having it delivered many are sticking with it. We have three vans we use for deliveries and if an order is over £50, delivery is free within the local area.”

If you are not sure whether your house qualifies for free delivery, there is a list on the Martinez website listing places, most of them within 10 miles or so of Ilkley.

For a specialist mail-order wine company, the various lockdowns might not have changed buying patterns but for Cellar Selected, run by Andy and Karen Paterson, formerly of the much-missed Halifax Wine Company, things have definitely changed. “At the start we gained a huge number of customers who normally buy from supermarkets,” said Andy. “Now restrictions have been lifted some have drifted back to the supermarkets but many have stayed with us.

“We also noticed that when restaurants opened, no one bought wine for a week. All they wanted was to go out and enjoy a bottle with a meal. Now we have noticed people are trading up.

When it was impossible to go out for a drink, many customers would plan a special meal at home and match it with a really good bottle of wine. Because restaurants have fairly large mark-ups, wine drinkers quickly realised they could trade up to a more expensive bottle of wine to drink at home and still pay less than they would in a restaurant. I would say the average spend is £1 or £2 more per bottle and for that you get a much better wine.”

All merchants have used their time well during lockdown, adding new wines to their lists. “Rosé is a massive category now,” said Chris at Martinez. “Provence is definitely a favourite but wines from a wider area in the south of France are popular too.” Alex at York Wines agrees.

“We have added several new rosés to our list, including a rather good single-estate Sancerre rosé from Roger and Didier Raimbault (£16.45). It is a lovely summer wine. We have also bought a new wine from Nizza in Piedmont. This is a relatively new DOCG from the region, made from the Barbera grape and its rich, complex flavours are proving very popular (£19.95).”

Cellar Selected has also added several Italian wines to its range including a classy Vermentino from Tenuta Aquilaia (£11.50) and a dry, fresh-tasting Villa Raiano Greco di Tufo from the slopes of Mount Vesuvius (14.90).

But there are supply worries on the horizon. John Townend, of House of Townend, who supplies wines to The Yorkshire Post Wine Club, warns of possible shortages. “Frosts and cool weather mean the New Zealand harvest is down by around a third and there are shortages of Prosecco too.” John predicts prices may have to rise by the end of the year to compensate for short supply. So now could be the best time to stock up.

If you are following the trend of spending a pound or two more than usual, what should you buy?

Here are a few suggestions.

Normal spend £6

Aldi has some terrific wines at the great-value end of the price range.

Pierre Jaurant French Vermentino 2020 (£5.99) has delicious ripe pear, pineapple and lemon notes with a long finish.

Trade up to Specially Selected French Jurançon 2019 (£6.99) for peach and mandarin notes with savoury complexity.

Normal spend £8

Tesco’s Finest range provides good wines at competitive prices, but there are some brands that score higher on taste.

Tesco Finest Côtes du Rhône Villages Signargues 2020 (£8) has bags of warm forest fruits.

Trade up to Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône Villages 2019 (Tesco £9) for juicier plums, a touch more spice and depth of flavour.

Normal spend £10

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is a top favourite for summer drinking and Villa Maria Private Bin 2020 (Waitrose £9.99) consistently hits the mark with lime and passionfruit flavours.

Trade up to Pascal Jolivet Attitude 2020 Sauvignon Blanc from the Val de Loire (Waitrose £12.99). Pascal makes outstanding Sancerres and he also has a hand in making wine with Klein Constantia in South Africa. Attitude is not a Sancerre, but it is pretty close in style, with fresh citrus flavours and a minerally pebble-crunch finish.

Normal spend £12

Robert Oatley Margaret River Chardonnay 2018 (Cellar Selected £11.90) is fresh with Western Australian breezes and precise fruit.

Trade up to Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay 2019 by Julian Schaal (Cellar Selected £14.80) who splits his time between Alsace and South Africa. Its crisp, minerally, refined flavours seem to hover between France and South Africa.

Normal spend £14

The Wirewalker Pinot Noir, Orange County, Australia, 2017 is a delicious ripe, juicy Pinot Noir (Field and Fawcett £13.95).

Trade up to Catherine Marshall Pinot Noir on Sandstone Soils 2019, Elgin, South Africa, (Field and Fawcett £16.80) which captures elegant fruit, layers of complexity and a distinct style, depending on whether you choose wines from sandstone or clay soils.