If I have learned two things about wine, it is these.

Firstly, beware supermarket offers, because more often than not the wine is only worth what you are paying for it.

Secondly, the best value wines are those from lesser known or unfashionable regions.

In other words, it’s an odds-on bet that my ten quid Hawkes Bay ‘Bordeaux’ blend will beat your ten quid Bordeaux (from Bordeaux) and that my 15 quid German riesling will please my palate more than a 15 quid Mâcon.

Given this, you may well appreciate the degree of scepticism with which I viewed the latest email from Morrisons.

The supermarket chain, like others in the run up to Easter, is having a wine festival (although I have yet to see any Samba dancers parading in the aisle).

Alongside the usual contenders, Morrisons has marked down to £6, eight of what it terms “popular classics”. The offer runs until April 4.

Yes, I was cynical but I decided to try four of them, thinking one would be worth a paragraph. After tasting, I concluded that my initial scepticism was, in this case, totally unfounded. I had thoroughly enjoyed three of the wines.

Ramparts Côtes du Rhône Villages 2007, despite the tacky bottle shape, is a great, pepper-packed blend of grenache, syrah and mourvedre, or GSM as it is often labelled in the New World.

It oozes smooth, juicy black fruits and liquorice, with a lingering finish. Pair it with Moroccan lamb.

I am perhaps guilty of overusing the term textbook, but it certainly applies to Bertrand Capdevigne Chablis 2008.

This has all the classic Chablis characteristics, with lots of fresh acidity, toffee apple aromas, lemon fruit and flinty minerals.

I think Chablis is a little too dry to serve as an aperitif but it’s the business with oysters or even fish and chips.

If you are used to Kiwi sauvignon blanc, which can be a touch aggressive, then try one from the famed Sancerre appellation in the Loire region of France. Calvet Sancerre 2008 is of a much higher quality than I had expected.

It is concentrated yet refreshing, with long flavours of orange pith, grapefruit and mineral notes. Perfect on its own, you could also drink it with salads or shellfish.

In case you are left wondering which was the one wine that didn’t make the grade, it was a red Burgundy, Maurice et Fils Hautes Côtes de Beaune 2008, which I found rather lacklustre.

• Ramparts Côtes du Rhône Villages 2007, £6 down from £9.99 at Morrisons 18/20.

• Bertrand Capdevigne Chablis 2008, £6 down from £9.99 at Morrisons 17/20.

• Calvet Sancerre 2008, £6 down from £12.99 at Morrisons 18/20.