Heading into a recession, the first economy drinkers might be tempted to make is to stop buying good wine. Don’t. Cracking open a fine bottle of wine is still a great value-for-money pleasure. A more frugal spend on everyday wines for weekday drinking, leaving finer, wine merchant-sourced fare for the weekend, makes sense, though – and there’s the rub. Too many high streets are bereft of a decent wine merchant and some merchants’ lists are now so truncated and dull that armchair wine travellers may wonder why they bothered.

The essential wine list, and indeed wine merchant, is one that informs, inspires and entertains, making you desperate to taste the wines discussed. A great range of Old and New World wines and vintages at all price levels goes without saying. So too does good free advice, tastings, etc. All this counts for naught, of course, without prompt, sensibly priced delivery. Understandably, few merchants win through on all counts.

A company that does, and gets my vote as one of Britain’s best mail-order wine merchants, is Tanners (01743 234455). This traditional country merchant has worked hard to acquire contemporary appeal and its new enlarged list boasts just that, with a tasting note on each wine and some good colour photographs of producers and places.

Add Tanners’ outstanding wine-buying ability, winkling the best bottles from the world’s producers, and I’d say this is one of the simplest, most comprehensive (1,300 wines) and user-friendly wine lists out there.

Independent, family-run wine businesses are hard to make work, but one that has succeeded is Yapp Brothers (01747 860423), now run by the second-generation team. I think its 2008 list is one of the best yet, a terrific read that’s peppered with tasty comments on the top estate wines of the Loire, Rhône and, now, Midi in which it specialises. Like Tanners, there are plenty of cheaper, recession-beating half-bottles.

Three centuries of supplying wine to royalty has made Berry, Bros & Rudd (01256 340182) an establishment name. Don’t let that put you off: Berry’s now offers one of Britain’s best online wine services (4,000 wines and spirits), a wine club and school, plus tasting dinners and more. Quality has risen and prices slimmed down, with some sound own selection buys starting at sub-£5, on up to the best of bordeaux and burgundy. Impecunious drinkers should make a trip to Berry’s Basingstoke warehouse, which has a permanent, 25 per cent off bin-end sale.

Übercool Bibendum is working hard to woo younger customers, and succeeding. Peruse its funky, fact-filled new list, aimed at spreading the wine word without sending its audience to sleep. Order yours on 020-7449 4120 and take advantage of the case-only free mainland UK delivery deal specially for Times readers until September 30.

jane.macquitty@thetimes.co.uk

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