Bordeaux has a reputation as the world's most prestigious wine and this can be off-putting for the uninitiated, but there are many examples of good wines from the region that won't necessarily break the bank.

Speaking to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Virginia wine merchant Wayne Thornton said when buyers see a label with a well-known Bordeaux chateau, they often immediately think they cannot afford it.

The Chateau Chatagneau 2005, for instance, is a "mature and smoky" wine with a "poached fruit nose", which is certainly ready to drink right now - and is priced at about the same level as most supermarket wines.

Mr Thornton added: "We have wine tastings, some even blind, to educate consumers about Bordeaux.

"We show them that you don't have to spend a lot for a good Bordeaux."

It follows news that Orange County businessman Alfred Villalobos is selling his French wine collection, including 300 bottles of Bordeaux, for $160,000 (£100,000).