Sam Wylie-Harris toasts the end of the decade with wines that really deliver.

So many wines, so little time. With such rich pickings from the grapevine, wine lovers have never had it so good.

This year we've been treated to wines that impress for their price, style, sumptuous fruit, freshness, food-friendliness or for being so captivating it'd be a crime to partner it with even a morsel of bread.

From great value vino to classics, and the fun and frivolous, here are some bottle highlights from 2019...

1. Freeman's Bay Pinot Gris 2018, New Zealand (£5.99, Aldi)

A deliciously fruity pinot gris (aka pinot grigio), there's nothing neutral about this lively, juicy, off-dry style. It offers a lovely mixed bouquet of honeysuckle and mango, followed by ripe flavours of melon and pear, which glide easily along with some pretty spice on the fresh, honeyed finish.

2. Luis Felipe Edwards Reserva Viognier 2018, Central Valley, Chile (£8.99, Waitrose)

One of the virtues of viognier is that this increasingly popular, richly scented, peachy white tastes delicious on its own, but also pairs beautifully with aromatic and spicy foods. Once a Rhone Valley speciality (specifically the top notch wines of Condrieu), here we have alluring florals and sumptuous peach and apricot fruit, but with the perfect balance of freshness and richness to enjoy with mildly spiced dishes, such as chicken korma, coronation chicken, and prawns with dipping sauces.

3. Tesco Finest Alsace Gewurztraminer 2017, France (£9, Tesco)

With soaring aromas of lychee, rose and violets, this gewurtz (meaning spice) displays all the sweet, floral aromatics and ginger spice the grape is famous for. Off dry with a gentle touch of sweetness, it's reasonably weighty with a silky, satiny texture. And with lychee and passion fruit opening up on the palate, you could say it's a wine in full bloom.

4. Craft 3 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018, New Zealand (£10, Marks & Spencer in-store, or by the case online)

M&S has three female winemakers, one of whom has a passion for creating exceptional Kiwi sauvignon blanc. A collaboration between wine experts Jeneve Williams and Yves Fourcade, who sourced the finest fruit from vineyards in Marlborough's Awatere and Wairau sub-regions, this is a fine example of their work. Leafy, grassy aromas, grapefruit, passion fruit and wild herbs mark this bright, zesty white, buoyed by a brilliantly fresh finish.

5. Murrieta Blanco Reserva Capellania 2014, Rioja, Spain (£21.90, Hedonism.co.uk)

Using the viura grape to its very best and a firm favourite with the critics (this famed estate received the highest score in Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate for its iconic label Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay white), this has all the positive characters of a wine with 15 months in French oak. With a creamy texture and layers of complexity, there's exquisite ripe pear, quince, vanilla, white pepper and a succulent richness. Simply gorgeous, and a great alternative to a white Burgundy.

6. Gerard Bertrand 'Hampton Water' Rose 2018, Pays d'Oc, France (£18.12, Corking Wines)

Rock superstar John Bon Jovi's rose is the latest addition to a glitzy line-up of celebrity wines. The name may not sound very French, but the label makes you want to dive right in and another incentive to want to sink this pink is it's a collaboration between Bon Jovi and Gerard Bertrand, one of the most influential winemakers in the Languedoc-Roussillon.

The Wine Spectator's top-ranked rose when it launched last year, this second vintage is worth seeking out for its perfumed white peach and floral aromas, fresh red berry fruits and creamy, silky, textured palate. Just stunning.

7. Les Pionniers Rose Champagne Brut NV, France (£22, Co-op, in-store)

We've been championing the Co-op's multi-award winning Les Pionniers Brut champagne for years, and now we can sing the praises of their pink. Made by Piper-Heidsieck, these brilliant bubbles radiate copper highlights with pristine summer fruit aromas, delicate yet vibrant red berry fruits on the palate, with well balanced acidity and a fresh, uplifting finish.

8. McGuigan Reserve Shiraz 2018, NSW Australia (£7, Sainsbury's)

Australia always fares well in blind tastings and wine competitions, thanks to their vibrant flavours, and this mega-brand is a go-to label for well-made, fairly-priced wines. Here we have the concentration and sweetness of blackberries, with jammy blueberry, some spiced oak and juicy acidity on the finish. Bring on the burgers, ketchup and sweet red onions.

9. Tarantella Merlot 2018, Tarantino IGP, Puglia, Italy (£10.99, Laithwaite's)

With the surge in popularity for plant-based foods, the vegan logo is very much in vogue. To add a bit more va-va-voom to veggie bakes, vegan chilli or tofu au vin even, go for a glass of this nicely poised merlot with its sun-kissed plummy spiced fruits wrapped in silky smooth tannins - guaranteed to please vegans, vegetarians, non-vegans and wine lovers alike.

10. Rustenberg John X Merriman 2016, Stellenbosch, South Africa (£15.99, Waitrose)

A classic Bordeaux blend kissed by the South African sunshine. Cabernet sauvignon and merlot dominate, and its power and concentration feels dense and detailed, with gorgeous aromas of plums, blackberries and cedar, and a seductive textured palate of dark fruits, cassis and pencil shavings that unfold on the finish. A great price for a wine this good.

11. Julienas 2018 - Christophe Pacalet, Beaujolais, France (£16.55, Vinatis)

Extremely expressive with minerality, freshness and elegance, this really is Beaujolais at its best, and a great example of how the granite soils shape these ruby reds. With a beautiful red-fruited bouquet and flavours of strawberry, redcurrant and raspberry, the palate is textured, long; the sort of wine you cannot wait to drink again. One of the oldest producing areas, Julienas is named after Julius Caesar - and the winemaker has crafted a wine fit for an emperor.

12. Manoella Wine and Soul 2015, Douro, Portugal (£18.95, Corney & Barrow)

The Douro is a treasure trove for characterful reds, and there's lots to love about this entry-level wine from world-class winemaker Sandra Tavares, who cut her teeth at her parents' Lisbon estate at Quinta da Chocapalha. In 2001, she started her own winery from scratch with husband Jorge - Wine & Soul in the Douro Valley. Gloriously rich yet elegant, it's immediately engaging with its beguiling bouquet of violets and kirsch, leading to ribbons of spice-edged blueberry and plummy fruit, with surprising minerality on the long, luxurious finish.