ARE you a wine drinker who generally sticks to bottles you know you like, or do you constantly explore new drinks to see what else is out there.

Well, like any good fence-sitter, we're happy to do both in this column.

First, the new. Well, new to this page at least; as the makers of this wine are anything but new to the game.

The drink hails from Boschendal, one of the oldest wine estates in South Africa, located in Western Cape.

The farm itself is said to date from 1685, a year which forms part of the estate's branding (and we very much like such historical stuff, even if it is likely to be factually questionable given the first official farm owner, Jean le Long, a refugee fleeing religious persecution in Europe, wasn't granted the land until 1688).

Commercial winegrowing in its present-day form didn't start till late in the last century, mind, when new owners sought to re-establish a range of pre-eminent wines under the Boschendal brand, and none of it really reached these shores until the end of Apartheid in the early 1990s.

Still, they're very much one of the old guard there, yet, like lots of new South African producers who are exploring different styles and regions, it too has a modern outlook.

Its Jean Garde Unoaked Chardonnay - available for a snip £6 at Sainsbury’s, down from £8 until Tuesday - is a cracking white wine, one of those that is leading the Chardonnay renaissance, more refined and tastier than before.

Zesty acidity tempering tastes of tropical fruit making this a fresh, bright, light and excellent value.

Now to the old.

The Capannuccia Chianti Rufina Riserva 2007 vintage was one of this column's favourite reds last year, and the 2009 vintage is now on discount offer at Sainsbury's, down from £15 to £12 until Tuesday.

The tannins here mean food will help to offer balance - not that that is particularly strange for the pasta meal-time classic that is Chianti - but again it's wonderfully expressive, lifting the tastebuds with its cherry spice, tomato notes and mature flavours. As good as 2007? Not sure, but still a winner with us.

And now back to something else new - The Society’s Grüner Veltliner 2015, one of The Wine Society's own whites, new for 2016 which is available from their website for £7.50.

A benchmark example of Austria’s Grüner Veltliner grape, from the historic Weingut Stadt Krems in the Kremstal region, this is the first Society Grüner to be made.

The vineyards are run by the local municipality and for years were considered old-fashioned, but now they have fresh blood at the helm making modern style wines.

This one displays the characteristic white pepper and pear aroma and vibrant, fresh flavour of the Grüner and provides a splendid alternative to staples like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio.