DO you appreciate a good strong regal Barolo? If so, chances are you'll like Barbaresco.

If the former is a king among Italian wines then Barbaresco is not so much his queen but rather his sister, immediate blood relatives cut from the same aristocratic cloth.

In fact, while Barbaresco seemingly has less of a royal entourage, some wine lovers would argue it is she who should be sat on the throne.

The two noble wines are essentially made in similar ways from the same Nebbiolo grape, with the vineyards as little as 10 miles apart in the Piedmont region of north west Italy, leading to tipples of similar aroma and flavours of red roses, violets, red cherry, raspberry and nuances of sweet spice.

However, they are in completely separate wine-production areas, with slightly different maritime influences and different soils underneath, and, duly, there are slight differences.

Barbaresco is generally less tannic, less austere and readier to drink sooner than Barolo, even if it can likewise age with ruling class for decades. (DOCG regulations stipulate Barbaresco wines must be aged for a minimum of two years, at least one in oak, before release or at least four years to be considered a riserva. Barolo needs to be aged at least 38 months, with at least 18 in wood, with riserva aged at least five years.)

Their texture and weight differ most, with Barbaresco, strong though it is, being more elegant and refined, whereas Barolo is more powerful and structured, partly due to its greater tannins and longer ageing.

And while the weighty Barolo generally pairs better with weighty food, like red meats, game, heavy pastas and rich risottos, the slightly easier to get along with Barbaresco gives you a couple more meal options.

The thing to note most, perhaps, especially for wine lovers on a budget, is the price - the lesser-famed Barbaresco usually coming in cheaper.

And it is especially good value for money when you find a decent one on discount offer - like the superb Canaro Barbaresco, which is down from £14.99 to £11.99 at Waitrose until Tuesday.

The grapes for this 2014 medium-to-full-bodied 13.5 per cent wine come from older vines which enable a sweet perfume of wild red roses, while the ageing in barrel assists with the development of smooth, dried red fruit flavours and well-rounded tannins.

The result is an affordable wine which, as a queen in her own right, could sit on a supermarket shelf throne.

* THE Wine Society has launched a new “Community" - an online forum where members can engage with each other and staff, sharing ideas, advice, experience and opinions on all matters vinous, be it actual drinks or related matters like travel and restaurants. Details are on thewinesociety.com website.