A FEW years back, when I was nowt but a middle-aged man, I stayed overnight at Quinta do Vale Meão, in the Douro Valley, Portugal. It was an utterly, wonderfully eccentric place.

The pan-European themed assemblage of wine writers present at the time led to a fiercely fought after-dinner knockout competition. We played the traditional Portuguese game of Malha.

Nation against nation, the forging of old alliances and the reacquainting of old foes, it was me and the Portuguese man against two Frenchies. We won and drank some top-drawer wine along the way.

Quinta do Vale Meão is also the place to stomp grapes, if you like that sort of thing. I recommend treading during the fermentation process as the mushy grapes are warm then. You will need a pair of shorts, clean feet and legs and musn’t be squeamish about getting grape pips between your toes.

Unless that has put you off, The Wine Society has just released The Society’s Exhibition Douro 2011, which is made by Quinta do Vale Meão. It’s not the cheapest, at nearly £12, but it is rich and really rather good.

Made from traditional port grape varieties, it is smooth, long, complex and structured: touting flavours of Morello cherry, dark chocolate and spice.

Also new to the listings is the society’s Exhibition Pinotage 2013 from the Stellenbosch wine region of South Africa. It’s made by Kanonkop, a producer renowned for classy pinotage.

This is a decent example and good value for under a tenner. Full bodied and juicy, it oozes raspberry and plum fruit with vanilla, spice and some smoky oak. It would make a good partner for gourmet burgers or sausages.

Or from the same merchant here is a white wine from Gascony that is well worth investigating, Domaine de Tariquet Côté 2013 Chardonnay/Sauvignon. Aromatic, fresh and zesty, it suggests grapefruit, apple and herbs, with a lick of honey.

• The Society’s Exhbition Douro 2011, £11.95 from The Wine Society 19/20

• The Society’s Exhibition Pinotage 2013, Stellenbosch, £9.50 from The Wine Society 18/20

• Domaine de Tariquet Côté 2013 Chardonnay/Sauvignon, £8.50 from The Wine Society 17/20