Recently, I found myself on a mission to my nearest ParknShop in search of the Avengers of the wine world. Perhaps it’s the after-effects of the year’s onslaught of superhero movies. Whatever the reason, I set the challenge up for myself and I was determined to conquer all.

If you don’t have much experience in this area, buying wines at a supermarket chain carries a certain hit-and-miss risk factor, which can be horribly frustrating. To save you some time and money, I’ll unveil some of the greatest $150-or-below wine heroes residing on your local supermarket shelves. Take note of these bottles because you never know when you’ll need them to save the day.

Freixenet NV Cordon Negro Brut, Spain $79
This retro hero is a highly regarded wine which has managed to dodge all the bullets that any critic has fired at it. The bubbly blend of cavaare macabeo, xarel-lo and parellada is nicely pulled together, offering a clean and crispy wine with apple-like flavours. It’s worth stashing a few bottles in the bat cave.

2010 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling, Germany $89
Most of us can’t see the value of splashing out on a wine for cooking and, more often than not, would never use a full bottle. Fear no more, though. Gunderloch is here. This is dry and minerally, which offers much more than just a citrus-flavoured palate. While we’d readily recommend this for cooking, it’s also a great wine to drink and makes a particularly good match with a gooey fondue.

2011 Babich Pinot Gris, New Zealand $109
Made in the homeland of New World sauvignon blanc, the winemakers at Babich have steered their ship off course to deliver a full-flavoured pinot gris. All the usual suspects of stone fruits, pears and spices can be found in the glass. However, it’s the highly intense flavours which make this wine so attractive.
This is seriously the perfect wine for your roast chicken and mayonnaise sandwich.

2010 Viña Cobos Felino Malbec, Argentina $148
This is the hidden rockstar of the supermarket shelves. At just $148 a pop, this round and fleshy wine is full of complexity. Spicy, red berry fruits and velvety tannins wrap right across your palate leaving long and lingering flavours. This Argentinean champion over-delivers in every possible way.

Yalumba Eden Valley Shiraz Viognier, Australia $138
This is hands-down the safest bet and a proven winner every time I wander down the aisle of any supermarket. The crew of winemakers at Yalumba are undoubtedly some of the best in Australia and this particular shiraz viognier is living proof of this. Spicy, gingery, oaky complexities and cherry notes meld together in this super wine that is so well balanced at the same time. If you want to look like a true hero at a dinner party with some geeky wine friends, definitely buy this!

All wines available at ParknShop