AS autumn creeps upon us, our routine starts to change. With fewer hours of daylight, the curtains get drawn earlier, which often makes us feel like something indulgent and warming.

Why not try a little fizz to cheer you up when the winter blues descend? Not as pricey as Champagne, Crémant de Bourgogne, Cave de Lugny NV (Oddbins, £11.49) is a good alternative. An elegant wine with restrained mineral fruit, dry, fresh and citrusy with a soft mousse and creamy notes at the finish.

If you fancy something slightly different why not try a warming drop of port?

In Portugal they drink port all year through and the Warre’s Otima 10 yr Tawny Port (Oddbins, £14.49) can be enjoyed either as an aperitif, lightly chilled or as an after dinner digestif with cheeses or chocolate depending on your personal preference. A rich tawny colour, with an excellent nose of nuts and hints of mature fruit, light and delicate on the palate and beautifully rounded, with hints of dried fruits, and a long elegant finish.

These autumnal nights wouldn’t be complete without a heavy duty red wine. Altano Douro Valley Red 2006 (Waitrose, £5.99) has a crystalline black cherry hue with sour cherry nose. The palate yields black pepper in the rear with baking cherries and liquorice emerging later.

So draw the curtains, snuggle up on the sofa, and enjoy the shorter days and cosy nights in.