The latest wine sales figures, for November, reveal exports of Australian wine dropped by 26.3pc over a single month, the Australian Bureau of Statistics says.

Australians are also buying less home-grown wine, with total sales more than 3pc lower in November 2008 than the previous November.

The Sun-Herald wine writer Winsor Dobbin said the global financial crisis meant Australian wine-lovers were drinking less, but better.

"I think generally people are being a bit more careful about what they spend their money on," he said.

"I think the trend is towards quality not quantity."

An excess of fruit was keeping wine prices low, Dobbin said.

"A lot of growers have said they are just going to let the fruit drop and not even bother to pick it," he said.

"It's good for the consumer."

Dobbin said retail chains were discounting wine "pretty heavily".

Discounts should continue throughout the year.

Bargains (with Dobbin's summary)

* White: Montana Sauvignon Blanc (imported) - "Discounted to under $10 and last year it was around $18."

* Red: Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz - "I've seen it for $12.99 and it's a $20 wine."

* Rose: Angove's Nine Vines Rose - "Around $9.99 and it's one of the best roses I've tested in the last 12 months."