If you know a man in wine sales at the moment, you know a man with a job on his hands. As consumers tighten their purse strings, wine sales are on the decline and high street wine merchants, along with restaurants, are reducing their range in a bid to keep costs down.

A smart solution is to be both supplier and outlet and cut out the middleman altogether. Woody Nook at Woodcote is one Oxfordshire restaurant that does just that.

The restaurant takes its name from an West Australian winery in the Margaret River, 172 miles south of Perth, which is owned by Brits Peter and Jane Bailey, who bought Woody Nook in 2000.

There are whites, reds, rosé and even a sweet wine in the Woody Nook range, so diners at the restaurant will not struggle to find a wine that suits their personal taste.

I tasted six wines in the range and particularly enjoyed Kelly’s Farewell Semillon/ Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (£4.25 a glass/£16.95 a bottle in the restaurant). Fresh, fragrant tropical fruits and a crisp, clean finish. It slipped down quite a treat with my plate of salmon.

The multi-award-winning Gallagher’s Choice Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (£5.50 a glass/ £21.95 a bottle in the restaurant) was distinctively blackcurrant with spicy notes on the finish. Not so much a drink for lunchtime, as a steak and dinner wine.

The restaurant is mindful of the need to deliver good value in these turbulent times and is offering ‘Credit Buster’ lunches and dinners. The two-course £10 lunch is available from Wednesday to Sunday, whilst the £12 dinner can be enjoyed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

If you are looking for ideas for Mothering Sunday, Woody Nook is offering a three-course lunch for £21.50, which will give you ample opportunity to taste the full range of wines at your leisure.