Saint Mont 2014, France (£8.50, Marks & Spencer) South-west France really is a treasure trove for us wine hunters - and this Saint Mont from M&S is a brilliant example of why. It's great value. I recommended it on Saturday Kitchen to go with a delicious but tricky-to-match dish...
Parker Favourite Son Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Australia (£7.49, Waitrose) What to recommend when the great Pierre Koffmann is cooking venison with raspberry and bitter chocolate sauce on Saturday Kitchen? I went for the hedonistic rather than the classic option. Both had their merits (the classic being a...
Waimea Estate Pinot Gris 2015, New Zealand (from £9.99, Majestic) I picked this juicy, succulent Waimea Estate Pinot Gris to go with tandoori lamb by Atkar Islam on Saturday Kitchen. Generally, we find white wine goes well with lamb and is often an over-looked pairing. But the matching makes total...
So come on - where do you stand in the great Sauvignon Blanc debate? Some people hate it - saying it's too obvious, boring, short-lived or just too popular for its own good (in UK shops, it's now the best selling grape variety by some margin). But...
Finest Soave Superiore 2014, Italy, 13% (£7, Tesco) Some Soave is so mass produced and irredeemably characterless, it isn’t much better than dish water. But the good stuff is wonderful (see this Pieropan La Rocca tip). And this cheeky little number is amazing value. Because of the way...
Morandé One to One Gewürztraminer 2016, Chile, 13% (from £6.99, Majestic) First things first. The Gewürztraminer grape isn’t for everyone. (Even if you can pronounce it properly…) It can be super perfumed and luscious in style, a bit oily and rich, so it can easily put people...
Chalkdown Premium Quality Cider 2013, Hampshire (from £10, independent stockists inc Wine Utopia, The Naked Grape, The Good Life Farm Shop, M Wines, The Cork & Cheese, Vineking) Hampshire cider - made like champagne. Intriguing, no? 'It's all a learning process,' smiles Winchester resident Piotr Nahajski, the...
Extra Special Bourgogne Chardonnay 2014, France (£9, Asda) On Saturday Kitchen this weekend, culinary maestro Daniel Galmiche was cooking some delicious chicken, leek and wild mushroom parcels with a chicory and radish salad. We tried out quite a few things with it but it was definitely an elegant, classic...
Taste The Difference Riverblock Sauvignon Blanc 2015, New Zealand (£10, Sainsbury's) This was my Saturday Kitchen pairing for crisp fried fish with softened sweet onion by Great British Bake Off 2016 winner Nadiya Hussain. The dish has a fair bit of spice and aromatic scent. Typically, I'd reach for...
So what are Susie's favourite sparkling wines, which regions does she think are most under-rated, what are her top food and fizz combos, and what's her most memorable glass of bubbly? You can find the answers to all these tricky questions in this interview. [Susie Barrie MW...