Surani Pietrariccia Fiano 2016

Surani Pietrariccia Fiano 2016, 13%, Italy

(from £8.99, Majestic)

I recommended this versatile Piano to go with Lawrence Keogh’s squid-ink risotto with saffron chilli squid on Saturday Kitchen.

It’s a stunning recipe, really vibrant not just in flavour terms but also its striking yellow-and-black colour on the plate.

The key with a dish like this is not to fight fire with fire. Best to choose a wine that will let the flavours on the plate shine. And, when you hear yourself saying that, it’s usually best to reach for an Italian wine – the champions of unfussy, easy-going food pairing.

This Fiano – grown in Salento in the heel of Italy’s boot – has just the right amount of roundness and generosity to soften the spice in Lawrence’s recipe. But it also has wonderful freshness and a hint of salty sea breeze, to work brilliantly with the squid.

It went down very well in studio and seemed to get everyone in the party mood – guest Fearne Cotton related how she was heading off on a hen do and this was the ideal preparation… In short, it’s a versatile wine that’s well worth stocking up on for the summer.

(Peter, 6.5/10, June 2017)