This is a report on a very special tasting I attended in the gleaming riverside offices of Farr Vintners in Battersea, September 2017. It was a tasting with both a personal and political dimension. We were privileged to be tasting wines from the first decade of Royal...
January is the time of year when Burgundians show off their new vintage. Currently it's hard to cross the road in London without falling over a top-notch Burgundian producer clutching bottles of their 2016s - a year that is notable for reduced volumes due to spring...
Baron de Guers Picpoul de Pinet 2016, France, 12.5% (£6.50-£8, Sainsbury's) I'm a sucker for a good seafood stew so I was very excited to find a Saturday Kitchen wine to go with Rick Stein's take on Cioppino. His delicious version of this Italian-American fisherman's stew featured monkfish,...
Nero Oro Appassimento 2016, Italy (from £8.99 on multibuy, Majestic or via WineSearcher) I must admit I'm a huge fan of Vivek Singh's cooking - and when he's on festive form, it's a joy to partake. Witness his roast goose breast mappas with aloo podimas in this Christmas...
Vinus by Paul Mas Clairette 2016, France (£8, Morrisons) Who doesn't like a good pie? Even - or perhaps especially - when it's called shakh plov. This Azerbaijani dish was being cooked by the delightful Olia Hercules on Saturday Kitchen. You really need to see it to get...
M&S Saint-Véran 2016, France (£11.50, Marks & Spencer) If Tom Aikens cooking you pan-fried John Dory with turnips and chestnuts isn't an invitation to crack open the white Burgundy, I don't know what is. This was my Saturday Kitchen pairing for Tom's aforementioned delightful creation. It's the affordable end...
Forty Hall Vineyard Brut 2015, 11.5%, London (£27.99-28.99, farm shop or website) Many wines are rewarding. But this fizz is rewarding on so many levels that recommending it feels like a virtue in itself. Get involved, the glib summary might read, because it will make you feel...
Most Wanted Pinot Noir 2016, New Zealand (£8.25-9, Sainsbury's) I have an admission to make. Peter Gordon is one of my all-time favourite chefs. I used to pore over his recipe books as if they were gospel. And his particular brand of inspired fusion food...
Saint Mont 2015, France (£9, Marks & Spencer) This was my choice of invigorating white to pair with a dish of pan-fried mullet with rosemary and a cabbage salad by Marianna Leivaditaki on Saturday Kitchen. It's a great bargain, this white, and also consistently food-friendly. We've recommended it...
The Originals Washington Riesling 2016, USA (£9 on buy 2 save 25% or £12, Marks & Spencer) Pineapple - while undoubtedly delicious - is never an easy fruit. Not to peel. Not to juggle. Not to eat. Certainly not to pair with wine. So Ching He Huang's dish...