Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Riesling 2017, Clare Valley, Australia (from £10.99, Majestic) We're big fans of South Australian Riesling in this household and the Lodge Hill is a lovely wine - dry, tangy and invigorating in its limey, green apple purity but also softening wonderfully when...
From Champagne to Prosecco, even English sparkling wine, it seems we just can't get enough of fizz. And as our thirst for the bubbly stuff grows, it's starting to throw a spotlight on the lesser known fizz-producing parts of the world. Like Austria. Susie visited the country...
Sadie Family Wines Treinspoor 2016, Swartland, South Africa (c. £35, Lay & Wheeler, Noel Young, Uncorked, Hedonism, Handford, Philglass & Swiggot & more via WineSearcher) First things first: this is a wildebeest of a wine. It's wild - no domesticated decorum here. It has almost animalistic tendencies...
Colinas del Itata Old Vine Field Blend 2015, 12.5%, Chile (£7.50 down from £10 on multi-buy, Marks & Spencer) The joy of great food and drink isn't just that it's delicious. It's also that it gives us something to talk about and share. Stories, in short. This wine...
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...
A break from the norm in that this isn't our writing (for once), it's more a collection of pieces about the inaugural UK Wine Awards, which Susie chaired in May 2017. UK wine is on a roll. Quality has never been better - and it's not...
Chafor Vintage Rosé 2014, England (£45, Chafor Wine Estate) I recently had the pleasure of chairing the brand new UK Wine Awards. A task that involved spending two, very enjoyable days tasting nearly 300 English and Welsh wines along with a panel of industry experts. There was a...
Tapa Roja Old Vines Monastrell 2015, Spain (£9, Marks & Spencer) When you've got a chef who looks remarkably like Wolverine - then you need to pull a wine out of the bag that will put hairs on your chest. So to speak. Tomer Amedi was cooking a beautifully heart-warming...
Taste the Difference Côtes de Provence Rosé 2015, France (£8.50, Sainsbury's) OK, so I got the mickey taken out of me for wearing a pink shirt AND recommending a rosé at the same time. Fair cop. But this combo was worth it. I recommended this delicious, dry, elegant and...
Muga Rioja Rosado 2016, Spain (£9.99, Waitrose or via WineSearcher) I do like this new vintage of the Muga rosé - it strikes a lovely balance between intensity and elegance, and it works beautifully with food too. I recommended it on Saturday Kitchen to go with crispy chicken thighs,...