Jean Bouchard Hautes Cotes de Nuits red 2013, 12.5% (£9.99, Aldi online) The first duty of wine - whatever its colour - is to be refreshing. Gastronomic. Uplifting, if you like. Here's a red that does just that - and at a very fair, albeit not bargain...
Empress Ale A smartly packaged, gently carbonated new ale designed to be paired with spicy food, primarily Indian. The idea was born, apparently, out of craft beer fan Surj Virk's, 'sheer frustration of not having an alternative to lager when visiting Indian restaurants'. Apparently he spent a year...
Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2009, England (£35, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Farr Vintners, Lay & Wheeler) Very refined, accomplished and elegant fizz from the producer that really kick-started the modern English sparkling wine scene. This point was made particularly vividly because, at the same tasting, we were treated...
Imagine the scene. Steeply rolling hillsides, dark forests in the background, the foreground a hectic green sea of bush vines sprouting vigorously from rich terracotta soil. On a rickety table in the middle of the vineyard there is a glass of mysterious white wine. It...
Ramos Pinto Quinta do Bom Retiro 20 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal (£35 for 50cl, Oddbins & others) There’s still a touch of fiery ruby at the heart of this gorgeous, amber-hued tawny. The nose is rich and raisined while the palate is smooth, biscuity and mouth-coating....
Jewel of Nasik Zinfandel Rosé 2015, India (from £5, Marks & Spencer) It’s not every day you get to recommend an Indian rosé on BBC1! This one’s juicy and fun, with plenty of succulent plummy fruit and a soft, easy-going feel. I paired it on Saturday Kitchen...
It’s hard to believe that, in just over 25 years, the English sparkling wine industry has come so far. Only in the late 1980s were Chardonnay vines planted alongside Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in West Sussex by a pioneering couple from Chicago determined to...
La Taille aux Loups, Montlouis Remus Plus 2014, France (£21.50, Justerini & Brooks) A superb bottle of Chenin Blanc from a little-known region in a terrific recent vintage. If you’re looking for something impressive to grace your dinner table the next time you slow cook a slab...
White for salmon, red for pâté - yum yum yum...
Panto-themed culinary chaos with lashings of fine wine...