(By Peter) I took part in a blind tasting in late September 2022 for Which? magazine to find some great value sparkling and red wines for Christmas. Full results are in the magazine or the PDF below. It's quite a handy guide if you're on the lookout...
When The Sunday Times Travel asked us to do a piece on our favourite wine destinations, our first thought was: hope they're going to give us lots of space. As it happened, they cruelly made us choose only six - three each. Peter plumped for Chile (Casablanca...
Mas Martinet Bru 2016, 14.5%, Priorato, Spain ($39, €18-22, £18.68 Justerini & Brooks) Catalonia is one of our favourite wine regions on the planet. It’s such a beautiful part of the world. Amazing food and wine. Wonderful people. A Mediterranean coastline that veers from the tourisy to the...
Màquina y Tabla Páramos de Nicosia Clarete 2017, Toro, Spain, 13.5% (from £13.95, Lea & Sandeman) We’re both big fans of Màquina&Tabla’s characterful, energetic Spanish wines, which dare to be different. It’s an operation based out of Valladolid and a lot of the fruit comes from the nearby...
Finest Viña del Cura Rioja Reserva 2012, Spain (down to £6.80 from £8.50 on offer, Tesco) It's always nice to be original and find quirky wine matches but sometimes it's best just to stick to the absolute classics. The lovely José Pizarro was cooking rack of lamb with...
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...
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,...
Cérvoles Blanc 2005, Costers del Segre, Spain (£21.95 for the 2013 at Berry Bros or globally via Wine Searcher) Tasting this venerable white wine in plush London surroundings, it was odd to recall that Susie and I had visited the sun-strewn, dusty upland landscape of Costers del Segre shortly before this...
Muga Rioja Blanco 2015, Spain (£9.99, Majestic or via Wine Searcher) This Muga white Rioja is a rare example of an elegantly oaked white under a tenner on the UK high street (and indeed elsewhere, if you care to check the Wine Searcher link). It made a seamless pairing...
Bienbebido Queso Tempranillo Vintae 2013, 14.5%, Spain (from £6.99, Majestic) This Bienbebido is a fantastic value, really satisfying red which I matched with Korean grilled beef short ribs by Jordan Bourke on Saturday Kitchen. I do like a wine that doesn't take itself too seriously. This bottle is a prime...