Parker Favourite Son Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Australia (£7.49, Waitrose) What to recommend when the great Pierre Koffmann is cooking venison with raspberry and bitter chocolate sauce on Saturday Kitchen? I went for the hedonistic rather than the classic option. Both had their merits (the classic being a...
Waimea Estate Pinot Gris 2015, New Zealand (from £9.99, Majestic) I picked this juicy, succulent Waimea Estate Pinot Gris to go with tandoori lamb by Atkar Islam on Saturday Kitchen. Generally, we find white wine goes well with lamb and is often an over-looked pairing. But the matching makes total...
So come on - where do you stand in the great Sauvignon Blanc debate? Some people hate it - saying it's too obvious, boring, short-lived or just too popular for its own good (in UK shops, it's now the best selling grape variety by some margin). But...
Morandé One to One Gewürztraminer 2016, Chile, 13% (from £6.99, Majestic) First things first. The Gewürztraminer grape isn’t for everyone. (Even if you can pronounce it properly…) It can be super perfumed and luscious in style, a bit oily and rich, so it can easily put people...
Guaspari Vista do Chá Syrah 2012, Brazil, 14% (£56.50, Hedonism (UK) - US$ 47.27 Baccos, Vino Mundi (Brazil)) A wine from off the radar. I first tried this ground-breaking red when I visited Brazil earlier this year, in the company of renowned local wine journalist Jorge Lucki....
Hardys Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 2010, Australia, 12.9% (£30, Drinks Direct or use Wine Searcher) Australian brand Hardys is a familiar name in wine. For one, it’s the biggest selling brand in the UK, shifting more than £315m-worth of wine last year. As sponsors of the England cricket...
Extra Special Bourgogne Chardonnay 2014, France (£9, Asda) On Saturday Kitchen this weekend, culinary maestro Daniel Galmiche was cooking some delicious chicken, leek and wild mushroom parcels with a chicory and radish salad. We tried out quite a few things with it but it was definitely an elegant, classic...
Taste The Difference Riverblock Sauvignon Blanc 2015, New Zealand (£10, Sainsbury's) This was my Saturday Kitchen pairing for crisp fried fish with softened sweet onion by Great British Bake Off 2016 winner Nadiya Hussain. The dish has a fair bit of spice and aromatic scent. Typically, I'd reach for...
Krug Grande Cuvée Brut NV Champagne, France (from £95, independent merchants or use Wine Searcher) Entering via a gents outfitters called Flannels to an establishment with Primrose yellow toilet paper and a chef in silver boots, you’d be forgiven for thinking that things can’t get any more...
Wine Atlas St Chinian 2013, France (£5.79, Asda) A really savoury and serious red for the price level. This was my Saturday Kitchen choice to match Rosie Birkett’s carpaccio with panzanella – not an easy job but this wine really brought out the Mediterranean feel of the...