Bargain Aldi Burgundy

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...

Revolutionary Nyetimber

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...

The Revenant

There is something gloriously ancient, mysterious and knotty about Carmenère. Its story brings together competing historical hypotheses, ampelographic hide-and-seek and remarkable powers of reinvention. It gets both winemakers and wine drinkers hot under the collar, with the power to dismay and delight in seemingly equal...

Twenty Twenty Tawny

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....

A Cheeky Pink from India!

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...

Spanish White For Seafood

Taste the Difference Godello 2014*, Spain (£8, Sainsbury’s) The Godello grape variety nearly went extinct in the 1970s – it was down to the last few hundred vines, apparently – but it’s since been resurrected, to brilliant effect. It makes succulent, fresh, herb-scented whites that work superbly...

Of Grass and Greenbacks

Love it or hate it there’s no doubting Sauvignon Blanc’s popularity – with the public at least. This historic grape variety – noble parent of Cabernet Sauvignon let’s not forget – tends to polarise opinion like few others. Yet the market tells its own success story. Sauvignon Blanc...

Lush Loire White

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...