Finest Soave Superiore 2014, Italy, 13% (£7, Tesco) Some Soave is so mass produced and irredeemably characterless, it isn’t much better than dish water. But the good stuff is wonderful (see this Pieropan La Rocca tip). And this cheeky little number is amazing value. Because of the way...
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...
Chalkdown Premium Quality Cider 2013, Hampshire (from £10, independent stockists inc Wine Utopia, The Naked Grape, The Good Life Farm Shop, M Wines, The Cork & Cheese, Vineking) Hampshire cider - made like champagne. Intriguing, no? 'It's all a learning process,' smiles Winchester resident Piotr Nahajski, the...
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...
Paul Cluver Ferricrete Riesling 2015, South Africa, 10.5% (£9.75 down from £13, Marks & Spencer) I was so impressed by this wine, and how well it went with Wolfgang Puck’s langoustines with charred aubergine and red Thai curry that I couldn’t resist blowing our Saturday Kitchen budget....