Carmenere is the James Bond of wine grapes. It's mysterious, with a past shrouded in conjecture. No one knows how best to handle or contain it. It's often been on the ropes - but has proved a dogged survivor. It also goes under many pseudonyms, from...
Domaine G. Quillot Côtes du Jura Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes 2012, 13.5%, France (£8.99, Lidl, from 28th September 2017) Wow. This quirky, appetizing white is quite something. One thing's for sure: it won't be like any other Chardonnay you've tasted. Maybe it's not for everyone. But if you like your...
Finest Viré Clessé 2014, France, 12% (£11, Tesco) 'You've hit the nail on the head with this - I could sit and drink this...
Ara Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2016, New Zealand, 12.5% (£10.59 but down to £7.94 on multi buy, Waitrose) We are big fans of chef Freddy Forster in this household. He's not only a lovely man but also a brilliant cook - witness his utterly delicious, dangerously moreish Saturday...
After Susie helped plant the first vines on Champagne Taittinger's brand new English wine estate in May 2017, she reflects in the pages of Decanter on how far and fast the category has moved on. From being an emergent category just a decade or so ago,...
Domaine du Vieux Vauvert Vouvray 2016, France (£9.99, Waitrose or via Wine Searcher) First things first: this is not a dry wine! There. Glad we got that one out of the way. But it's important to say because there's nothing worse than expecting something to be dry when...
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...
In the 1970s, a French customs official famously declared that English wine simply did 'not exist'. How times change. From a meagre total of around 1,500 bottles in the mid-1960s, English wine production now averages around five million bottles, with a national vineyard of some 2,000 hectares....
Colinas de Uruguay Albariño 2016, Uruguay (from £8, Sainsbury's) This refreshing Uruguayan Albariño was my wine pairing on BBC1's Saturday Kitchen for Freddy Bird's wonderful squid and carabineros prawns with bomba rice and aioli. It may seem an odd choice - but bear with me. Freddy's a big fan...
Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Riesling 2017, Clare Valley, Australia (from £10.99, Majestic) We're big fans of South Australian Riesling in this household and the Lodge Hill is a lovely wine - dry, tangy and invigorating in its limey, green apple purity but also softening wonderfully when...