Most Wanted Pinot Noir 2016

Most Wanted Pinot Noir 2016, New Zealand

(£8.25-9, Sainsbury’s) 

I have an admission to make. Peter Gordon is one of my all-time favourite chefs. I used to pore over his recipe books as if they were gospel. And his particular brand of inspired fusion food…just heavenly.

So it was a real privilege to work alongside him on Saturday Kitchen, and to be able to find a lovely wine to go with his delicious dish of venison, coconut curried pumpkin and mustard cabbage.

We tried quite a range with the dish – whites as well as reds. But it was the latter that were most satisfying alongside the venison. It really called for an elegant yet upbeat wine, so this Kiwi Pinot did the trick in style, delivering both value for money but also a classy, subtle pairing that brought the best out of both drink and food.

It seemed to go down well in studio, with show host Matt Tebbutt describing it as, ‘delicious’ and Peter himself labelling it, ‘great wine’. Studio guest Rebecca Front said the combination worked, ‘incredibly well.’

As ever, these things are relative – we’re always working to a (generally sub-£10) budget on Saturday Kitchen, from major multiple retailers, but even so there are plenty of delicious bargains out there. And this is one!

(Susie, 7/10, October 2017)