Colinas del Itata Old Vine Field Blend 2015, 12.5%, Chile (£7.50 down from £10 on multi-buy, Marks & Spencer) The joy of great food and drink isn't just that it's delicious. It's also that it gives us something to talk about and share. Stories, in short. This wine...
Surani Pietrariccia Fiano 2016, 13%, Italy (from £8.99, Majestic) I recommended this versatile Piano to go with Lawrence Keogh's squid-ink risotto with saffron chilli squid on Saturday Kitchen. It's a stunning recipe, really vibrant not just in flavour terms but also its striking yellow-and-black colour on the plate. The...
Saturday Kitchen Sling So, it was World Gin Day and I was asked by the producers of Saturday Kitchen if I had any thoughts to share on the subject. I certainly did. I love it. It's a great British product. We have some lovely gins down our way...
Chafor Vintage Rosé 2014, England (£45, Chafor Wine Estate) I recently had the pleasure of chairing the brand new UK Wine Awards. A task that involved spending two, very enjoyable days tasting nearly 300 English and Welsh wines along with a panel of industry experts. There was a...
Tapa Roja Old Vines Monastrell 2015, Spain (£9, Marks & Spencer) When you've got a chef who looks remarkably like Wolverine - then you need to pull a wine out of the bag that will put hairs on your chest. So to speak. Tomer Amedi was cooking a beautifully heart-warming...
Taste the Difference Côtes de Provence Rosé 2015, France (£8.50, Sainsbury's) OK, so I got the mickey taken out of me for wearing a pink shirt AND recommending a rosé at the same time. Fair cop. But this combo was worth it. I recommended this delicious, dry, elegant and...
Muga Rioja Rosado 2016, Spain (£9.99, Waitrose or via WineSearcher) I do like this new vintage of the Muga rosé - it strikes a lovely balance between intensity and elegance, and it works beautifully with food too. I recommended it on Saturday Kitchen to go with crispy chicken thighs,...
Pasqua Passimento Bianco 2015, Italy (from £8.99, Majestic) We've recommended this beautiful white on Saturday Kitchen a few times now - and make no apologies for it. It works really well with food because not only is it delicious in its own right, it also has a richness...
The Ned Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2015, New Zealand (from £12.99 for 375 ml, Majestic or via Wine Searcher) It's isn't easy finding good sweet wines to suit not only your own taste but also to go with the food you have before you. What's more, the good ones just don't...
Stellenrust Stellenbosch Manor Chenin Blanc 2016, South Africa (from £8, Sainsbury's) This was my Saturday Kitchen wine choice to go with steamed halibut, asparagus and shellfish by Tom Kitchin. It's a very wine-friendly dish. What does this mean, quizzed presenter Matt Tebbutt? It's a good question, so perhaps...
Chapel Down Flint Dry 2015, England (£10, Sainsbury's or via WineSearcher) We're big fans of Chapel Down's wines, especially their still ones - proving that English wine isn't just about fizz. Their Chardonnay (in particular their Kit's Coty) is regularly outstanding and well worth a try. This one's a...
Tim Adams Clare Valley Semillon 2014, Australia (from £9, Tesco or via WineSearcher) This wine is one of the best in Tesco's range - and one of the most reliable (of the very few) decent oaked whites under a tenner in the UK. With the zesty acidity you'd expect of good Ozzie...
Louis Latour White Burgundy Chardonnay 2014, France (from £10.29, Waitrose or via Wine Searcher) This elegant white Burgundy was my choice to go with a cod and parsley stuffed jacket potato by Nathan Outlaw on Saturday Kitchen. The dish was simplicity itself and went with a fair old range of...
Miguel Torres Days of Summer Muscat 2015, Chile (from £7.49, Majestic) No shortage of aromatic, grapey flavour with this Chilean Muscat, which just bursts out of the glass in joyous fashion. But neither is it a one-trick pony - quite the opposite. I chose this to partner a cheeseburger with a...
Pietradolce Archineri Etna Rosso 2014, Italy (from £27.55, Armit Wines, Oxford Wine Company or via Wine Searcher) I first came across the rugged, uncompromising wines of Sicilian producer Pietradolce at our wine festival and have followed them with interest since. I tried the full range at the recent Italian tasting...
The Society's Exhibition Chianti Classico 2013, 14%, Italy (£11.50, The Wine Society) We know all too well from our ongoing Saturday Kitchen wine hunts how tough it is finding great value wine at around the £10 mark. Our value antennae are constantly finely calibrated as a result. So it was...
Cérvoles Blanc 2005, Costers del Segre, Spain (£21.95 for the 2013 at Berry Bros or globally via Wine Searcher) Tasting this venerable white wine in plush London surroundings, it was odd to recall that Susie and I had visited the sun-strewn, dusty upland landscape of Costers del Segre shortly before this...
Colinas de Uruguay Albariño 2016, 13%, Uruguay (£8, Sainsbury's or in the Netherlands and Canada via Wine Searcher) We often find ourselves searching for whites that have plenty of oomph but aren't super extrovert in their flavour profile. This happens especially when we're picking wines to go with food: whites can need...
Arboleda Pinot Noir 2016, 13.5%, Chile (£18-20 for the 2015, Loki, Surrey Wine Cellar, Bonafide Wines or globally via Wine Searcher) Arboleda is the sister brand to the better known Errázuriz label, which are both based out of the Aconcagua Valley north of Chilean capital Santiago. And, just...
Château Angélus 2012, 14%, Saint-Émilion, France (c £270+ per bottle in bond, BI and other sellers, see Wine Searcher) Angélus is not a wine to shy from the limelight. It commands superstar prices. It features in James Bond movies. Its grandly renovated chateau in Saint-Émilion boasts a...