Taste the Difference Rioja Reserva 2010 Cepa Alegro, Spain, 13.5% (£7, Sainsbury's) We're big fans of Ben Tish in this household and his Saturday Kitchen dish this weekend made his stock rise even further. I mean, who couldn't love roasted partridge with caramelised chicory, orange, honey and...
Triade Bianco di Campania 2015, Italy, 13.5% (£6.59, Waitrose or via Wine Searcher) There are few better endorsements of your work than when people enjoy the wine you're recommending. This was certainly the case on this weekend's Saturday Kitchen when former Madness frontman Suggs was clearly a big fan...
Jordi Miro Garnacha Blanca 2015, Spain, 13.5% (£9, Marks & Spencer or via Wine Searcher) White wine for game? And from a little known Spanish region (Terra Alta) to boot?! This one raised a few culinary eyebrows when I recommended it on Saturday Kitchen. But, as ever with game, it's...
Taste the Difference Barbera d'Asti 2014, Italy, 13.5% (£7, Sainsbury's) This own-label Barbera from Sainsbury's is really good value - and very autumnal in feel, with a heart-warming touch of spice to an otherwise silky dark-fruited style. It made a fantastic Saturday Kitchen match for a very autumnal dish...
Finest Côtes de Gascogne Colombard Gros Manseng 2015, 11.5% (£6, Tesco) Bit of a bargain, this Côtes de Gascogne. And a really versatile food wine, too. We all know Côtes de Gascogne as a source of affordable, fresh - but perhaps slightly simple whites. This one isn't a...
Valdesil Montenovo Godello Valdeorras 2015, 13% (£9.89 when you buy 6, Majestic, or via Wine Searcher) We find we're turning more and more to the Godello grape variety as a reliably food-friendly, frequently good value wine. It has that unique blend of freshness but textural elegance that...
Chavy-Chouet Bourgogne Rouge La Taupe 2014, 12.5% (£30 for a magnum (150 cl), Marks & Spencer or via Wine Searcher in different formats) Looking ahead to autumn and the festive period can be dismaying. Planning the wine menu, on the other hand, proves remarkably uplifting. Take this wine....
Domaine de la Pinte Arbois Chardonnay 2014, 12.5% (£16, Marks & Spencer) OK, OK. So this Domaine de la Pinte Arbois Chardonnay isn’t for everyone. For a start, it has Chardonnay on the label. That'll put lots of people off. Then there’s the price, which makes it a special...
Harrow & Hope Blanc de Blancs 2013, 12% (£28-35, pre-release from the winery website) There are many reasons to visit Marlow, the picturesque Chilterns town on the Thames in Buckinghamshire. One is Tom Kerridge's famous two-Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers eatery (and also its more informal offshoot, The Coach)....
Wyfold Brut 2011, 12% (from £26.99, Laithwaites) Barbara Laithwaite has turned her talented hand from working with her husband Tony building the Laithtwaite's/Direct Wines empire (which they continue to do) to crafting this elegant, expressive English fizz from a south Oxfordshire hillside not far from their home...
Villa Borghetti Valpolicella Ripasso 2013, 13.5% (£10.99 when you buy 6, Majestic or via Wine Searcher) So what to choose with a classic bolognese ragu with focaccia by the delightful Italian maestro Gennaro Contaldo? There are plenty of options, from Bardolino (in a lighter style) to Chianti (in a...
Chatel-Buis Montagny 2013, 13% (£10.39, Waitrose or via Wine Searcher) I recommended this classic white Montagny to go a with a suitably classic, elegant dish on Saturday Kitchen by Frederick Foster - paupiette of sole with wild mushrooms and herb sauce. We found that a good Chablis also works...
Domaine André Perret Merlot, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes 2014, 13% (£9.95, The Wine Society) It’s fair to say both the label and style of this southern French red are a bit funky – edgy even. Not for everyone, maybe. But part of the reason it’s so...
Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco 1986, Spain (c. £400, L'Assemblage, Cru World Wine, Brunswick Fine Wines or use Wine Searcher) Sometimes, very rarely, a wine comes along that stops you in your tracks. Shifts your take on the world, almost imperceptibly, but a minor earthquake all the...
Domaine de la Grange des Pères Rouge 2013 IGP Hérault, France (£45 Yapp Brothers or use Wine Searcher) An extraordinarily delicious blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon and Counoise that will blow you away this autumn. Domaine de la Grange des Pères has achieved iconic status. This red...
Puerto Fino Solera Reserva, Emilio Lustau, Spain (£16.50 Fields, Morris & Verdin or use Wine Searcher) As I wandered from table to table at ‘The Great Sherry Tasting’ on London’s Southbank, I began to wonder how on earth I would choose my ‘Top Tip’ out of such...
Sesti Monteleccio 2014, Italy (£15.99 per bottle for case of 12, Armit Wines - or use Wine Searcher) This Monteleccio is a fabulous value wine from one of Montalcino’s most celebrated wine estates, Sesti. We visited not too long ago and were captivated by the stunning scenery...
La Grange des Combes 2013, France, 14% (£9.99 when you buy 6, Majestic) If you like your reds a bit funky, this is a bargain. Strictly speaking, this Grange des Combes is AOC St-Chinian-Roquebrun, a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. It’s peppery, meaty and full of...
Royal Tokaji Dry Tokaji 2015, Hungary, 13% (£7.99 when you buy 6+ until 26.9, Majestic) It’s always refreshing to come across a white with a bit of attitude. This Royal Tokaji Dry Tokaji was lurking with intent at the recent Majestic press tasting. The Tokaj region is more...
Disznókő Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 1999, Hungary, 11.5% (£40, Fine & Rare) If only all history lessons were this tasty. The Tokaj region in Hungary is famous for its historic sweet wine, for centuries the wine of kings until its fortunes took a turn for the worse...