Waimea Estate Pinot Gris 2015

Waimea Estate Pinot Gris 2015, New Zealand

(from £9.99, Majestic)

I picked this juicy, succulent Waimea Estate Pinot Gris to go with tandoori lamb by Atkar Islam on Saturday Kitchen.

Generally, we find white wine goes well with lamb and is often an over-looked pairing. But the matching makes total sense given the aromatic spices and heat from the chilli in this particular dish. It’s difficult to classify this wine in our Follow Your Taste schematic because on the one hand it is very refreshing – but it also has a real richness and succulence, which is what enables it to cope with the spices. On balance, I’ve just gone with Mellow Yellow – but only just!

This is a white for spice lovers; it’s not cheap, but it’s great value, and really versatile in this sense. Give it a go! Aktar certainly liked it, saying: ‘fantastic, it’s a great combination’ while the great Pierre Koffmann echoed: ‘beautiful wine’. (7/10, Susie, Sept 2016)