The Pocket Guide to Wine

Some of the most intense sweet wines are created when grapes develop a condition called Botrytis or Noble Rot. This happens in vineyards when the climate is moist but not too wet. The ‘rot’ sucks away at the water leaving only a little juice remaining, with a specific honey flavour. It is impossible to force this ‘noble rot’ to happen, and the risk is that the other kind of not-so-good rot turns up instead. I know it all sounds horrible but the wines made from botrytised grapes are incredibly special. The most famous wines made with these grapes are Sauternes and Tokaji, which are sought after all over the world.

Valpolicella and pizza are a match made in heaven.

White chocolate – soft whites and pinks; the best match is Moscato d’Asti with white chocolate covered in freeze-dried raspberries. Avoid very crisp, dry wines.

Milk chocolate – soft reds, particularly New World Pinot Noir and some rosés. Avoid heavy tannins or very dry wines.

Dark chocolate – bigger reds but preferably fortified wines and rich sherry: Oloroso with nutty chocolate is heavenly!

Some of the most intense sweet wines are created when grapes develop a condition called Botrytis or Noble Rot. This happens in vineyards when the climate is moist but not too wet. The ‘rot’ sucks away at the water leaving only a little juice remaining, with a specific honey flavour. It is impossible to force this ‘noble rot’ to happen, and the risk is that the other kind of not-so-good rot turns up instead. I know it all sounds horrible but the wines made from botrytised grapes are incredibly special. The most famous wines made with these grapes are Sauternes and Tokaji, which are sought after all over the world.

Light and creamy goat’s cheese – try Sauvignon Blanc, particularly Sancerre, or chilled reds like Cabernet Franc from the Loire.

Hard ewe’s cheese (e.g. Manchego) – sherry is a particularly good match (try Amontillado or Oloroso) or a softer red wine like Valpolicella.

Semi-hard cheese (e.g. Gruyere, Comté) – you need some acidity here, so try Sauvignon Blanc or even Riesling from New Zealand, or perhaps a New World Pinot Noir.

Hard strong cheese (e.g. Cheddar) – traditional reds work best, although you do need some ripe flavours – try an Australian Shiraz or Languedoc, or crack open some Port!

Blue cheese – port or a sweet wine like Sauternes or Monbazillac work beautifully.

Pungent soft cheese (e.g. Camembert) – try a sweet wine like Monbazillac, or perhaps an aromatic white like Gewürztraminer.

Coffee Style has its origins in South Africa, where winemakers experimented with use of yeasts and toasted oak to accentuate the ‘barrel ferment’ style.

The Paso Robles region in California is just off Route 1, the coastal road that runs from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It’s a crazy place with an annual Zinfandel festival and no winey airs and graces, and it’s a great place to discover Zin. Or head to the island of Sicily and the Puglia region in the heel of Italy, which are magical places to visit

Primitivo or Zinfandel is a red wine grape. It was believed to be two different grapes until the 1970s, when it was discovered that it’s actually one and the same.

Vega Sicilia is the iconic producer of the region and, along with other key producers, has pushed the reputation and quality of this wine forward (and the price up!).

Ribera del Duero is a modern wine appellation only a couple of hours from Rioja. The wines only really entered the world stage in the 1990s, although wine was made in the region 2000 years ago.

It is a fresh style of red wine, mostly made from the Tempranillo grape, although Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Garnacha are sometimes blended in. The big difference from Rioja is that the grapes are grown at altitude, giving them bright acidity and a crunchy freshness. The wines are medium-bodied and oak-aged, so you get lots of ripe berry flavours, vanilla and spice.