PETALOS, DESCENDIENTES DE J. PALACIOS 2017

 Several years ago, I worked vintage with Ricardo Palacios at Descendientes de J. Palacios in Bierzo and I have loved the wines ever since. His Pétalos is a regional blend of mostly Mencía and is considered the benchmark wine of that region; its haunting perfume always makes me think of the wild herbs, lavender and roses that grow in the region… View all favourites.

BUKETTRAUBE, CEDERBERG PRIVATE CELLAR 2019

We eat so much spice at home and so a bottle of Cederberg’s Bukketraube is almost always in the fridge. With floral notes and stone fruit on the nose, it has just a touch of sweetness to the palate and a clean, crisp finish to compliment… View all favourites.

POTTER VALLEY RIESLING, CHATEAU MONTELENA 2019

Chateau Montelena’s Potter Valley Riesling is a bit of a curveball as most people don’t think California makes Riesling and secondly, this one is so good and can last for decades. I tried a bottle of the 1992 recently and it was still very much alive with great acidity and texture on the palate… View all favourites.

TRILOGIE ROUGE, CHÂTEAU VIRANEL 2018

An everyday go-to for me is Trilogie Rouge by Château Viranel. Based in Saint-Chinian, inland from Béziers in the Languedoc, and run by the Bergasse family since the 16th century. The local limestone hills combined with the decidedly Mediterranean climate, produce robust, generous, garrigue-infused wines… View all favourites.

LES PILIERS MAISON BLANCHE, MONTAGNE SAINT-EMILION, DESPAGNE-RAPIN 2015

My heart is rooted in France and I am particularly fond of Les Piliers Maison Blanche by Despagne-Rapin which is layered and earthy with mineral notes. It is beautifully balanced with dark fruits and concentration and goes perfectly with meat cuts or a homemade Ragut with parpadelle… View all favourites.