Côtes du Rhône Villages, France, £10, M&S
This is a soft and juicy red brimming with dark cherry, plum, black pepper and spice notes. A well-structured wine made with the region’s classic Grenache and Syrah grapes for intense fruit flavours and aromas. Cotes du Rhone wines are extremely food friendly and can be easy to match with a wide variety of foods – this would pair well with hearty dishes like sausages and mash, steak and chips or cottage pie.
Irresistible Casablanca Valley Pinot Noir, £8, Co-op
A multi-medal winning wine full of ripe cherry aromas. Chilean Pinot Noir is exciting not just because of what it’s starting to achieve at the top end, but also because it can deliver some of the best value in the world. This is a simple but perfectly pitched Pinot, full of summer fruit and herbal notes. Try serving it slightly chilled and discover a new world of refreshing reds. For a half decent Pinot Noir this is a really good price.
WINE OF THE WEEK
Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, France, £7.99, Lidl
If you’re not a big fan of dessert wines maybe you should try this. It is a refreshing example with aromas of late-harvest quince fruit but remains fresh due to the acidity. It’s two-thirds Gros Manseng, with Petit Manseng and Petit Courbu, a blend that works really well in the sweet style. It’s something different for summer. Try it with a cheeseboard or paté.
