Winter wines that won’t break the bank

Enjoy exclusive discounts on top-quality wines with the Good Food Wine Club. Choosing wine to complement your food adds to the pleasure of both. Here, Henry Je reys highlights two wines from the case and suggests a pairing with this month’s recipes

The Rustler Chenin Blanc 2016

The man behind this wine is Jack Bruce, from South Africa’s Flagstone winery. He excels in finding excellent-quality grapes at reasonable prices, to produce wines that o er stunning value for money. No wonder he was South Africa’s wine maker of the year in 2009.

Did you know? The chenin blanc grape is originally from the Loire, but it is now very much South Africa’s own. Much of it was planted to make brandy, but these days it is used to produce richly flavoured dry wines like this one, with its notes of honey, bruised apples and cinnamon.

A good match The Rustler has a proper weight to it, and would be superb with either the Turkish kebabs with tomato chilli sauce (below left) on page 64 or the butter chicken on page 63.

Château Le Coin Bordeaux 2015

Critics are hailing the 2015 vintage in Bordeaux as the best since the now legendary 2010. The leading châteaux are selling for thousands of pounds a case. But the great thing about a vintage like 2015 is that the a ordable wines, such as this Château Le Coin from the Entredeux-mers region, are also extra delicious.

The taste The fruit – mainly merlot in this case – becomes even riper than normal, so along with all those savoury flavours of leather and herbs that claret lovers appreciate, you’ll find a voluptuous fruitiness of blackcurrants and plums throughout.

A good match This is a great Sunday lunch wine and would be particularly delicious with the marinated lamb leg, romanesco & pickled walnuts (below right) on page 102.