Lip-smacking reds to pair with autumn dinners: snuggle up with a rich, food-friendly drop

SLOVENIAN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013, SLOVENIA (£7.99, aldi)

A regal looking red that combines ripe blackberry, liquorice and plum flavours, it’s worth venturing beyond your usual casual pour if you like a firm, fruity cab sav, with a leathery finish to pair with a ribeye steak, chips and peppercorn sauce. With its bottle ageing and a discreet nose that’s elusive from the start, give it some time to breathe for the cedar-spiked fruit to take centre stage.

MCGUIGAN & JOHN TORODE TEMPRANILLO 2017, ADELAIDE HILLS, australia (CIRCA. £46.96 FOR CASE Of SIX, amazon)

Available by the case at just shy of £8 a bottle, this Spanish grape has been given a tasty makeover Down Under and speaks with a warm, friendly Australian accent.

Marked by vibrant red berry fruits, sweet spice and a savoury, bushy earthiness, as if by culinary magic, it’s versatile enough to serve with miso steak as well as spaghetti with clams.

CHARLES Back FAIRVIEW SHIRAZ 2015, WESTERN Cape, SOUTH africa (£12.49, LAITHWAITES.CO.UK)

A Wine with excellent credentials, Charles back is one of South Africa’s most influential winemakers and his Fairview shiraz is a showstopper. Concentrated, with bags of dark brambly spicy fruit that cushions the palate, sweet spice and cassis glide along elegantly in unison, with velvety smooth tannins on the powerful finish to seal the deal. Worth forking out for to relish with a Sunday roast.

TESCO FINEST MONTEPULCIANO D’abruzzo 2016, ITALY (£7, TESCO)

it’s hard to think of a better accompaniment to a traditional spag bol or rich tomato sauces than this moreish Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region in Southern italy. rich and full-bodied, with a juicy blackberry character and enough brambly fruit to remind you of a dense forest floor, flourishes of herby, savoury spice will make you want to round off the meal with a chunky corner of Parmesan cheese. Deliciously easy to drink.