Wine to dine

Drinks writer Peter Ranscombe picks four wines to go with Daniel Spurr’s recipes

CONO SUR RESERVE RIESLING, 2015, £7 (TESCO)

Riesling’s inherent acidity is ideal for the fish, with the lemon and lime flavours of the wine complementing the citrus in the dish. This example from the cool Bio Bio valley in Chile is on special offer at Tesco until 22 March, down from £9 to £7, which makes it even more of a bargain.

CASA LUNARDI CHARDONNAY, 2015, £5.89 (GREAT GROG)

Italy isn’t normally the first place I’d turn for unoaked chardonnay, but this bottle from Casa Lunardi really caught my eye at a recent tasting. The citrus aromas and flavours of lemon and grapefruit are matched by stone fruit components of apricot and peach. You get a lot of fruit for your money here, and it’s superbly balanced by the acidity.

BRAZIN LODI OLD-VINE ZINFANDEL, 2012, £10.95 (WINE SOCIETY)

A big powerful zinfandel from California is one of my favourite pairings for lamb. You can taste the sunshine in wines from the Lodi region and this example from the Wine Society is no exception. The tannins – the part of the wine that makes you suck in your cheeks – are really well integrated and the vanilla influence from the oak barrels in which the wine aged are very subtle, leaving the path clear for the juicy blackcurrant and black cherry fruit to shine through. Magic.

Tokaji Kési Arany, 2013, £8.99

(LIDL)

Bringing together peanut butter, sesame and apple makes for a real crowd-pleaser and Hungary’s flagship sweet wine, Tokaji, is more than up to the challenge of providing a pairing. The crunchy green apple flavours in the wine will work beautifully with the granny smiths. But it’s the wine’s refreshing acidity that stops the sweetness becoming too cloying.

For a look at wines from Rias Baixas in Spain and the Wine Society’s Americas tasting, check out Peter Ranscombe’s blog, The Grape & The Grain, on the Scottish Field website at www.scottishfield.co.uk/category/grapegrain/