WHETHER you enjoy a drop of Spanish red, French rose or Aussie white, affordable wine from all over the world has never been so widely available in UK supermarkets.
To celebrate Global Drink Wine Day here Alex James, Blur bassist, food and drink aficionado, founder of the annual Big Festival, cheesemaker and the curator of Britpop wines, raises a glass to common types of plonk from eight grape-growing countries.
And he suggests the best British dishes to tuck into when drinking them – including some you might not have tried before.
ITALY – Caparelli Italian Pinot Grigio, £5.50, Tesco
DRINK WITH: Cheesy crumpets
ITALIAN white is the perfect match for old-fashioned, budget-friendly mild Cheddar for cheese on toast – or crumpets.
Having said that pretty much any cheese is fair game. If you can grate it, you can grill it.
It’s almost impossible to eat badly in Italy and it’s the home of many grand, spectacular wines but this dish calls for a cheap and cheerful classic.
Pinot Grigio is great with pizza and it takes the perfect simplicity of cheesy crumpets straight up to the penthouse of indulgence.
Some pomegranate seeds give this pairing the perfect finishing touch of prettiness. Midweek heaven.
AUSTRALIA – Burfield Chardonnay, £6.50, Iceland
DRINK WITH: Pork pie
I WAS in Western Australia with a bunch of winemakers just before Christmas.
They make a staggering variety of plonk but Chardonnay is the country’s favourite white.
I brought a stash home with me and I discovered it’s a pork pie’s perfect partner.
The wines have green apple and a whole host of fruity flavours that really connect with pork – and would be great with a hot sausage roll, too.
Chardonnay grapes also do well in England.
You will probably have to pay a bit more for a home-grown bottle but they are well worth trying with a pie if you get the chance.
GERMANY – Extra Special Gewurztraminer, £8.50, Asda
DRINK WITH: Chicken Tikka Masala
WHEN it comes to curry, most of us would probably reach for an ice-cold beer.
But there is a wine for every occasion and Gewurztraminer which hails originally from the culinary gold mine of Alsace along the French-German border is a fine choice to sip alongside spicy food.
It’s quite viscous and sometimes reminiscent of tea with honey but it’s a white, big and bold enough to sit comfortably with any curry, exotic naan or aromatic rice you care to throw at it.
I like Gewurztraminer ice cold and sipped gently so I’ll stand my wine glasses in the freezer for half an hour before pouring.
SPAIN – 5 Oros Rioja Crianza, £7.99, Lidl
DRINK WITH: Fish and chips
WHITE wine with a nice, light acidic bite is the obvious choice for fare like fried fish but it’s by no means the only one.
If you like red wine and you like fish and chips, chances are you’re going to like them both at the same time.
Especially in the winter.
Batter is quite meaty so it can easily take the weight and depth of a full-bodied red and the might of malt vinegar needs something robust to meet it.
This Rioja pairing works really well and would be outstanding enjoyed at the British seaside at this time of year.
Or lying down in front of the telly.
ENGLAND – Britpop Brut by Alex James, £25, laithwaites.co.uk.
DRINK WITH: Full English breakfast
YES, this one is mine but there are lots of other great bottles of English fizz also worth paying a bit extra for.
The brightness and sharpness of our native sparkling wine makes it the perfect accompaniment to this culinary juggernaut – a full English.
It cuts through rich meaty oils, refreshing the palate and adding a dash of glamour.
If you like orange juice with your fry-up, try mixing it with Brit fizz for the full breakfast of champions.
These are golden days of English wine making and our home-grown bubbly is now right up there with the very best in the world.
CHILE – Specially Selected Chilean Pinot Noir, £6.49, Aldi
DRINK WITH: Toad in the hole
I WAS going to say how cheap and easy it is to make Yorkshire puddings for toad in the hole then I spotted some ready-made ones in the supermarket.
But the gravy is the key ingredient in this dish.
Even with a packet or ready-made sauce, I still add a good splosh of vino to give it spicy depths.
If you’ve got time, the advantage of making your own batter is you can make them as gigantic as you want.
I rather like tearing off bits of Yorkshires and dunking them in my Pinot.
But I have to do it when my mum’s not looking.
FRANCE – Chais du Moulin Rosé, £6.99, laithwaites.co.uk.
DRINK WITH: Jaffa Cakes
WHILE I’m not suggesting anyone make a habit of this at teatime, biscuits like Jammie Dodgers or Jaffa Cakes coupled with a bottle creates a surprisingly sensational combination of interconnecting fruitiness and creaminess in the mouth.
Rose would be lovelier still with scones, jam and clotted cream but biscuits have fewer calories so this is actually a relatively sensible choice.
There are so many affordable wines to explore in every supermarket.
They will tell you what they taste like and what they go well with on the back label so don’t be afraid to sip around.
ARGENTINA – Buenas Vides Argentinian Malbec, £4.59, Aldi
DRINK WITH: Sunday roast
NOTHING could have prepared me for how much the Argentinians love the UK.
They are mad about British music, football and totally mad about beef.
Aberdeen Angus beef is very highly regarded across South America.
It tastes spectacular and is traditionally cooked to perfection on adjustable barbecues called parillas.
I sometimes dream of running away to Argentina and never coming back.
A glass of fat Argentinian Malbec red wine with a traditional meaty roast is the next best thing.
They were literally made for each other.
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