I'm not a huge sports fan. I once asked Andrew Strauss if he was following the Ashes. I was making polite conversation, the Ashes was in the news at the time and I had no idea who he was. Obviously. But tonight, I watched The Arse whoop Barca's backside and it was great fun. It was just me, the Lightly Bearded Husband and wine and roast chicken and a fire and telly and sleeping children. Just don't ask me to explain the offside rule.
This week's white in the fridge: Cowrie Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Marlborough, New Zealand £5.69 or currently 2 for £10, Waitrose
I think I had a little moan a while back about cheap NZ Sauvignon Blanc boring me. Scratch that. This beautifully packaged exclusive parcel for Waitrose is an absolute gem. It is shipped in bulk to the UK and bottled here, so boosting the wine's green credentials in terms of lower carbon emissions. Not surprisingly, this is something New Zealand is keen to steal a march on, given that the wines have to travel so far to get here. Anyway, this is a lemon-crisp dry white with gorgeous bright fruit and balanced acidity. Did I mention the purty label? Oh, I did. Ignore me. We had this pre-chicken.
This week's red on the side: Tesco Finest Vin De Pays D'oc Malbec 2009, £7.49, Tesco
My friend bought a bottle of this over when she came to stay last weekend. We saw it off, and delicious it was too. Plummy, spicy, smooth, not too heavy, enough to cope with my slightly over chillied pasta. I'm sure she said it was on offer when she bought it but it is showing at full price now. Snooze you lose, as they say. Made from the brilliantly moody Malbec grape (one of the Bordeaux blend original grapes) this has been slammed back on the wine map by Argentina in recent years. It is also the grape behind the wines of Cahors, sadly now very difficult to find in the UK. Enjoy: we did.
Get in xLabels: 2009, 2010, France, Malbec, New Zealand, red wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Tesco, Waitrose, white wine