Wines for the weekend with our Downham Market based columnist Giles Luckett

In his fortnightly ‘Wine O’Clock’ column, Giles Luckett looks at wines to enjoy when the working week is done…

I’ve got four fantastic wines to recommend for the weekend.

First up, a splendid South African, the Seward Sauvignon Blanc 2022 from Spier (Slurp £14.95). I like South African Sauvignon as it has a style that’s all its own. It has some of the zesty oomph of a Kiwi Sauvignon, the refinement of a Loire one with a little bit of New World richness thrown in. The Spier is a classic example of this. Initially vibrant and citrusy, the mid-palate shows weight and depth, while the finish combines peaches in syrup, almonds, and limes. A lot of wine for the money.

Next up, a Rhône rosé, the Guigal Cotes du Rhône Rosé 2023 (Waitrose £13.49). I’ve drunk more of the Guigal Cotes du Rhône Rouge (Majestic £14.99) than any other Cotes du Rhône as pound-for-pound it’s the best there is, but I’ve never had the rosé before. This is the perfect autumn rosé. Mid-pink, it has a lovely nose of cherries, plums, orange peel, and a touch of red flowers. The palate is generous, quite weighty, and full of red cherry, damson, and strawberry fruit with just enough berry acidity to keep it fresh and balanced. Try this with tomato-rich dishes, white meats, or game birds.

Scillian wines continue to impress, and my latest encounter was another joy. The Nostru Nero D’Avola (Aitken Wines £13.50) is organically produced and isn’t treated with sulphur, a major cause of red wine headaches. This is a big, bold, intense wine. Inky black, it has a heady nose of dried black fruits, cherries, herbs and spices, caramel, and mint. The luscious palate offers figs, prunes, cherry conserve, black pepper, and mint making for a fun-filled whopper of a wine.

I’ll finish with a classic that was ground-breaking when first produced in 1964. The Campo Fiorin 2020 (Waitrose £14.99) is crafted from semi-dried grapes to give the wine a greater depth of flavour and an extra degree of body. Mid-red, the bouquet is a harmonious blend of red cherries, berries, spices, and toasted almonds. In the mouth, it’s full of red and black cherries, fruits of the forest, earthy spices, with a sour cherry acidity rounding things off. Try this with meatballs, lasagne, or the Sunday roast.

Next time out, I’m going full-on Italian. Ciao for now.