What to drink with spicy food
Chilli changes the rules. Big alcohol and hard tannins can make the heat feel fiercer. A little sweetness can help. Freshness matters. And Riesling, while useful, is far from the only answer.
Guides
Decisions, made easier.
Practical help for choosing what to buy, what to order and what to try next.
How much should you spend on a bottle of wine?
If you want one useful number, start at about £15. Not because £15 magically makes wine good. The maths simply gets less punishing once you move away from the cheapest bottles on the shelf.
If you love Sauvignon Blanc, drink these next
Do not abandon what you already know you like. Work out which part of Sauvignon Blanc keeps bringing you back (the acidity, citrus, green aromatics or sheer refreshment), then move one step sideways.
How to choose from a restaurant wine list
You do not need to understand the whole list. Decide what you want the wine to do, set the budget, give one useful reference, and let the rest of the information narrow the choice.
If you love Malbec, drink these next
Do not search for another grape that tastes exactly like Malbec. Work out whether you love the dark fruit, generous body, smoothness, spice or freshness, then keep that part and change something else.
How to find a lighter red
“Lighter red” is a useful request once you know what you mean by it. Look for less body, moderate tannin, plenty of freshness and restrained oak, not simply the palest wine on the shelf.