Many years ago back in the summer of 2005 I married my beautiful wife Anna. Our wedding breakfast was a sumptuous hog roast in a marquee in my parent’s garden in Kent . The weather glorious and there was wine and beer a plenty. By the time the Elvis impersonator came on our guests were in very merry spirits.

In those heady days we dinkies (double income no kids) and the pound was riding high in the international money exchanges. Given the strength of the pound I went with my dad and a friend to Sainsburys in Calais and purchased a 100 bottles each of Torres Vina Esmeralda and Penfolds Rawson’s Retreat Shiraz Cabernet, two very quaffable wines and the cost approximately £2.50 a bottle.

Since these days the pound has lost much of its value against the Euro and with the big supermarkets squeezing the margins of the producers to offer more competitive prices to their consumer, the booze cruise has seemingly become a thing of the past. Although every bottle of wine is taxed £2 tax in the UK this is can easily be eaten up by unfavourable exchange rates even more so with the expensive varieties; not to mention the expense of getting over to France with petrol so expensive. I dropped into Sainsbury Calais on a day trip to La Touquet a couple of years ago and other than a checkout girl I was there only person in there. Back in 2005 the aisles were bristling with people from the UK making bulk purchases. It came as no surprise when I heard Tesco, Oddbins and Sainsburys have since closed their Calais operations. Oddbins of course since having closed all their operations (but this is a different story!). Majestic are the only UK retailer left standing.

Having just returned to the UK from a village called Angles 20 or so miles north of La Rochelle I realise I was perhaps a little premature penning the obituary of the booze cruise. Browsing the wine aisle of the ‘Super U’ supermarket in La Tanche Sur Mer, I was quite taken aback by the good value of the wine on offer.

Other than a few varieties of Jacobs Creek and a few Blossom Hill presumably for unadventurous Brits abroad, the wines on offer were not the same as those on offer in the UK. Aside from these branded wines everything thing was exclusively French; the French seemingly unable to recognise the merits of any wine from outside their own borders.

A familiar wine I did spot was Les Armes Des Chablis at €5.50, so about £4.80 a bottle. A quick Google on the iPhone reveals a the same wine albeit a different vintage was selling at Tesco for £8.99 a bottle. Chablis always carries quite a high price tag and in my opinion does not always offer value for money. This however was a good clean crisp Chablis and under a five I wasn't going to argue. On the next visit I filled up my trolley.

Angles is very close to the Loire Valley and Nantes famous for the Muscadet grape. Figuring where better to find decent Muscadet since the prices ranged from as little as €2.75 to a giddy €3.50 I took the opportunity to put a few varieties into my trolley to find the best on offer. Muscadet has a reputation for lacking complexity, so I only selected Muscadet Sur Lie. The ‘Sur Lie’ bit meaning the wine was left in contact with the lees (dead yeast) to add body and complexity, a similar process also used in the production of Champagne . These were all good quaffing wines perfect for a hot day in France and or a UK wedding. The best on offer I would say was Domaine de la Jousseliere Sevre & Maine sur lie 2009 at €3.15.

I tried a few more expensive varieties. With memories of the impressive M&S Burgundy Mersault 2008 still in my mind I selected a bottle of Mersault 2009. This was not quite as impressive as the M&S offering but at €18.50 over £10 less expensive than the M&S Mesault.

In the UK I will drink far more red than white, but in the French sunshine around a private pool drinking white is far more conducive.  This said I we did purchase the odd reds to go with the steaks on the barbecue. A nice Mercurey I purchased roughly half the price of a similar UK version, so too a rather nice Gigondas from the Rhone region.

One thing I will give a word of warning on, UK supermarket wine buyers in my opinion are better than their French counterparts and a few duds were encountered alongside these bargains. If you're buying wine in bulk for a wedding then make sure you taste first.

Bebido con amigos sabe bien cualquier vino

Spanish proverb , loosely translated : "Drunk with friends any wine tastes good"

What a long gap. What have I been doing? Where has the time gone? I'm going to have to believe it's true when they say the older you get the quicker time passes. So what? If it passes so quickly, I must be enjoying whatever I'm not doing, wherever I'm not going and whoever............whoops, enough, let's stop there.

Anyway, what happened to summer and the Indian summer we were almost promised? Looking back, August was wet, save for a brief spell in mid-month we got rain, lots of rain, the temperature got above 24C once and just before month-end it actually got past 24C and actually hit 26C.  September and October can be summed up as ditto. So to escape, my dear wife (the reason I drink so much) took me away to Northern Europe, in particular Finland, Poland and Russia - now please don't think me  a misogynist, but  ,come on, these are not too well known for blistering heat and clear skies. So we packed the packamacs and off we went. I know what you're thinking, where's the wine in all this schpeel? It's coming. As luck would have it, my dear friends Pav and Joy, celebrating their sapphire wedding anniversary, came with us (I think it was her way of punishing him) on the cruise - destination St Petersburg.  This was good news for me [my wife is teetotal] as they both enjoy a tipple and it's nice to have someone to drink with; not that it's ever stopped me drinking alone, I can chat away, uninterrupted, to a decent glass any day. Try that with the wife, chance would be a fine thing.  So dear friends to the wine.  In general, we mostly only drank with meals.

Lanson Black Label NV- A good staple, well structured champagne, lemony, good acidity, and clean finish.  (Majestic £30, but deals available for 2 or more (editors note - currently on offer at Majestic £23)). We enjoyed this with delicate canapés on the anniversary night. A lovely drink to start a wonderful evening. At dinner we followed this with Pouilly Fuisse,Domaine du Chalet Pouilly,D.B. 2005. (White, 100% -Chardonnay). This is classic white wine from Burgundy. An excellent choice - well rounded with hints of oak and lemon. It turned into one of our favourite dependable whites during the cruise. On other nights we also had the 2007 which we found equally good .The 2007 was well received by The Wine Spectator Magazine: "Shows fine intensity, with the vivid structure driving its stone, lemon and mineral flavours. This is almost too powerful now, but the long, smooth finish reveals both the harmony and the beauty of this white."  Expect to find it at anything between £14 and £18. My rating 90.  For red we chose Marqués de Riscal Reserva 2005 (Red - about 90% tempranillo). A classic Rioja style: fresh, fine, elegant. Dark cherry colour, oaky and spicy. Widely available at about £11. My rating 90.  

Given that we were effectively using the same restaurant for two weeks, sometimes for lunch and dinner, we were pleasantly surprised at the good choice of wine available. Among our regular tipples were;

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (White . Sauvignon Blanc grapes 2010 available at Majestic).  An excellent example from the highly regarded region of Marlborough, New Zealand, gently acidic, full of fruit, citrus, fresh and crisp. Available for about £17.99. My rating 86.

Chablis St Martin, Laroche, 2007 D.B. (White, Chardonay, Burgundy) An award winner and an excellent fantastic wine. Hints of mineral, buttery overtones .About £17. My rating 92.

Casa Silva Single Vineyard Merlot 2005 (Red, Chile, Angostura). A full bodied complex wine with lots of ripe fruit and the tell-tell smoothness of merlot. New to me .Held up well even with the rich food it accompanied. Would make an easy choice for a novice wine-drinker and it's inexpensive. My rating 85.

Getting home I heard from my good friend Martin, based in New York, who had recently returned from a visit to Australia and I pass on his bon mots:

 "I came across a number of wines, mainly from Margaret River in Western Australia and close to where I was based. This is an area that comprises only 4% of the country's production but does make some outstanding wines. Difficult to find here in the US but may be more easily available in UK. If so I commend your readers to sample one or two. I think the reds are very good although some of the whites can also hold their own with anyone.

One night we went to dinner with a guy who had lived in Richmond for 28 years and his wife made a damn fine steak & kidney pie. Anyway, we had a Tasmanian Sparkler called 42degrees South. Good- I don't know why I was surprised but not at all shabby. Anyway, with the aforementioned steak & kidney we had a spectacular Penfolds Grange (Vintage slips my mind as I didn't peer). Anyway, full, soft, blackberry tones

I would also recommend Cape Mentel & Kialis, both red, not inexpensive but memorable.

Closer to home in the US but still international I have the following to offer in no particular order.

Wishing Well 2006 Shiraz, Western Australia and selected for the Australian premium Wines Collection. A classic Shiraz (or Syrah if you prefer) Red & Black fruit with a touch of spice & pepper.

Another Shiraz, this time from McClaren Vale in South Australia rejoices in the name of Blue Eyed Boy 2006 Good example of the type but @ 16% alcohol you don't need too much!

Michael Sundberg in Sonoma produces a Reserve Cabernet that is well made and very good. The one I tried is 2007 and would benefit from a little  time in the cellar to reach full potential

Finally, for those with some spare cash I think that CA' MARCANDA 'Promis' is one of the most outstanding wines I have tasted in some time. A friend brought a bottle of the 2004 to dinner recently and the other guests were almost fighting to get a glass. The vintage I tried is 2004 and hard to find 

A lot has happened since my last update including the birth of our second son. It is very time consuming looking after a baby and a toddler and leaves little time for blogging. I will give you an abridged version from then to our two weeks holidaying in small town in Italy called Dicomano,Tuscany.

In my last update I briefly mentioned my wife had given birth to our second son. I won't go into too much detail - I'm sure you don't want the graphic details and if you do there is plenty of information elswhere on the internet.  I shall try to focus on wine! Suffice to say I received a call from my wife at midday 29^th June to say  she was getting twinges, by 3pm a got a second call "leave immediately" by 9pm it was all over and I was proudly holding my second son.

Back onto the theme of wine, my ever trusty father was soon over with a chilled bottle of Champagne to celebrate -  Joseph Perrier a rich creamy wine chardonnay based champagne. Not bad, but I suspect he got it as a present, it was the sort of champagne you get with flowers and chocolates from Interflora.

Since my last update I have also been welcomed into the warm embrace of the wine bloggers world! Andrew Barrow who runs amongst other the www.spittoon.biz invited me to A.R.S.E.2 - Andrew's Really Secret Event 2. This as the name suggests was the second such event, the location secret until the last minute and quite conveniently was the a few stops up from me on the Chiltern Line. We tasted some very good wines, since this is an abridged version of what has happened I ask kindly that you read Andrew's review of the event for fuller details (click here). It was a great day, I met some very nice people and could finally walk around sniffing wine, swirling iit n the glass, swishing it about in my mouth talking 'lingering tannins' without risk of being called a prat. Andrew put on a great spread as well (well Waitrose Entertaining did) and one of his friends baking a great selection of cakes.

Sitting around at home I have had the following wines. Rustenberg John X Merriman 2007, very nice deep ruby red wine made from the Shiraz grape. Fruity on the first sip with some acidity which fades leaving that very light tannins, I'm told this bottle will age well and their blurb on the back says it can be laid down for up to 15 years.

I was recommended the Koonunga Hill Seventy Six 2008, this is not the standard Koonunga Hill which has become fairly mediocre over recent years but a homage to the original Koonunga Hill of 1976 which I'm told was legendary, I'm too young to have experienced it firsthand of course. The Koonunga Hill Seventy Six is everything you hope and expect from and Australian Shiraz, rich full bodied thick blackberry flavours, a long finish and subtly tannic. This wine is available at Waitrose for a bargain £6.74 as part of their 25% off sale - normal price is £8.84.

The Tim Adams Protégé Shiraz has been frequently on my shopping list since being 25% off at Tesco (£7.50 reduced from £10) great at a tenner, even better at £7.50! Now winter is here I'm getting back in to big Aussie Shiraz. Like the Koonunga , the Tim Adams is a another rich, very fruity dark forest fruits with a long finish and quite spicy. Similar to the Koonunga Hill but more spice and a longer finish so comparing the two I'd say this just about shades it. 

Our long awaited holiday in Tuscany finally arrived, a bit of a risk taking a plane journey with a 2 year old and a 3 month year old but not as bad as feared. The 3 month year old slept through most of it and the 2 year old was bribed by chocolate buttons; he couldn't  believe his luck.

Tuscany is  home to the Chianti region of Italy, famed for it's bold full bodied and usually oaked reds. The Chianti region is split into 9 sub- regions  Classico, Colli Senesi, Colli Aretini, Colli fiorentina,  Colline Pisane,  Montabano, Montespertali and Rufina. We were situated in the Rufina area.

The first week was staying in a vineyard called Il Lago. We first discovered Il Lago whilst staying at in the are 5 years before. We popped in to taste some of their wine and noticed they also have holiday villa sprinkled amongst their 400 hectares of land. My memories of the wine tasted are somewhat faded, however it must have been quite good since we left with quite a few bottles. The wine upon my return was not as good as I remember, I did enjoy their Pian de Guardi but at 15 Euros a bottle at source I would expect it to be good. I've had better for under £10 in the UK. 

Whilst the landscape was fantastic the accommodation could have been better, we arrived in the middle of the night and were told we'd been 'upgraded'. I suspect the people who had originally booked our apartment turned it away upon arrival. The accommodation was very basic to say the least. I would consider going back as the location was fantastic, but not in the same villa.

The second week we stayed in a place called Il Nidi Belforte, this was not a vineyard but an Agritourismo- a style of vacationing in farm house in Italy although other than a few olive groves I saw very little evidence of farming. The accommodation was on a different level to Il Lago and quite deservedly won Best in Class in the area. We had a 3 bed farmhouse with a great big lounge and kitchen/diner area and it's own private garden just a few yards from a swimming pool, which unlike the swimming pool in Il Lago was cleaned meticulously every day. At Il Lago you had to swim through a sea of dead insects and my wife nearly swallowed a praying mantis.

I tried numerous Chianti's whilst I was out there, one that particularly sticks in the memory was Poderi del Paradiso Chianti Colli Senesi 2009. We had this at a restaurant in a carafe whilst having lunch in St Gimignano a fantastic walled medieval hill town near Siena. I was surprised how good it was for a house wine and found out where I could buy it. It was on sale for 5 Euros a bottle, a brilliant bargain at that price so I stocked up for our return to the farmhouse, all the more suprising as I generally found the decent Chianti wines to be a bit expensive (dare I say over priced?). A quick Google search shows it is possible to buy this wine in the UK for £9.50 a bottle from a firm called Great Western Wines.

I will finish up but before I do though I have to recommend one place that in Tuscany that is a must for any wine enthusiasts in the area. The Wine Museum in Greve, a wine cellar with dozens of bottles of wine set up in sampling machines. You buy a prepayment card and can sample the wines with the cost of each sample being deducted from your card. The sample is the same size regardless of the cost of the wine but the amount taken off you card increases the more expensive the bottle, so for 5 euros you can try a 200 Euro bottle of wine. An experience I would never have otherwise! Check out their website it even has a little film showing you what to do.

My updates will be more frequent from now on...

Only in England. It could only happen in England , in an English summer ; a mini short-lived  heatwave in the south (as soon as the barbeque is lit the summer's gone), floods in the northwest, highest July rainfall for years , a hosepipe ban, a foreign national football team manager, cricket failure (with attendant disparaging critical press) quickly followed by cricket success (understated plaudits from the press), football disappointment in South Africa, annual disappointment at Wimbledon but no rain (the expensive state-of-the-art weather-proof roof has not been required since it was built) and, for added interest,  the country  saddled with a pushme-pullme coalition government. Never a dull moment. Bah to the Costas' daily sunshine - so warm, so reliable, so predictable. Where's the struggle in that?

But, hey, what an excuse to mix and change and try all sorts of drinks to fit the day's conditions. And what an impressive selection, variety and range of wines we now have. When I first arrived in England in 1955 there was little more than cream sherry and the like of "Rocamar" red table wine at the affordable end and everything else was mostly for the privileged few with the wherewithal. Now everything is possible and a great deal of it within most budgets. The supermarkets now carry very extensive and impressive ranges of wines from all over the World and the high street wine retailers offer superb knowledgeable service. I hope you find something to like in the following, and there's quite a choice.

Henley Regatta came and went and in super sunshine. This quintessential English festival, with its aura of Edwardian elegance, superb athletes and one of the best loved stretches of the Thames is perfect for a traditional glass of Pimms or champagne. Whilst the rowers gave their all (and there's no prize money at stake, it's for sporting camaradie and glory) we, of less physical prowess, settled for lunch by the riverbank. A Viognier Leduc Languedoc 2009 (look for it at about £8.00) went well with a terrine of salmon and crayfish with saffron.  This is a fresh and lively example of Viognier, light acidity, perfect for summer. My rating 80.  

We followed this with a Chateau Reynier 2006 Bordeaux (cabernet sauvignon and merlot) to accompany thyme and rosemary roasted chicken with artichoke. This is the club claret which I favour for its pleasant soft ripe fruit easy-drinking quality (£8.80). My rating 85.

Post-Regatta but in the same town and with the sun still shining, I tried another good summer white. Trebbiano IGT Rubicone Poggio della Quercia Emilia Romagna Veneto, Italia, NV. (£5.80) I can't resist giving you the whole name. Try saying it aloud and give it your best Italian lilt or, better still, sing it. Who cares what the wine is like? How could you not like it with such sing-song poetry? From the banks of the Rubicon river (yes, you know it from the Roman Caesars' crossings). A non-vintage easily quaffable fresh, dry, fruity, citrusy white. I know it's sacrilege, but I make it into a spritzer with good (Hildon) sparkling water, a couple of cubes of ice and the thinnest sliver of lemon. Great on a summers' day. My rating 75.

A bit of business got me out to Gibraltar for a couple of days, so I took the opportunity to look around and sample the local food and drink. I don't want to do any disservice to their tourist office but, my, what dismal food almost everywhere. So the exceptions easily stand out. Even some of the waiters I chatted to said they saved going out for a meal for when they were over the border in La Linea. I took a walk to the impressive modern marina in a great setting with its myriad bars, clubs and restaurants, largely carved out of land reclaimed from the sea. Visually it's stunning and at night it is full of twinkling lights reflected on the gently lapping sea. Wonderful beautiful yachts, against a hint of the dying sun as it disappears below the horizon, wafting music, chat and laughter. I tried a couple of the bars but didn't last long once inside; all indifferent service and poor interiors. What a waste of excellent  restaurant sites, all noisy, low ceilinged, with mishmash decor, over-fussy menus, top prices and rock bottom cooking. I even went back next day to ensure it wasn't me being fussy. But no improvement. At Bianca's restaurant, a noisy place with sound ricocheting from the low ceiling (and on my visit there was a gaggle of noisy shrill girls enjoying a reunion).We were three for dinner and all three meals were left hardly touched. We tried to keep the order simple (a vegetable lasagne, a vegetable risotto and fish cakes with parsley sauce. Uck to all three. I ordered a glass of Rioja and was served a barely drinkable plonk (and I drink most anything!). And just when things couldn't get worse, it did. A dreadfully out of tune trio just about topped it.

Thankfully, and now quite late, to the timeless elegance of the Rock Hotel. Impeccable service, impeccable cocktails and a light snack of fresh lovely food served al fresco high up on the Rock with wonderful views of the gardens below and across the bay of Algeciras and the sierras beyond. As we'd been late and not given it the attention it deserved, we returned next day for a fuller meal. We were immediately served a complimentary glass of Manzanilla ( a type of dry sherry with a salty tang) , a perfect aperitif before our starter of roasted sea scallops with pata negra (a wonderful cured ham) , garlic pommes purée and  a caper velouté , followed by slow braised pork belly with roast garlic and chorizo. With the starter we drank Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut, Cava; crisp, very dry clean tasting with low acidity and a good alternative to champagne. £6.64 at Waitrose Direct. My rating 80. 

With the braised pork we had Ribera del Duero "Crianza" Pesquera 2006 Tempranillo, by Alejandro Fernández. Wonderful silky smooth lightly oaked with forest fruit .I've seen it retail at up to £18.45 but it is widely available at about £16.70. My rating 92.

Once last attempt at finding decent local restaurant food in Gib took me to the lovely La Mamela restaurant (from a derivative Spanish word for breast- so named after the rock formation at the end of the beach resembling said mammary) an excellent, atmospheric fish eatery at the southern end of the beach in Catalan Bay.

Old fashioned courtesy and service, superb menu and reasonable wines. We had local fresh gallo, a type of dory, superb garnish and salad. A tad expensive, but real food to be highly commended.

I couldn't resist popping over into Spain for the couple of spare hours I had. I just have to recommend "La Velada" (at No.6 Calle Oviedo La Linea) a wonderful local tapas bar (more properly a meson - a sort of inn/tavern) run by Alicia and Andres, both of whom are excellent hosts. No tourist here, just regulars, where I was taken by my cousins. All manner of lovely local delicacies, fresh fish, tapas and a super selection of (predominantly Spanish) wines. If you're in the area, a worthwhile visit. I was so delighted that I promised Andres I'd give them a mention.

One of the pleasures of writing this blog is having to try new wines, something I relish. Another pleasure, most welcomed, are the comments, messages, recipes, samples and suggestions from friends (with occasional criticisms). Recently, for instance, my friend Pav staying with me recently, brought along a selection of bottles as a gift. These included wines from the award winning winery, Wolf Blass Eaglehawk Shiraz 2008, Australia (red), inexpensive for such quality, easiest to find on the internet at about £7.09. Medium bodied, subtle oak and spicy red berry fruit, with a long finish, a powerful partner for BBQs and lamb; and Wolf Blass Eaglehawk Chardonnay 2009, Australia (white) £6.50, an excellent chardonnay at an excellent price.

Another golfing friend, John from darkest Somerset, who offers comments from to time (some of it unprintable) sent me a bottle to try from his winemaker friend (www.latourdechollet.com), La Tour de Chollet 2007, cuvee classique, Sainte-Foy Bordeaux (12.5%).  I loved this wine, even if you allow that I'm a great fan of Bordeaux, a fruity un-oaked wine, predominately merlot with cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. A bargain. Price for 6 bottles £47.94 direct from info@latourdechollet.com. My rating 92.                    (They also make a premium version 'Prestige' predominantly cabernet sauvignon and aged in oak barrels, but I've not yet tasted this).

My wife's cousin Guy, who lives close to the New Forest (I don't think it's in a tree, but who knows? The wife's family are a bit funny that way) hid a bottle for me to try , in the huge box of chocolates he brought her .But that hasn't been drunk yet, so I'll tell you about it next time.

One of my cousins in Spain handed me some local bottles, all of which he stressed were inexpensive, some of which I have now been consumed. Difficult to find in the UK but widely available in supermarkets across Spain:

Ojogalla El Clarete rose Bodegas los Tinos SA 11.5%. A decent rose which I enjoyed during our recent warm weather with a light al fresco lunch. Less than €5. My rating 80.

Dolce Prima 5 % Muscatel. A Moscatel wine, a naturally sweet wine, served very cold it's delicious on a sunny day, served at room temperature it's a decent dessert wine. Malaga is an excellent area for this wine type, of which is a good example. My rating 85.

Codorniu Herencia 1551 cava 11.5%. Produced by small family businesses with a small production. An excellent Sparkling Cava from Cataluña, pale straw yellow colour, unmistakable aromatic Chardonnay notes excellent balance between acidity and sugar. My rating 88. About €27, but free to me courtesy of cousin Paco. What a wonderful man!

As a Spaniard, I think that by now my compadres paisanos  would have expected me to celebrate Spain's wonderfully successful summer of sport and maybe gloat  the glut of  glory (with good grace of course) of the World Cup, Wimbledon, Tour de France and even the odd Formula 1 Grand Prix . What's to brag about? We didn't win any Golf majors. How about it Miguel Angel Jimenez? You only ever manage number 2.  But, hey, just all the above tastings should be celebration enough. It never ceases to amaze me just how much choice there is out there. And with the supermarkets outdoing one another it's easy to try something new inexpensively.

Went to Sunday lunch en famille with said friend Pav above. I had opted for a Greek restaurant, the Green Olive of which there are several in the South East. As Pav is of Greek origin we left the ordering to him, on the basis that speak the lingo and you get the better service. It didn't disappoint from the first ouzo to the last dregs of the wine. I've often had their Gaia Notios Agiorgitiko, 2008 Crete (red) and can recommend it. Very fruity style, bursting with ripe plum flavours. Greek friends tell me they like it chilled to go with a cold picnic (the restaurant price of a bottle is £25). But on a recent return visit, as I was going to be driving a few hours later in the day, I opted for water and a small glass of the house red. Now, house wine can be great and is usually great value, but this one was left after the first tentative sip. Instead I asked for a replacement, a rioja. And, presto, a new discovery for me ,so I asked to see the bottle and  it was an excellent Bodegas Artesa 2007 Rioja Crianza (13%).(restaurant price £20 bottle). In the shops at £7.75. My rating 85. I've since looked at their website where they list their menus and wine list (an excellent idea - which should be adopted more widely by restaurants) and they have an interesting eclectic list including wines from many countries. Well done Green olive.

One last addition: at a recent golf dinner (where the wine is usually supplied rather than chosen) I was taken by the red Esperanza Merlot Mendoza (13%) Argentina 2009. Impressively smooth, with salient spice, red fruit and a good longish aftertaste. A great drink at £4.79 at Majestic.

To those of you, friends and all, who've sent me comments and suggestions for inclusion, you're not forgotten. Please keep them coming, I'll get round to it all eventually.

We're in mid-summer and as temperatures start to recede it's time to think about replacing the light lunches- try this:

Chicken breast fillets with a rich sauce of peppers and tomato puree.

    2 chicken breast fillets.

    25gms cured ham (jamon).
    1 onion.
    1 green pepper
    1 red pepper
    1 aubergine (medium size)
    3 tablespoons tomato puree
    1 teaspoon chopped parsley
    1 tablespoon olive oil
   Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Dice the ham into small pieces, peel and chop the onion and peppers.

2. Peel the aubergine and cut into squares.

3. Season the chicken.

4. In an earthenware dish - fry the fillets in the oil, both sides.

5. Add the ham and sauté for a few seconds.

6. Add the onion and peppers and sauté for a few minutes.

7. Add the aubergine and sauté briefly.

8. Cover the pan and cook over low heat.

9. When the vegetables begin to brown add the tomato, salt to taste, and stir the mix a little.

10. When the sauce is well reduced serve, adorn with the chopped parsley.

Accompany with your choice from a chardonnay, a Chianti, Rosso di Montalcino, Rioja, or Cabernet Sauvignon. If you've made the dish tomato-rich go for one of the reds

Well, after fascinating April came hectic May, and hectic and then some. (I'm trying terribly not to use an exclamation mark - but I'm tempted, oh I can't help it! There!

There was one of those well-argued intellect-led article (may have been in The Telegraph) about the overuse of the! There's a deluge of !!! in emails and the internet it has been! Seems like we all want to emphasise. Or shout.  A bit like all the ludicrous, moronic screaming on reality TV and "The X Factor", "Britain has still a bit of talent"  and so on.

Boy, am I a grumpy old man or what?

The month started not so good. Took mum to GP who didn't seem to take her ailments seriously and suggested she take a bit more rest. Disappointed, we were polite, left and I took her to a specialist who's done wonders for me in the past. Took him 3 minutes to diagnose problem, another few minutes to do blood test and prescribe magic pills that would clear all symptoms in days.  And it did. (Nearly tripped up and used the dreaded excl. mk. Shhh) Doc is a great chap. Loves a drop of vino tinto , keeps fees to minimum, speaks to mum in her native Spanish. Yes, folks, there're some terrific people out there. So, with mum back to her charming self, time to celebrate with a 2008 Pouilly-Fuisse, Louis Jadot, Burgundy (white). Always a classy white, medium-bodied, it's easy to recommend. Louis Jadot has a well-deserved reputation and this wine enhances it. Citrus hints in a light oak, lovely finish. £14.49 at Tesco. My rating 92.

As soon as mum was her old self again we jetted off to Southern Spain with my sister. Icelandic volcanic ash everywhere except, thankfully, the day we flew off and the day we returned (See how I'm refraining from the exclamation mark?) Mostly tried the regular house wines wherever we went and mostly it was pretty good. At one tapas bar I was so taken aback by the quality of a glass of Rioja that I called over the barman. It was a 2006 Faustino, but so silky smooth I insisted on seeing the bottle. And, yep, it was Faustino VII - Rioja Tinto 2006. Superb. But, next day, I asked for a glass of the same and it was just not quite the same. Nonetheless, I've since had a bottle back in blighty and it is an elegant rioja. So go have a taste. Faustino VII Rioja Tinto from the Alavesa sub-region, (95% tempranillo and 5% mazuelo), aged in oak. Rich velvety red colour with the typical rioja hint of vanilla aroma. (Sells in the UK at about £8.75).

At another modest tapas bar we had a medium dry 2007 Codorniu Vintage Rosado(Monastrell and Pinot Noir) - classic  Cava from near Barcelona, a good sparkling rose with lots of  summer fruit flavours .I found this back home selling at half-price, a bargain in Tesco at £6.16. My rating 80.

I had not intended to bring back any wine as I'm too lazy to carry it all the way home. However, we were invited to a (for you Anglo-Saxons) very late lunch, 3.00pm, at my lovely cousin's pad in La Linea. Coming out of the stifling hot afternoon air and into the cool of her welcoming house it was already beginning to feel heaven. We were then ushered into the patio, under the shade of the climbing, trailing plants by her swimming pool, all empty, glimmering, shining and reflecting little thin shafts of sunbeams in the light breeze.  My eyes went straight to.. ...the table, set out with a delicious assortment of home-made food, fish as fresh as it gets, succulent olives, crispy salads. I like this. To top it all her husband took me to his little hoard and together we selected some wines. What a wonderful afternoon. Good food, good wine, lovely setting, gentle, attentive entertaining people .And their jewel of a gorgeous daughter with a smile all her own. Of course, they weren't going to let me go empty handed and not a few bottles were bestowed on me. I shall report on these in due course.

Back home and after a little, not too much work, a bit of golf (I was useless) and, then, meet up with youngest son to entrust him with my modest investments. He's only been at it for a few years but is showing promise. So after parting with the loot to him and his colleague James (annoying good golfer and every other sport going), I really needed a little pick-me-up. A good time to taste some samples sent to me. Here's the first five:

First off, Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois (Les Vignerons de la Mediterranee), from Languedoc, France. (Sweet white). A dessert wine from the south of France, a golden yellow colour and with a gorgeous fruit and floral nose, great with fruit desserts and cheese. I always intend to drink more dessert wines but after a greedy full repast, never leave sufficient room, so I frequently miss out. This one has more than reminded me to straighten myself out. Looks like I've come late to this one, a wonderful find. Serve it cold.  A bargain 37.5cl for £4.38 at Sainsbury. My rating 90.

Leasingham Wines Magnus Riesling (Clare Valley) 2009 (white) :The Riesling grape type, originating in the Rhine region of Germany, is almost lightly perfumed, with high acidity and is now widely used around the World. This wine is a fine, elegant Australian example, pale, with a barely green tinge, hint of fruits, pronounced acidity at the finish. Try it with Crayfish or crab or prawn salad. Carried by a number of supermarkets, including Sainsbury and Somerfield at about £7.99. My rating 84.

Ona (Anakena) Riesling Viognier Chardonnay 2008. Chile.I was new to this wine and as you'd expect with such a blend of grapes, I found it quite complex and not sure on first tasting it. A couple of gentle swigs later though I really got into it and found all sorts going on, tasting all three varieties but  balanced and fresh , and ended up enough of a convert to put it on my list for more in the future.  Light gold colour, citrusy, smooth. It's a match for a wide range of food; certainly chicken and all sorts of seafood.  £9.99 at Oddbins (incidentally, Oddbins is getting back in the groove). My rating 85.

Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay 2009 Coastal Region, South Africa. (White). I find it difficult to even begin to dissect chardonnays, its origins generally assumed in the Burgundy region, this grape type is now grown and used worldwide. Maybe Chardonnay lost a bit of its cachet in the 1980s when it was oh so trendy and Global. Anyway, here we have a super wine from South Africa where the quality for the price pushes it up the scale. I looked up the Boschendal Estate on the internet and it looks lush and with beautiful mountain scenery. I have several friends who visit South Africa taking in wine-tastings and I have to say I won't hold out long before taking a peek myself. This is a well-established Estate and the know-how must have built up because this is not the first of their excellent wines I've tasted. It's fresh, creamy and nutty .It will go well with fish, poultry and creamy sauces. A good buy £7.99 at Waitrose. My rating 85.

Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel 2007 California, USA (full bodied red). A good example of this widely grown grape-type in California. Californian zinfandel can come in strong with 15% content, this one weighs in at 13.5% which is how I like it. Distinctively rich, balanced with lots of hints of berry fruit, faintly sweet and lightly peppery, lightly oaked. A robust accompaniment to steaks, beefburgers and the like, it can also stand bring drunk on its own. At Waitrose, Tesco, Spar and others at about £7.99.My rating 82.

In between these labours of love, of course, all manner of things interfere; the odd job (though I'm mostly retired with minimum commitments),a little golf, a family BBQ,  and even a bit of horseracing at the golf club (no, I'm still holding back the excl.mks.).

Ah golf. I was drawn in a competition where one of the contenders was a 13 year old (handsome, refined lad is Olly). He was playing off a 12 handicap (no, I'm not telling but mine reverses that and adds a bit more). You don't need me telling you; he moved like Tiger (before his off-course adventures), played like Tiger, beat as hands-down (nay, annihilated us) and was a perfect gentleman in his triumph. Here's hoping my trio fruits of my loin read this. Olly, I want to be your manager and I'll carry your bag at the Ryder Cup.

A BBQ is not usually in my itinerary but this one was a sort of command you don't turn down. From the youngest son's girlfriend's mum,  'Nula. Not only did she chose the most perfect sunny day in between days of thunder and produced a sumptuous feast, but there it was, stretching in front of us across her extensive gardens , the Vale of the White Horse looking down from Oxon to Wiltshire . What a fab sight. What's to be done? How about a little of that Codorniu Rosado followed by the Californian zinfandel with the lamb chops and sausages?

Now I don't know if you'll believe this. There's a bit of a fray and politics and that sort of thing going on about the managing company's running of the block. So they called a meeting of residents, who rarely turn up for these orgies of debate, reminiscent of the worst of parliament's PM's questions. Ahah, cleverly they could only book a room at the Warrington saloon bar, ye local holstery. Yes, you're there before me. Hey presto, the best attendance yet. Isn't life grand?

Now, that's enough for now, see you soon. But let me leave you with this. As his first contribution has been universally acclaimed by my circle, my good friend Richard, news editor and raconteur, has sent me another recipe. He says it's best enjoyed in mid-February in front of a roaring log fire. So he's either terribly well organised in advance or

He knows the weather forecast better than the Met office (well, anybody could, I suppose) or he's just showing off his culinary prowess.

Oven baked sausage and bean pot.

1.) Cook four herby and/or garlicky sausages until browned.

Set aside.

2.) Finely chop three red onions and fry in an ovenproof pot until soft and golden brown.

3.) Add 200 mls of chicken or vegetable stock and 200mls of arrabbiata sauce

- not worth making, supermarket versions are fine -

2 tbls soft brown sugar, and 200mls of Guinness.

4.) Bring to boil and let bubble away for a few minutes before adding 400 g of rinsed mixed beans and the sausages.

5.) Cover and bake in oven, gas mark 6, for around 35 minutes.

6.) Season, scatter with chopped parsley and devour with plenty of crusty bread.

Best enjoyed in mid-February in front of a roaring log fire!

I'd say this calls for the Zinfandel, what say you?