Every Hackney wine rack should have one of these…

Bottle Apostle’s general manager, Tom Jarvis

“Good all-rounders” seems like a good a place to start in our series of articles. Below are four wines which can all be drunk on their own or can be paired successfully with a wide range of foods.

Stanley Estate’s 2009 Sauvignon Blanc is a first release from a former grape supplier to many big names in Marlborough, New Zealand.

Maybe it’s beginners luck, but this is a belter; all passion fruit, citrus and gooseberry. The fruitiness makes it flexible with food; the Sauvignon Blanc grape shares flavour compounds with capsicums, which seems to help the wines take on dishes with a chilli kick as well as salads. At £11, it’s what I call “value posh”; perfect to take to a dinner party when you have no clue about the menu.

From the Languedoc coast in Southern France comes the dry white Picpoul de Pinet which is starting to feature in top restaurants due to its crisp lemony flavour; a great aperitif or partner for fish and seafood, I also find it works well with a creamy soup. The 2008 from Domaine des Lauriers (£8.90) is a fine example.

On to reds. Beaujolais suffers image problems but we have a really healthy following for it at Bottle Apostle! The tangy 2008 Beaujolais Rouge from Andre Colonge (£8.30) could be chilled for ten minutes for extra refreshment. Perfect for fish or lighter pork dishes, it’s a great compromise for people who don’t drink whites.

The final player in the quartet is the lush, full-bodied O. Fournier Urban Malbec 2008 (£8.25) from Mendoza, Argentina. With bright cherry fruit with hints of chocolate, it starred at a recent dinner matching wines to Chinese food. That it’s just right for a juicy steak can be taken for granted!

Cheers!