Sauce: wines for midweek suppers

By Susy Atkins Published: 9:00AM GMT 19 Feb 2010

Midweek wines: Old Man Creek Shiraz 2008; Sainsbury?s Californian Chardonnay NV; Casillero Del Diablo Shiraz Rose 2008

Three cheers for the home-made, midweek supper. How would we get through the dank weeks of late winter without chops, bangers or steamy stir-fries?

This year, thanks to a new bit of kit, Ive majored on slow-cooker classics such as beef braises and lamb tajines; other times its been toad-in-the-hole or roast root veg. Hearty, warming, no-nonsense meals eaten by the fire, and sometimes (whisper it) in front of the telly…

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For a proper soothing supper, you must, of course, have a delicious wine to hand.

A comforting style, by which I mean ripe and rounded, not light and summery; head back to fragile wines when theres blossom on the trees. Midweek wine must be good value, of course, this being Tuesday, say, not Saturday. None of us is out to impress on a Tuesday, surely? We just want cheering up.

The best wines for the job come, unsurprisingly, from hot climates the South of France, Spain, Australia and California can offer especially keen prices on everyday wines. Pick a red grape with a smoky, peppery edge for extra "winter warmer points: shiraz/syrah, red zinfandel, tempranillo, grenache. Whites to be paired off with robustly flavoured fish or poultry dishes should be rich and creamy, possibly aged in oak for extra clout chardonnay, viognier and the riper chenin blancs, then.

Are pinks out of the question? Not at all, but I find gutsy New World ros is heaps better than wimpier Euro-pink for matching with, say, spicy prawns or a tomato pasta bake. No wimps are welcome at the midweek winter feast.

TRY THESE...

Old Man Creek Shiraz 2008, South-Eastern Australia (Marks & Spencer, £4.99)

Spice, leather and plain chocolate ooze out of this aromatic, rounded red. A true winter warmer for pairing with beef or lamb stews

(Or try Ashwell Valley Shiraz, from Telegraph Wine Shop)

Sainsburys Californian Chardonnay NV (£4.08)

For the price, this is a decent midweek white, with buttery depths and a fresh finish. Spot on for pan-fried salmon, garlic chicken or cream-based pasta sauce

(Or try Santa Isabel Torrontes Chardonnay 2009, from Telegraph Wine Shop)

Casillero Del Diablo Shiraz Rose 2008, Chile (widely available, £6.99)

Succulent, modern ros with plenty of red-berry juice and a peppery note. Drink with spicy prawns, vegetarian curries or a ginger and pork stir-fry

(Or try Arroyo de la Vega 2008 Tempranillo Rose, from Telegraph Wine Shop)

TIPPLE TIP light relief

"Tesco has launched what it claims is "the lightest ever wine bottle" in an attempt to reduce its glass use by 560 tons a year. The first of the new 300g bottles (most wine comes in 500g bottles) are being used for the chains own-label Australian non-vintage red. Can you feel the difference?

Get fantastic deals at Telegraph Wine Shop