#food-pairings

#food-pairings

But as the air chills, veering into raw and rude, winter begs for something altogether more comforting. Red wine may seem the obvious choice, but consider embracing white wine's moodier alter ego. Think brooding, nostalgic wines with an unwillingness to fade away quietly-bottles with gravitas, texture and complexity. Enter the heady, untamed sensuality of Condrieu, or the dreamy marzipan and melted-candle textures of Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc.

Last week, I ended my book tour with an event at Elliott's in Edinburgh for the city's book festival. These tastings usually take place on a week night, so I tend to opt for three easy-drinking favourites. A kabinett riesling? Check. A fruity cotes du Rhone? Check. Then I spied a lambrusco. I love starting the evening with a joyous glass of something fizzy but, to my surprise, many members of the audience remarked how they didn't have the best memories of lambrusco.

Spicy beers take that instinct a step further - playing both sides by cooling the heat while amplifying it, a maximalist approach that reins in the burn just enough to let it shine.

The two most ideal places to drink wine are on your own couch... or at an actual vineyard with the winemaker's border collie named Riesling.