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Wines of the week
Terry Kirby selects the best bottles to buy
Sunday lunch
Lowburn Ferry Home Block Pinot Noir 2012
New Zealand's Central Otago rivals Burgundy for getting the best from fickle Pinot Noir, this bottle winning a Gold in the 2014 International Wine Challenge. Silky, sophisticated, medium-bodied but concentrated, with bright flavours of cherry and cinnamon. Goes with all autumn game, particularly grouse. £28.51, cambridgewine.com; £29, winetrust100.co.uk
Midweek meal
Petit Plaisir 2011
South Africa is also proving adept at creating French-style blends, even giving this Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon combination a Gallic name. But it's not fooling anyone – this has a robust, fruit-driven, New World character. Pair it with grilled meats or dishes with Middle Eastern spicing. £8.99, Marks & Spencer
Bargain basement
Torres Floralis Moscatel Oro 50cl
And here, Spain's Penedès region produces its own version of Languedoc's Vin Doux Naturel with the Moscatel grape. Unlike most dessert wines, this is lightly bodied, ethereally fragrant and packed with zesty flavours of orange blossom, candied peel and honey. Drink with sweeter puddings, particularly if involving meringues or ice cream. £7.49, Tesco, waitrosecellar.com
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