Leopard’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2017

Tomorrow the annual Fairtrade Fortnight starts in the UK. I wish I could get more enthusiastic about Fairtrade wine but so many of them are underwhelming. Happily this wine which is made in South Africa is an exception: not mindblowing - you wouldn’t expect that for £5 - but a more than decent bottle for the price.

It’s made at a winery called Leopard’s Leap in Franschhoek which I visited a couple of years ago which belongs to the Rupert Family who also own nearby La Motte and has an impressive workers’ village and school called Dennegeur

It’s obviously imported in bulk (how can you tell? the small print on the back label says W1743 at CH2 4LF UK which turns out, when you Google it, to be a bottling plant near Chester called Encirc). That’s not necessarily a bad thing - it certainly reduces the cost and the carbon footprint of the wine - glass is heavy and bulky to transport.

It’s on offer at the Co-op for £5.49 and is the sort of simple fruity red you could knock back with a plate of pasta, a pizza or a burger. It’s also suitable for both vegetarians and vegans and would make a good party wine. Sainsbury’s is selling a similar bottle for £5 but I don’t know if it’s the same vintage or certified Fairtrade. And I like to shop at the Co-op who do more to support Fairtrade than most other retailers.

Domaine Joel Delaunay L’Esprit des Dames Touraine Chenonceaux 2014

This was recommended by the manager at my local Oddbins in Bristol and I really love it.

It’s a blend of 50% Malbec and 50% Cabernet Franc from the Loire - more robust than many Loire reds (although still only 13%) with lovely dark ripe cherry fruit. It tastes quite like a natural (though not scarily so) wine.

It’s one of a number of offers that Oddbins has got on its range right now and is reduced from an admittedly slightly toppy £16 down to £13.60 which is a very fair price to pay for an artisanal wine.

I’d happily drink it with duck or simply grilled red meat like steak or lamb but it would also be great with pulses like braised lentils or with a bean dish like cassoulet.

Don’t bother with the Cattin Alsace pinot though despite the good reduction - down from £14.25 to £9.98. Pinot noir can take a while to come round but it's still a bit wimpy.

If I find any other good bargains in the sale I’ll let you know.

See also Should you buy wine in the sales?

Wine of the week: Tesco finest McLaren Vale GSM 2015

If you’re mystified by the initials GSM they stand for grenache, syrah and mourvèdre, three Rhône grape varieties which are often blended together in Australia to make generous hearty reds.

As an added bonus this one is made by one of South Australia’s most talented and idiosyncratic winemakers Chester Osborn of D’Arenberg which makes even the full price of £8 a bargain and the current discounted price (25% off until 18/9 if you’re buying groceries from tesco.com), an absolute steal - much better value than the Barossa Shiraz and Coonawarra Cabernet from the same range)

What would you drink it with? Same sort of things as shiraz - a nicely-charred steak, a late summer barbecue, a good homemade burger and a Sunday roast would all work well. I’d even put away some for the Christmas turkey …

Another wine I’d pick up while you’re at is is the 2016 Hans Baer Pinot Noir - yet another cracking German red* which is on offer at £6 (so £4.50 on this promotion) Perfect (lightly chilled) if you like lighter reds, with seared salmon or tuna for instance.

*remember the Black Star a couple of weeks ago?

Wine of the week: Terre di Faiano Primitivo Salento 2015

Today, if you weren’t aware, is the first day of Organic September, a month-long celebration of organic food and drink. So maybe a good opportunity to explore organic wine.

That’s made considerably easier at Waitrose by the fact that they have 25% off any 3 bottles for the coming week (until September 5th and except in Scotland).

Take the opportunity to pick up this perfect Southern Italian red with its lovely juicy blackberry fruit for just £7.49. Generally I find primitivo, which is the same grape variety as zinfandel, a bit coarse and rustic but this one is just lovely. It would make a great partner for baked aubergine dishes like aubergine parmigiana, slow-roast tomato sauces and blue cheeses (think Gorgonzola and figs). Or with middle eastern lamb dishes.

If you want to load up with some other wines I published a pick of my best buys back in June. Prices and vintages will most probably have changed since then but they should still be drinking well. The Romy Ferbras Ventoux for example which was £6.79 back then is now £7.79 (quite a hefty increase, Waitrose!) and £5.84 on promotion but still a cracking deal.

Best Waitrose Wine Buys: June 2017