Cave aged gruyère and dry oloroso

If I were to tell you I was seriously excited about the pairing of a supermarket sherry with a supermarket cheese you'd probably think I'd totally lost it - but hang on a moment.

The cheese is a cave-matured gruyère from Sainsbury's that has somehow survived 5 weeks in the wildly fluctuating temperatures of my domestic fridge and the sherry a bottle of Sainsbury's Taste the Difference 12 year old Dry Oloroso sherry - far cheaper than it has any rate to be at £6.99 a 50cl bottle. Made by Lustau it's wonderfully dark and nutty, like grilled hazelnuts with a piercing acidity that harmonises beautifully with the sharp crystalline cheese.

You should be able to pull off the same trick with any comparable dry oloroso and mature hard cheese - a great way to round off a meal.

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Thai fishcakes and witbier

Although I'm not one of those who is resolutely against pairing wine with spicy food there are definitely occasions when beer goes at least as well, if not better and this is one of them.

Cloudy, fragrant Belgian witbiers like Hoegaarden provide a perfect counterpoint to the sharp, zesty flavours of lime, coriander, garlic and chilli. In fact they'll also go with noodles and Thai salads and even - just about - Thai green curries. German Hefeweizen and Weisse beers, which are similar in style, work well too as do American wheatbeers such as the funky Flying Dog In Heat Wheat - see www.flyingdogales.com

Butternut squash and barrel-fermented Chardonnay

Even if you're not a fan of the blockbuster style of Chardonnay still favoured by many producers you have to admit it meets its match in butternut squash. Why? Because the rich sweetness of the squash kicks the sometimes over-exuberant tropical fruit and vanilla-scented oak into touch and magically transforms them into an elegant, refreshing glassful.

Chardonnay also pairs well with the ingredients that complement squash - roasted red peppers, caramelised onions, grilled or roasted corn, wild or dried mushrooms like chanterelles, parmesan and cream all blend in blissfully.

Butternut squash risotto is a great match for a big muscular Chard, as is a butternut squash or pumpkin soup. Great autumn and winter drinking.

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Salmon and Pinot Noir

If you think you automatically need to partner a fish dish with white wine think again! Meaty fish such as salmon and tuna take really well to Pinot Noir, the grape variety that the hero Miles raved about in the hit movie Sideways.

I wouldn't, of course, pour it in all cases. If I was serving simply poached salmon cold or hot with a butter sauce I'd still go for a medium-bodied white like a Chardonnay but if it's seared, grilled or barbecued or served with a spicy crust then a light red like Pinot Noir provides a lovely contrasting sweetness.

Try some of the great value bottles currently coming out of Chile such as the Las Brisas Pinot Noir, currently available at the Co-op and Sainsbury's for £8.99.

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