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Tom’s quick sausage casserole with savoy cabbage pesto

Why did I choose Beaujolais to go with Tom’s casserole? Firstly, it’s not always the best thing to match big wine flavours with rich food. It can give the impression of being too much sometimes. Rich savoury fatty sausages work best with a bright, earthy refreshing red, especially when served a little chilled. A mouthful of zippy cherry red wine, gives the impression of washing the richness away between mouthfuls.

Meaty fish is so satisfying and tasty, but needs pairing quite carefully.

Joe Wadsack

1. Laforêt Beaujolais 2013 (£7.99 Waitrose)

This humble wine has quite prestigious beginnings. The estate dates back to the Middle Ages. This wine is made from vines upwards of fifty years old, which provide grapes that are richly imbued with loads of raspberry and cherry fruit.

2. Beaujolais Lantignié 2013 Louis Jadot (£8.99 Majestic)

Louis Jadot is a wonderfully reliable source of fantastic Beaujolais at every quality level. The winemaker, Guillaume de Castenau, (that’s William of Newcastle in French) knows Gamay almost like no one else. Their best wines sit amongst the finest wines made from this grape variety in the world.

3. Côtes de Brouilly 2013 Les Roches Bleues (£10.50 The Wine Society)

This is one of the truly magical areas of Beaujolais, capable of producing wines that will age for decades. It has a smell of youthful sour cherries, with a whiff of cold tar and gunflint, which comes from the richly mineral soil beneath the vines here.

Dave Myers’ chilli spiced salmon

Meaty fish is so satisfying and tasty, but needs pairing quite carefully. Very pale rosés are a winner. The pale flesh coloured ones tend not to be too sharp and zingy, which is the key here. Steer clear of the electric pink ones. They’re no good to you here.

1. Les Richoises Grenache Cinsault Rosé (£4.99 Morrisons)

Dry, fresh and savoury. Considering that rosé wines from the South of France are so fashionable around the world now, that the bulk juice costs more than red wine, it's remarkable how competently made this little gem really is. At £4.99, once you take of packaging costs, shipping, VAT and duty, the liquid in the bottle is worth only 1.30p INCLUDING the supermarket's margin! For that price, it's pretty amazing.

2. Domaine la Chautarde Rosé 2013 Coteaux Various en Provence (Majestic £7.50)

The current vintage was brilliant in the South East of France for rosé and this wine is a fantastic example of the wild strawberry scented, fluffy, feather-light style that this region is famous for.

3. Tilmuqui Fairtrade Malbec Rosé 2014 Famantina Valley, Argentina

Considering how dark Malbec red wines are, it seems odd to find a Malbec rosé so pale. Richly textured, almost oily, with a lovely scent of squashed ripe strawberries, salmon is its soul mate.

Si King’s brioche toast with caramelised ginger pears & pecan

1. Torres Floralis Moscatel Oro NV Spain (50cl £7.50-8.50 Waitrose, Tesco.com, Majestic)

Dressed for a night out, this glitzy bottle, from Spain’s best known wine stable, threatens to be all mouth and no trousers. On the contrary, I think this offers almost unparalleled value for money. It is as at home here as it would be with a chocolate or sticky toffee pudding. All coffee, cocoa and sultanas with a silky caramel taste.

2. Selection Beerenauslese Austria (£5.99 Aldi)

It is amazing how little money Aldi is asking for this wine. It’s full of confit pear and carmelised, custardy flavours. This has enough rich creamy, sweet fruit to even cope with the eggs in the dish; a real bargain.

3. Tesco *Finest Dessert Sémillon 2009 (£7/half bottle, Tesco)

A great example of why you shouldn’t discount supermarket own labels. There are so very few wines available anywhere that fit within our budget, that this wine cannot be ignored. This is made by Australia’s finest dessert wine producer, and costs a fraction of the price you’d expect for this quality. It’s like drinking Crème Brûlée.

*Please note that the retailers and prices listed were last updated on 22nd December 2014, and these drinks may also be available at different retailers.