£14, Red Squirrel Wine
The name of this wine, "no fuss", may seem oddly inappropriate right now, but it's the kind of mellifluous, carefree red – what the French call a vin de soif – that's so comforting to have to hand at times like this. None of us, after all, is going to be hopping across the channel and speeding off to the south of France to buy our own any time soon. I bought it as part of an excellent-value mixed dozen (the Home School Reds case at £90) but it's available by the single bottle.
It comes from Famille Valéry's sustainable, herbicide-free vineyards not far from Béziers and is unoaked and medium-bodied and doesn't put a foot wrong, from the burst of lip-smacking, peppery red fruit to the smooth, herb-and-cranberry bitter twist. It doesn't need food but aims to be an amiable companion to almost anything from pizza to chargrilled veg, peppered steak to lamb kebabs, chorizo fried rice to roast chicken. Pop it in the fridge briefly, so that it's cool, not room temperature. 13.5%
Pas d'Histoires Le Rouge Syrah 2018, Pays d'Oc, France
£14, Red Squirrel Wine