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Right from the Southern heel of Italy, Negroamaro is a good match for pasta bakes and spicy sausage dishes.

Ingredients

400g pasta shapes

6 good-quality sausages

140g sun-dried tomatoes

4 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomato jar

a generous handful of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

Method

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions or until tender.

Peel the skins off the sausages and chop the sausage meat into small hazelnut-sized pieces. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes into small chunks. Heat a tablespoon of the sun-dried tomato oil in a large frying pan (big enough to take the pasta later) and sizzle the sausage pieces for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re crumbly and golden. Stir in the sun-dried tomato chunks and the remaining oil, and heat everything through.

When the pasta is ready, drain it well and toss into the sausage mixture with the parsley. Make sure everything is well mixed and coated with the oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, and serve straight from the pan.

This largely Italian red grape partners well with rich meat sauces on pasta.

Ingredients

3 red peppers

2 peeled red onions

1 tbsp oil

½ tsp dried thyme

500g passata

Method

Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Cut the peppers and the onions into chunks. Toss in the oil and dried thyme, then roast for 30 mins until soft and slightly blackened.

Cool, then blend or process until just chunky. Stir through the passata, season and warm through.

Ingredients

One bottle Merlot

10 tablespoons sugar

1 orange peel

1 lemon peel

10 cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

4 cinnamon sticks and/or orange slices to garnish

Preparation

In a medium pot, heat the Merlot gently. Add the sugar until dissolved.

In a strainer, add the orange peel, lemon peel, cloves and cinnamon powder. Let the strainer sit in the heating wine for about 20 minutes. Make sure the wine is not boiling.

Allow the mixture to cool, or serve it hot, like a toddy.

Remove the strainer. If serving cool, pour into wine glasses. If warm, pour into glass mugs. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or an orange slice.

Makes 4 servings.

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Mouth watering recipes and other ideas for using up left over Red wine.

Ingredients

2 cups whole berry cranberry sauce

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup of your favorite red wine 

2 tsp hot Chinese mustard

2 tsp Worcestershire

1 batch of meatballs, cooked

Instructions

Add cranberry sauce, brown sugar, red wine, mustard, and Worcestershire to a sauce pan. Heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the meatballs to the pan, stirring to coat and heat thoroughly.

Serve warm. (Alternately, you can pour the sauce over the meatballs in a crockpot set to warm for serving.)

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This grape produces full bodied wines that go particularly well with grilled steaks and roasted vegetables. A winter warmer.

Ingredients

4 medium parsnips, peeled and quartered length-ways

1 butternut squash (about 650g/1lb 7oz), peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

2 red onions, each cut into 8 wedges

1 tbsp olive oil

grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tsp pork seasoning or dried mixed Italian herbs

500g lean pork tenderloins, in one or two pieces

1 medium Bramley apple

400ml hot chicken stock

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/ gas 6/fan 180C. Put all the vegetables into a roasting tin. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then toss everything together.

On a plate, mix together the lemon zest and pork seasoning or herbs. Roll the pork tenderloin in the mixture, then put it on top of the vegetables. Roast for 40 minutes.

Peel and core the apple and cut it into chunks. Scatter the pieces into the roasting tin, then pour in the hot stock and cook for a further 15-20 minutes. Slice the pork, arrange on a platter with the veg, then spoon the pan juices on top.

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Ingredients

2 oz rye whiskey

3/4 oz red wine (such as Pinot Noir)

1/2 liqueur (black currant)

1/2 fresh lemon juice

lemon peel (for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine rye whiskey, wine, liqueur, and lemon juice. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.

Squeeze the lemon peel lightly to release its oils and run around the rim of the glass before adding to the cocktail as a garnish.

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Red Pinotage is a natural with barbecued steak - think beach parties and Southern African 'braai'.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Serves :  4

Quick but 'real' food with steak and salad

Ingredients

4 medallion steaks about 140g/5oz each

1 pack trimmed spring onions

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 x 220g packs pre-cooked wheat (we used Ebly Tender Wheat)

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ tsp Dijon mustard

100g feta cheese

100g cherry tomatoes, halved (or use Sun-blush tomatoes)

50g pack rocket, preferably wild

Method

Put a heavy-based frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brush the steaks and onions with 1 tbsp oil and season the steaks. Lay the steaks in the pan, pressing them flat with a palette knife, and fit the onions around them. Cook the steaks for 21⁄2-3 minutes on each side for medium rare, turning the onions when you turn the steaks.

Meanwhile, tip the wheat into a large saucepan. Add 4 tbsp water and stir. Heat through for 3-4 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Whisk together the 3 tbsp olive oil, vinegar and mustard to make a dressing. Crumble the feta into a bowl, add the tomatoes and rocket, then tip in the wheat. Pour in the dressing and mix. Serve with the steaks and onions.

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Bold tones of dark chocolate with a favorite wine. Some say it can’t be done, here are a few pairing tips to keep in mind.

Steps

Obey the first rule of pairing wine and food. Do not have the chocolate sweeter than the wine you're pairing it with. T

Aim to purchase quality chocolate for the purposes of wine and chocolate pairing. 

Pair chocolate and wine according to the darkness of the chocolate. As with food, the general rule is that the darker the chocolate, the darker the wine. So, reds are ideal for dark chocolate.

Look for wines with soft, rounded tannins to pair with chocolate. The smoothness of the wine is an important element when pairing with the smoothness of chocolate.

Look for full-bodied wines to match to strong, intense, and heavy chocolates and chocolate desserts.

If tasting chocolate and wine together, obey the wine rule of tasting from light to dark. 

Select wines according to the flavors of the chocolate.

Dark chocolate (50% to 70%): Pair this with more robust wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, and Port. A Chianti can match well with chocolate around 65 percent cocoa content.

The guidelines in this article are nothing more than guidance; make up your own mind as to what matches well and what does not.

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