If you find wines from France a bit of a mind field then this Syrah-Viognier from micro-négociant Nicolas Perrin is a great introduction to where contemporary French winemakers are heading. Très down-to-earth in it’s approachability this is a traditional blend from the Rhône Valley made in a full and fruity New World style. Predominately Syrah (aka Shiraz) it’s ripe with purple fruit characters, violets and black cherry. A splash of Viognier is mixed in the blend (typical of Rhône reds) which adds a fresh and floral touch to a wine I could happily drink day in, day out.

Eton Vintners, Windsor (etonvintners.co.uk) RRP £10.95

Since Baby Bouquet arrived I’ve been swatting up on my nursery rhymes and they’re surprisingly downbeat; if Jack and Jill aren’t tumbling down a hill, then Humpty is irreparably damaged or the best part of a case of wine (ten green bottles to be exact) has met its demise. At a time when green bottles are a sign of comfort for most new mums, singing about them crashing one by one is quite terrifying!

You only need to google ‘wine’ and ‘mums’ to see I’m not exaggerating; Mums are talking and reading about wine and there are some awesomely named websites that really hit the nail on the head. Take the Knackered Mothers Wine Club, OMG I so need a glass of wine or I’m gonna sell my kids and the bluntly named Moms who need wine…..! ………

When I look at my toolkit of go-to brands it’s the ones I think of the least that I rely on the most. Like my Eve Lom moisturiser and my Seven for all mankind skinny’s once they’re on you can get on with things or as the French say “..if your clothes are right you don’t notice the clothes you notice the woman.” 

When it comes to wine the same should apply, you want to enjoy the bottle you’re drinking but the moment you’re drinking it in should speak for itself, which makes pairing your wine with the drinking occasion a trick worth mastering.

Take this bottle of Café Cabernet produced by Linton Park in Paarl, South Africa; on its own it’s a little too shouty, a bit full on and kind of raw but drink it with some good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa is best) and it smooth’s away the edges, brings out the blueberry and spiced plum flavours and allows you to gobble up those last few bits of Easter chocolate effortlessly. When the wine is right you don’t notice the wine you notice the moment.

Café Cabernet is available from thedrinkshop.com, £8.99. Chocolate not included!

Since baby Bouquet arrived a few weeks ago life has been a little topsy turvy. Nighttime resembles day, daytime resembles night and memories of my former life of wine tasting and marketing now seems extraordinarily glamourous in comparison to my current role of milk-manager and nappy-sniffer-in-chief! ………

If we believe all the post-Christmas, pre-New Year lists of what’s-what for 2013 then January is set to be a very dull month indeed. According to most if you’re not detoxing then you’re skint, or worse still a lack of funds is forcing an unwanted detox upon you. Either way the predictions of a decrease in wine sales is set to continue throughout the year, with the exception of my place where the impending arrival of Baby-Bouquet means an increase in wine consumption is absolutely guaranteed!

In one such list of what’s-what for wine this year was the rise in popularity of the 50cl bottle. The perfect size to either curb your intake, stabilise the quality and price ratio of your favourite vin or simply to stop wastage. ………

Three of the world’s largest international wine competitions are held in the UK and across the year the wine calendar is divided into a delirium of sample sending, extreme tasting, result announcing and the grand finale of award dinners where the ‘super’ trophies are revealed.