No poison here, just fabulous wine!

So who or what can we toast this weekend? Paddy's Day and Mammy's Day have both passed and we can't celebrate Ireland's glorious Grand Slam triumph forever.

Beating England at home to win it on St. Patrick's Day weekend! Or can we? But surely there's something else we can clink our glasses to... no? Ok, let's just discuss why we toast and clink glasses and say cheers etc in the first place instead then, shall we?

So, since you asked, clinking glasses dates back to medieval times when people were perhaps even more suspicious than they are today and poisoning was rife. Deadly toxins could be concealed within sediment at the bottom of a glass or, more likely, goblet. Clinking would dislodge the venom. If hosts wanted to prove they weren't poisoning a guest they'd simply pour some of the guest's wine into their own vessel and drink it first. And if a guest wanted to demonstrate trust in their host they'd just clink when the host offered to drink from their glass. Strange times indeed but not so much stranger than our own.

Which brings us to cheers. When we clink glasses today we face each other, our eyes meet and we often say cheers. In Old French the word for face or head was 'chiere'. So, when it was time to raise a toast the cry "Chiere" would ring out, encouraging people to face each other and to raise their glasses. The English corrupted this cry to cheers which, of course, has its own lovely logic. And now, having little else to toast I'm going to raise my glass to toasting and get tore into a couple of very palatable bottles at affordable prices.

First among equals but just about gaining the nod by the shortest of short heads to be sure to be sure to be sure (unlike my Cheltenham banker Gerri Colombe who got pipped at the post last Wednesday) as today's Wine of the Week is the zesty and refreshing 2022 Baron de Guers Picpoul de Pinet - available at Sainsbury's, £9. A palate full of round, spiced fruit flavours with citrussy backnotes combines with scented grassy aromatics and hints of mineral in this pale yellow French drop which will be an ideal match to seafood or poultry dishes.

Of course, here in my lovely home, Rose Cottage, we're practically destitute after Gerri Colombe's narrow defeat. So no fancy seafood for us. Right now, my beloved wife, the enigmatic Madame G., is using tinned mackerel in tomato sauce and some broccoli she found reduced to half price to make a humble, homely but flavoursome spaghetti dish which she saw on Jamie's £1 Wonders. My suppliers have provided me with a free bottle of the fresh, fragrant and lively 2021 Virgile Joly Sauvignon Blanc (£10.99, Naked Wines) which seems an ideal companion for any tinned or fresh fish dish. This zingy, easy-drinking French white bursts with citrus and mineral flavours alongside floral aromatics which lead to a palate full of fruit and nut flavours - lots of elderflower and peach with backnotes of almond - before a clean finish. A rustic and gloriously refreshing white.

Lovers of red, I will never forget you (for I am you), today's final selection is the smooth, full-bodied and aromatic 2021 Tempus Two Malbec (£7.99, available at independent wine shops and off-licences). Ripe, blackberry flavours, a warm, smoky palate and a spicy oaked finish with hints of dark chocolate and vanilla combined to create a robust, rustic and satisfying Aussie red. One to savour alongside some Tex-Mex fare i.e. tacos, fajitas, quesadillas or even a chilli con carne with rice.

Be careful when you're offered a glass of wine by a stranger. Especially, if they're as tall and handsome as me. Clink, then check the sediment. You can't be too careful. Till next week, tipplers, sante!