An Occasional Tipple: Fine wines and juicy plums to suit all seasons

My darling wife, the enigmatic Madame G., has prepared for Autumn’s return by buying a big bag of small, juicy plums from a local East European store. And I bake a delicious plum and almond pudding while wondering why we rarely get such sweet plums in our own greengrocers and supermarkets anymore. Thank goodness for our Poles, our Lithuanians and, most of all, our lovely Latvians.

Now, back to the plums. Red wine doesn't contain actual plums, dear tipplers, though it may have strong plum notes on its palate. Stepping forward into the yellow warmth of the bounteous sun is today's WINE OF THE WEEK, the opulent, richly textured 2020 Bordeaux Superieur (£5.99, Lidl). This intriguing, medium-bodied red has a fruity palate full of blackberry and plum flavours which combine with subtle strands of tobacco and tar before a magnificently lengthy, deeply satisfying finish with hints of vanilla, coffee and black pepper. One to pair with a fabulous homemade curry like the magnificent lamb Rogan Josh which I made for my Madame G. and myself to enjoy at our lovely home, Rose Cottage, last Sunday. See how great a husband I am!

Should you be planning to roast some beef or lamb yourself this Sunday, you may like to consider today's second recommendation, the brash, bold and full-bodied 2022 Kumala Shiraz (£6.75, Tesco). Dark jammy fruit flavours, lots more blackberry and plum flavours, combine pleasingly on the palate before a lengthy finish with beguiling notes of earthy spices. “All of Autumn’s harvest in each mellifluous mouthful” was how my Madame described it. She must be after my job.

As the evenings begin to wind in during this melancholic time of year, I find myself drawn to sombre, contemplative reds but those of you who can still maintain a sunny disposition may enjoy a glass or two of the exceptionally fresh, fragrant, zippy and zesty 2022 Swartland Chenin Blanc (£8, M&S)). A luscious palate full of round, gently spiced fruit flavours with bright citrussy backnotes combines with grassy aromatics and hints of white pepper in this racy, refreshing South African white which will be an ideal match to mildly spiced Asian cuisine.

Growing older, the changing of the seasons can make one more acutely aware of the transience of everything, including oneself. So, it's even more important to have fun and enjoy yourself while you still can and, in this respect, outside of a dog a bottle of wine is a man's best friend. Inside of the dog, you can never find the bloody corkscrew! You see, candy is dandy, folks, but liquor makes quipsters of us all. That's the power of both positive drinking and small juicy plums. Till next week, tipplers, sante!