Red, white or Pink? Then why not green?

It reminds me of something my darling wife, the redoubtable Madame G, said to me on our wedding night: “Oh, mon cher Raymond, that passed quite quickly but it was ever so hot and heavy while it lasted”.

Of course, these extreme weather events are set to become more common (please God, send the sunshine here and not just to the south of England!) and, all joking aside, we really are way behind in our preparations for dealing with them. And what on Earth, you may wonder, has this got to do with either the Tory leadership contest or the wine you’re going to be drinking this weekend?

Well, your choices can make a difference. Exhibit A: The Wine Society (visit http://www.thewinesociety.com or telephone 01438-741144) at its recent AGM has committed to having the most ethical and environmentally sustainable wine supply chain in the world by 2030, to be carbon neutral through insetting by 2024 and net zero across its business by 2040. And they’re not just fancy words - they have a strategy in place and are already implementing actions in a very serious manner to achieve these objectives. So you could buy a bottle or two from them.

I’d suggest starting with today’s WINE OF THE WEEK, the fresh, fragrant and gloriously upbeat 2021AdegaMae Lisboa Valley Selection White (£7.95, Wine Society).

A vibrantly aromatic and very fruity bouquet leads to a complex palate full of tropical fruit alongside notes of apricot and pear before a brisk, discreetly acidic finish. This delightfully dry Portuguese white proved an ideal match to a light chicken cous cous with onions, mushrooms, raisins and lots of Moroccan spicing which my Madame and I enjoyed in the evening sun out on the patio at our lovely home, Rose Cottage.

In February Which Magazine compared the eco-credentials of all the major U.K. supermarkets, looking at their greenhouse gas emissions, use of plastics and recycling and food waste and the greenest supermarket by these measurements was Lidl.

So you might want to go there for your second bottle this weekend. Step forward today’s second recommendation, the big, bold and intensely fruity 2019 Cigar Box Cabernet Sauvignon (£7.99, Lidl).

A smooth, juicy palate with pronounced notes of plum and black cherry leads to a satisfyingly lengthy finish with luxurious strands of vanilla and a hint of dark, bitter chocolate in this muscular Chilean red. We had ours with a veggie chilli- chilli sans carne, one might say- on paprika-roasted sweet potato with corn crackers and my Madame’s famous guacamole and my own less famous but no less tasty tomato salsa.

Waitrose came second which is no good to us here in N.I. but in third place was Sainsbury’s which is where today’s final selection comes from- the zippy, zesty and thoroughly refreshing 2021 Baron de Guers Picpoul de Pinet (£9).

A luscious palate full of round, gently spiced fruit flavours with rich citrussy backnotes combines with richly scented grassy aromatics and hints of mineral in this pale yellow French drop which will be an ideal match to seafood or poultry dishes.

Your life is a series of decisions, no more and no less. The same holds true for the life of our planet. Choose wisely. Choose a nice bottle, a green bottle. Till next week, tipplers, sante!