Forgive yourself the bad things with fabulous wine

We all do bad things in life, don't we? Please say yes.

There are worse sins, you will surely concede, than that which I am about to confess. Though it is pretty awful. Especially for a supposed wine connoisseur. I poured the precious liquid from a beautiful bottle of today's Wine of the Week, the ripe, zesty and fulsome 2020 Loss & Schotter Gruner Veltliner (£8.99, Lidl) into an empty plastic bottle.

This lively Austrian white with pronounced pear, peach and nectarine flavours which mingled most pleasingly with subtle spices on a delightfully tangy palate deserved so much better. Still, it went very nicely with my blinis topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon, lemon and dill which I had carefully stowed away into a tupperware box.

All was sneaked in to a local cinema because it was so much better than their Coca-Cola and popcorn. Shame on me! For being an adult. Pour yours from the bottle into an actual glass and enjoy it with your own preferred cooked salmon or trout dishes is this connoisseur's advice.

I had gone to the movies with my darling wife, the redoubtable Madame G., to watch The Banshees of Inisherin which I can recommend at least as highly as the wine.

Our film date was part of a hectic few days of socialising which on the night before had seen us make a trip to the delightful New Orpheus- Ballroom of Romance- attached to the Harp Bar in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter.

We didn't have to worry about concealing any wine on that occasion because we had been invited there by United Wine Merchants to sample their excellent range of Tempus Two wine which was served with plenty of good food and some superb musical entertainment.

My personal favourite was the devilishly smooth, full-bodied and impressively aromatic 2021 Tempus Two Malbec (generally £7.99, widely available). Ripe, muscular blackberry flavours, a warm, smoky palate and a spicy, judiciously oaked finish with hints of dark chocolate and vanilla combined to create a robust, rustic and thoroughly satisfying Aussie red.

One to savour alongside some delicious Tex-Mex fare i.e. tacos, fajitas, quesadillas or, in our case when we got back to our lovely home, Rose Cottage(yes, we sneaked some out!), a good old-fashioned chilli con carne with rice.

The fun refused to stop and the following day we took our beautiful god-daughter, Maria, out for pizza, frozen yoghurt- don't ask me, kids love it!- and a shopping spree where we failed to find everything we want and, like fun, the rain didn't stop, not even once.

Still, much laughter was had and after that it was most agreeable to come home to my pre-prepared chicken, peppers and potatoes with coconut milk and lots of Thai spices. All washed down with the easy-drinking, lively and very versatile 2021 M&S Classics Chenin Blanc (£8). This fabulously fresh, zesty South African white is full of bright citrus and tropical fruit flavours on a complex palate alongside notes of fresh herbs and alluring grassy aromatics before a brisk and tingly, discreetly acidic finish.

To think that all that happened after we'd been out earlier in the week to the Galgorm in Ballymena to attend the launch night of their new bar area, the Castle Barn. Great service, a fantastic band, a brilliant troupe of Irish dancers, very homely, country-style surroundings and a magnificent selection of wine, beer and spirits which were served in superb style by very talented bar-tenders made for a fantastic evening. What an incorrigible pair of revellers we continue to be! Long after our sell-by dates. Anyway, it's a top spot for any big nights out you may have planned as we approach the festive season.

This week promises to be a much quieter affair. My social diary is now both officially and completely bare. As is my wine cellar. I can only hope and pray that something comes along very soon for me to share with you next week. It almost always does. Till then, tipplers, sante!