Traditional rules work well, white before red and light before heavier wines. The first thing to decide – probably based on your guests – is the relative importance of food versus wine. If wine is key, a dinner party becomes theoretically simple, with classic combinations; fish or seafood with white Burgundy, red meat with red Burgundy or Claret and, perhaps, some bubbles on offer as aperitif, and a dessert wine and port in reserve. If you are planning a dinner party for friends who appreciate – rather than revere – wine and who warrant upping the spend per bottle, we would definitely recommend paying more attention to potentially tricky ingredients, such as spices, asparagus, artichokes and vinegar. A little tip: When choosing wine, always bear in mind that fixed costs (eg. transport, duty, tax, dry materials) represent too high a proportion of the price of inexpensive wines, so adding a few extra pounds per bottle will have a marked effect on the quality inside the bottle.

See below for our recipe suggestion and matching wines