A frequent Gold medal winner, Stones & Bones is so-called because it’s grown in a landscape littered with ancient boulders and dinosaur fossils. In the modern Portuguese tradition, the wine is a blend of local and international grapes. Touriga Nacional, the backbone of vintage port, joins forces with Syrah, Tinta Roriz and Alicante to produce truly mammoth, rich fruit flavours. Equally impressive is the winemaker, Diogo Sepúlveda, who relaxes after work by cycling or playing football, or, more unusually, bull wrestling! Having worked in Pomerol, then in the Barossa with heirloom Shiraz vines, his credentials for making this rich, old vine Portuguese red are second to none. For maximum enjoyment, decant and serve with a rich beef casserole.

Wine Spectator calls Portugal “the most exciting wine place on the planet”, with its terrific range of native grape varieties and wines that always offer standout value. The rich, mouthfilling Lobo e Falcão fits firmly in that category. It’s made at a 17th century estate owned by the Lobo de Vasconcellos family, once the location of the king’s falconry. Special barrels of wine were kept for the king when he visited. Today, talented winemaker Joana Lopes makes this red specially for us, blending Syrah with Portugal’s exciting native grapes. Previously awarded a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Award, the 2018 has lovely intensity of flavour due to another low yield year. Generous wild berry fruit and spice with a velvet texture – a very moreish red.

Saracosa is inspired by the ‘Super Tuscans’ – a style first developed in the 1970s. These wines kickstarted the region’s renaissance and became some of the most exclusive and expensive in the world. Saracosa is from the Barbanera family estate, where half the vineyards are in the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, and the remainder just beyond. In the 5-Star 2017 vintage Saracosa’s old vines delivered exceptional concentration. Dense, dark cherry and chocolatey tones make this a serious choice for pasta with pork ragù or bistecca alla fiorentina (steak with cannellini beans in tomato sauce).

Garnet red. Intense and persistent, fruity with a winy note and wood flavour. A medium bodied wine, goodmtannins, balanced and ready to drink. Excellent with all the typical courses of Italian traditional cooking, with meat and baked fish.

So, what is Funsu? There’s a funny family story. Grandfather Alfonso of the Ferrio family was affectionately known as Funsu - and this wine is dedicated to his legacy. Made entirely from nebbiolo, and blended from two vineyards, the intention is to balance an elegant soft nebbiolo, with a vineyard offering more tannin structure. But, the trick is, this wine is made entirely in tank - so you can drink it young and pretty. The characters here are all about pleasure you want this weekend, not in the next century. Roses, violets and sour cherry pucker with subtle tea leaves and a slight earthiness. Bust out the truffles, the mushrooms, the hard cheese, the risotto... heck, even the rabbit ragu. The food will only get better with this delightful red.