Luis Alegre Rioja Koden 2015

Tempranillo is one of the great Spanish grape varietals, and it is used in some of the finest aged wines on earth. The flavour hits you get off a good Tempranillo wine - bright cherry and dark leather - make it suitable for a wide range of different foods, including difficult to pair ingredients like spicey dishes, and strong tomato sauces. It’s my go-to wine when I’m eating lasagne, and I also think it goes fantastically well with more or less any lamb dish.

Like many fine Old World wines, the most ideal pairings are those which bring together a sense of place, so seek out some rustic Spanish dishes for an ideal marriage of flavours.