£13.50, joiedevin.co.uk
I fall in love with too many wines, but this was love at first sip. It’s a dry white from the Loire Valley based on the Chenin Blanc grape, but rounded out with a little Chardonnay and fermented in oak barrels to give a creamy softness to the spicy pear fruit and preserved-lemon zesty freshness. It’s a good match for savoury dishes in cream sauces, but can partner simpler fish, seafood, pasta, grain and chicken dishes too. There are just two options for buying it: either online from the aptly named Joie de Vin in the UK (it’s well worth exploring their other wines); or, if you’re heading to the Loire Valley, directly from the estate in Bléré, just a couple of miles from the imposing sixteenth-century Château Chenonceau.
Domaine de la Grange Patrimoine Blanc 2014, Touraine, Loire Valley, France
£13.50, joiedevin.co.uk