When the new world started beating the old world at wine shows, and in Robert Parker’s rankings, the old world (mainly France) claimed that their wines were made to be drunk with food – as opposed to being groomed for a beauty parade. Not just any food, but the regional specialities. All of which made sense – expect people (mainly English) started buying more and more of the new world stuff.

Now the old world has started making wines that are much more new world (see Chateau l’Escart).

I drink wine with food. Apart from champagne, which, like water can be drunk alone at any time of the day or night. Doing this blog if find I start without food – you have to concentrate on the glass in hand, open your nose to its gentle aromas and tune your palate to its subtle flavours – to get a decent read on a wine. By the second glass I’m usually eating something and it’s interesting how a wine can change.

First, a Logan Appletree Flat Rose. I’m a fan of Appletree Flat Merlot so I was looking forward to this one ($12.49 in six from Vintage Cellars and 13%). It was a warm spring evening, which is good rose weather and I was making a curry, so a rose made sense.

The nose had lots of floral bits but it did taste of boiled sweets – without the sweetness – that top of your mouth feeling. I wasn’t enjoying it as an aperitif.

But with the curry it was excellent. All the good bits stood out and the lesser bits were hidden. I only realised when I’d finished eating and was still drinking, but next time I make a curry (I think it was lamb) I’ll be having it again.

Same thing happened with a white the other night. I was at a work thing at The Watson’s Bay Hotel which is a seafood sort of place so I’d picked a Chardonnay from the Mornington Peninsula called Luella (because we have a nice friend called Luella). At first this Luella was a little restrained, shy even. Maybe lacking in fruit and richness, perhaps a bit astringent? But when the oysters, prawns, bug tails and strange bits of squid arrived Luella was looking good.

I’d got a Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc too because nearly everyone said they don’t like ‘chardy’. But then everyone drank the Luella.

I suspect it was over $20, but maybe not much over.

The next day I found myself opening another chardonnay – the one in the fridge. Kirsten had made delicious meatballs and they smelled like they deserved something. As did she. The wine was a second label from Devil’s Lair called Honeycomb, made from Margaret river fruit ($14.99 in six from Vintage Cellars).

I gave it a sniff. Wow, this seemed seriously good –toasty, the right subdued fruit (it says hazelnuts and nougat on the bottle) everything that should be there, nothing that shouldn’t. Then it delivered long, rich flavours, just the right amount of alcohol to my mind (13.5%) and a classy finish. Well, almost a classy finish. Its farewell was marred by a stalkyness, but at that price I’m prepared to forgive it.