Gerard Richardson

It was World Malbec Day last Wednesday, but while the world almost automatically thinks ‘Argentina’ when the grape is mentioned, my current favourite is an old world beauty from Spain.

I’m not really into puff pieces, but after reminding myself of just how good Chateau Musar is over the weekend, these words just flowed.

Anyhow, there can be few nicer luxuries than a crisp sauvignon blanc with beads of condensation dribbling down the side of the glass - ready to pair with a crab salad when the sun finally comes out. It's that gorgeously refreshing mix of gooseberries, tropical fruits and acidity that makes the grape so moreish on hot days.

Uruguay doesn’t exactly spring to mind when you think about wine, but it should, if only because of the success they have made of their main grape, the still little known French varietal, Tannat.

Many Italian reds, Petite Syrah, Muscats and Ruby Port are perfect with milk chocolate eggs, while port and port style wines, PX Sherries and Malbecs tend to pair well with dark chocolate.

Chablis, that small white wine enclave of northern Burgundy is fairly unusual in the world of wine in that it's never been effectively copied. Claret style, Burgundian and Rhone style are all common terms around the globe, but Chablis style hasn't yet joined the list.

Red wine is good for you again according to the experts, so you can drink guilt free until the next expert report comes out. It is of course contingent on not over doing it, but that fits very well with my mantra of drink less, spend more. Quality counts folk

My advice for Mother's Day is simple; look at what she normally drinks and enhance it, so if she normally drinks Baileys, try one of the multitude of cream liqueurs out there desperate to be discovered by new clients.

Every now and then, I want a drink that offers no challenges and one that isn’t going to let me down. If its a red wine I fancy, then my go to pal is Merlot because you have to be a real plonker to make a bad one, but for whites, its far more restricted by Country and even region.

Invest or drink, that's the question faced by more and more folk these days as people are looking for different ways to get a return on their savings.