Helen’s dream dinner party wine list

The Best of the Rest

Helen's Dream Dinner Party Wine List

There will be times when you want to push the boat out, and for these occasions, I'm sharing with you some of my absolute favourites that I'd be thrilled to see at a party or dinner.

Wines Featured

Veuve Fourny Vertus Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Premier Cru Champagne, £37.25

Made from Chardonnay grapes in the Champagne region of France.

Alheit Vineyards 2020 Cartology, £34.50

Made from the Chenin Blanc and Semillon grape in the Western Cape of South Africa.

Charmes de Kirwan Margaux 2018, £36

Made from a blend of grapes in the Bordeaux region of France.

Niepoort Senior Tawny Port, £22

Fortified wine aged in oak barrels in the Porto region of Portugal.

My Top Tips for Finding Unique Wines

• For a special Champagne, instead of going for a big name, I would look for 'grower Champagnes', which are wines that are made by smaller producers who grow the grapes themselves as well as making the Champagne.

• Wines made from grapes that are grown on older vines often produce richer and deeper flavours.

• One way to unearth the really good classic wines without the hefty price tag is to seek out 'second wines'. This is when a producer makes a secondary batch of wine which might have a slightly different blend of grapes or has been aged slightly differently to their first wine. The taste will still be similar and delicious, but you'll be able to pick it up at a much cheaper price.

• If you want an introduction to Tawny port, go for one labelled as 'Reserve' that's been aged slightly less than the traditional 10 years.

• While you can definitely find special wines in a supermarket, it's well worth visiting your local wine shop so that you can benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the staff, and hopefully find something really unique.

Your Assignment

By this point in the course, you will likely have done a fair amount of tasting and your wine notes should hold some valuable insights into your likes and dislikes. Using these as reference, have a go at planning your own perfect dinner party wine list – you never know when it might come in handy!