My Foodies Festival Top Picks: 10 Wines Worth Seeking Out

Over two fantastic weekends hosting wine masterclasses at Foodies Festival in Edinburgh and Glasgow, I tasted and presented my way through wines from the Rhône and Burgundy to Argentina, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the Loire and Sicily. I was certainly spoiled - as were the audiences - by the quality of those I presented.

And we certainly got through some wine! Across the six days of Foodies Festival, around 13,800 wine samples were poured in the Drinks Theatre!

It goes without saying that I'd recommend all the wines I presented, however, I’ve chosen my Top 10 here. There’s a real mix, from great-value everyday bottles to wines worth spending a little more on – and hopefully a few you might not have discovered before.

Mar de Frades Sparkling Albariño Brut Nature NV

Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain | Slurp | £24.95

Albariño is synonymous with the cool, Atlantic-influenced vineyards of Rías Baixas, but we usually come across it as a still wine. Winemaker Paula Fandiño at Mar de Frades decided to do something rather different and pioneered sparkling Albariño made by the traditional method.

Made from 100% Albariño, it combines citrus and white fruit with subtle toasty and almond notes from its time on the lees. The naturally high acidity of Albariño gives the wine wonderful freshness, while a saline character brings you straight back to Galicia’s Atlantic coastline. A brilliant Brut Nature (bone dry) alternative for anyone looking beyond the usual sparkling suspects.

Behind the Bottle: Mar de Frades bottles feature a temperature-sensitive label – when the wine reaches the right serving temperature, a little blue boat appears.

M. Chapoutier Alchemy Combe Pilate Viognier 2023

IGP des Collines Rhodaniennes, France | The Wee Wine Shop Group | £20.50

M. Chapoutier is one of the great names of the Rhône, with eight generations of family history behind it and biodynamics at the heart of its philosophy since 1991. Combe Pilate is particularly interesting as it’s also used as a research base for M. Chapoutier’s biodynamic research.

This is Viognier with much more than perfume to offer. Grapefruit and citrus are joined by lightly toasted almond, bergamot and gentle spice, with a broad, generous texture and a lovely savoury finish.

The wine is an IGP des Collines Rhodaniennes – the Northern Rhône’s only IGP – so you’re getting Northern Rhône fruit for a fraction of the price you might expect to pay for some of the region’s more famous appellations.

Behind the Bottle: Combe Pilate sits at around 320 metres above sea level and is home not only to vines but, at times, retired horses and sheep which help maintain the vineyard.

Esporão Reserva White Organic 2023

Alentejo, Portugal | Luvians Bottleshop and other independents | £21

Esporão has been making wine in the Alentejo for decades and today sustainability and organic viticulture play a major role in its vineyards. This Reserva White combines traditional Portuguese varieties with careful use of oak to produce a white with both freshness and substance.

A blend based around Antão Vaz, Arinto and Roupeiro, it offers ripe white fruit and citrus with floral and spicy notes. The taste is broad and creamy, balanced by refreshing acidity and a long finish. One for the dinner table rather than simply an aperitif.

Behind the Bottle: Esporão Reserva was the first wine made by Esporão, back in 1985, and every vintage features a specially commissioned work of art on its label.

Bruce Jack Front of House Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Western Cape, South Africa | Wine Events Scotland £10

Bruce Jack is never short of personality, and neither are his wines. His philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: make wines people genuinely want to drink, while taking provenance, quality and sustainability seriously.

This Sauvignon Blanc won over many people at Foodies Festival who don’t normally enjoy Sauvignon Blanc. It’s made with grapes from two very different plots – one cooler site offering more refined, elegant fruit, and another further inland and warmer, bringing a more tropical, rounded fruit element to the blend. The result has grapefruit, citrus and crunchy green apple alongside riper tropical fruit, with a herbaceous edge and lively acidity. It’s refreshing without becoming aggressively sharp, and particularly good with seafood, salads or goat’s cheese.

You’ll find Front of House mainly on restaurant wine lists, but if you’d like to try a similar Sauvignon Blanc from Bruce Jack, head to ASDA. If you’re quick, you’ll find the Bruce Jack Sauvignon Blanc on offer for a crazy £7!

Behind the Bottle: Behind every Bruce Jack wine lies a story - keep an eye out for others and if you get a chance to hear Bruce speak don't miss the opportunity. Bruce can talk about almost every subject from the history of the world and geology to quite simply why what's in your glass is so special.

Joseph Mellot Pouilly-Fumé Le Chant des Vignes 2025

Loire Valley, France | WineDirect / VINVM | £22

Joseph Mellot’s story in the Loire stretches back more than 500 years. Founded in Sancerre in 1513, the family has built an extraordinary connection with the vineyards of the Centre-Loire.

Le Chant des Vignes translates as “Song of the Vines”, and this beautiful wine certainly reflects that. It’s a classic Pouilly-Fumé, which is made from Sauvignon Blanc, with fresh citrus and white fruit on the nose followed by a beautifully balanced taste, subtle mineral edge and lingering citrus finish. Elegant rather than overtly tropical, this is Sauvignon Blanc for anyone who enjoys precision and freshness.

Try it with goat’s cheese, seafood or simply as a rather lovely aperitif.

Behind the Bottle: The Mellot family’s association with wine dates to 1513 – meaning they were making wine during the reign of Henry VIII!

Santa Tresa Rina Russa Frappato 2025

Sicily, Italy | The Wine Society / Aitken Wines | £10.95–£12.95

One of the joys of Sicilian wine is discovering indigenous grapes, and Frappato certainly deserves far more attention.

Santa Tresa’s Rina Russa (meaning red sand) is 100% Frappato, producing a wonderfully fragrant, lighter red packed with red berries and wild strawberry. Fine tannins and lovely freshness make it incredibly versatile.

Serve this one chilled – something which is becoming increasingly popular with lighter styles of red wine and works brilliantly with Frappato. It was almost made for Foodies since the day I showed this the heat was on!

If you normally head straight for the popular Nero d’Avola when buying Sicilian red, try Frappato next time instead.

Behind the Bottle: Frappato is surprisingly good with fish. Its bright fruit, freshness and delicate tannins mean Rina Russa can work beautifully with tuna or BBQ'd salmon – as well as pizza.

Kleine Zalze Fairtrade Shiraz, Grenache & Cabernet Franc 2023

Western Cape, South Africa | Co-op | £9.25

Kleine Zalze was another highlight of my Glasgow Foodies weekend, with this Fairtrade Shiraz, Grenache & Cabernet Franc being a blend which changes each year. It’s certainly testament to just how much character South Africa can deliver at a very reasonable price.

Shiraz takes the lead in the 2023 blend, joined by Grenache and Cabernet Franc. Packed with juicy plum and dark berry fruit, spice and a lovely freshness, with gentle tannins keeping everything be

autifully balanced. An excellent barbecue red, but equally good with sausages, burgers or a hearty tomato-based pasta. Also delicious chilled.

The Fairtrade element reflects Kleine Zalze’s commitment to its people and community, supporting better working and living conditions for those involved in producing the wines.

Behind the Bottle: At under £10, this is a serious value find – and the previous 2022 vintage took Silver in the Drink Fairtrade Red category at the People’s Choice Wine Awards.

CVNE Maruxa Mencía 2024

Valdeorras, Spain | Tesco / WineEventsScotland.co.uk | £12.75

CVNE may be best known for Rioja, but Maruxa takes us to another fascinating corner of northern Spain - Galicia - and the increasingly exciting red grape Mencía.

This is a completely different proposition from Spain's traditional Rioja. Fragrant violets, raspberry and juicy red fruit are joined by a subtle mineral character, liquorice and gentle tannins. Fresh, vibrant and incredibly moreish, it’s also another red which is delicious served slightly chilled.

Behind the Bottle: This region was once mined for gold by the Romans. When the gold ran out, vines were planted – and viticulture continues here today. Mencía has since emerged as one of the most exciting grapes of north-west Spain.

Zuccardi Brazos Malbec 2024

Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina | Tesco | £10

The Zuccardi family has become synonymous with the Uco Valley and its remarkable high-altitude vineyards. Sebastián Zuccardi is obsessed by altitude and the differences between individual places, soils and elevations across the valley. This is something that becomes fascinating when you taste the wines side by side and everyone enjoyed the chance of doing so at Foodies.

Brazos is a brilliant introduction to this world. Generous dark berry and plum fruit is balanced by freshness, with violet notes, a touch of spice and rounded tannins. There’s plenty of character here for £10 and it’s a very easy wine to enjoy with anything from steak to burgers.

Brazos was particularly popular at Foodies Festival. I also had the pleasure of presenting two of Zuccardi's olive oils but that's a story for another time.

Behind the Bottle: Zuccardi’s highest vineyard in Gualtallary is 1,385 metres above sea level – that’s over 4,500 feet!

Louis Jadot Château des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent Roches Rouges 2022

Beaujolais, France | Waitrose | £20

If you still think Beaujolais means a simple, lightweight red, this is one to change your mind. Louis Jadot acquired Château des Jacques in 1996 and approaches making Gamay with the same attention to terroir that you’d expect in Burgundy.

100% Gamay, with fabulous structure, complexity and depth. Ripe red cherries, blackberry and redcurrant meet subtle cedar, pepper and savoury notes. Silky but structured, with vibrant acidity, Château des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent also has the ability to develop beautifully in bottle.

Behind the Bottle: Moulin-à-Vent takes its name from the historic windmill that overlooks the vineyards. These wines are known as the “Lord of Beaujolais” and are amongst the most age-worthy wines of the 10 Crus of Beaujolais.

Where to find the wines

I’ve included stockists and prices with each of my top picks to make them easy to track down. I can also supply all of these wines in cases of six, so if there’s anything you’d particularly like to try, please drop me an email.

Six Days of Foodies – What I Loved Most

What I enjoyed sharing most across the two Foodies Festival weekends was the sheer diversity of the wines I presented – from aromatic Viognier and cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc to high-altitude Malbec, serious Gamay, sparkling Albariño and fragrant Sicilian Frappato. There really was something to interest everyone – many times over.

And you certainly don’t have to spend a fortune to find something interesting. Several of these bottles retail around the £10 mark, while spending £20–£25 opens the door to some more special including some particularly terroir-driven wines.

If I had one piece of advice, it would be this: step away from your usual bottle every now and again. Try a grape you don’t recognise, a region you’ve never explored or a producer doing something a little differently.

You might just discover your next favourite wine.