Thirsty work

7:00am Saturday 6th September 2008

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Fancy a drink? Lucy Corry raises her glass to the week's best buys.

FISHY BUSINESS: If you can look beyond the smutty innuendo and the blatant product placement, there is many a valuable life lesson to be gleaned from James Bond films.

The 1963 howler From Russia With Love, for example, shows the errors of pairing red wine with white fish as Bond and his nemesis of the hour, Red Grant, dine on grilled sole.

Bond orders a bottle of Taittinger champagne, while his dodgy dining companion asks for chianti. For Bond, this epicurean faux pas seems to confirm for him that this man is not all he seems.

Or, as Bond puts it later, when Grant has him on his knees at gunpoint: "Red wine with fish. That should have told me something."

You don't have to be dining with a lunatic assassin for red wine to ruin a delicate fish dinner - thanks to the tannins in the wine this combination can result in an unpleasant metallic aftertaste.

If you're not sure about what to drink with your next fishy supper - whether it's oysters by candlelight or fish and chips out of newspaper - National Seafood Fortnight (September 5-21) is a good time to experiment.

It's sponsored by New Zealand vineyard Nobilo, which, while well-known for its sauvignon blanc, also produces a very good Hawkes' Bay merlot (Nobilo Regional Collection Merlot 2006, available from Threshers, priced £8.20).

While it would be a fatal error to drink it with white fish, something more dense and meaty, such as tuna, would be perfect. It's even good with my standby storecupboard dinner - tinned tuna and tomato sauce over pasta.

Pinot noir is another good match for meaty fish, but I'd avoid chianti at all costs.

Even if you're not brave enough to try red, it would also be a mistake to think that any white wine suits any white fish.

It's tricky to find fish that's considered ethically sound to eat these days, but sauvignon blanc is a safe bet for favourites like cod (Pacific rather than Atlantic, please), trout and shellfish. Nobilo are justifiably proud of the Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (currently on special for £6.99 at Tesco, also available at Thresher, Morrisons and Somerfield) - but you could also try Vergelegen 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (£8.29 at Majestic, Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury's).

Albarino, a Spanish grape variety winning an increasing number of fans, is another good match for white fish. Try Raimat Albarino 2007 (£8.49 at Oddbins) or Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Albarino, £6.49.

Muscadet is a good bet for a variety of seafood, whether you fancy clams or calamari, smoked fish or mussels. Try Tesco Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie 2007 (£4.99) or The Wine Society's Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie (£5.50 from the Wine Society, 01438 737 700 or www.thewinesociety.com).

Sake is the obvious choice for sushi and sashimi, whether you brave it at your local Japanese restaurant or track down the elegant Akashi Tai Daiginjo Sake (£19.49) or the creamy, full-bodied Akashi Tai Honjozo Genshu (£11.49) from www.thedrinkshop.com. While the latter is best served at room temperature, the former is best served chilled.

Lastly, you might feel like you're serving a dinner fit for Barbie, but rose is an excellent match for prawns, salmon and lobster. Try the pretty pink cava Cordoniu Pinot Noir Rosado (£9.99 at Thresher, Sainsbury's and Wine Rack) or a Hungarian Pinot Grigio Rose (£4.79 at Marks & Spencer).

DRINK THIS: I usually encourage people to look beyond the label when trying new wine, but sometimes you just can't avoid it. Fish Hoek, a new label from South African winemaker Bruce Jack, stands out on the shelf thanks to its striking fishbone logo. Luckily, the bottle's contents are also worthy of your attention. Try a glass of aromatic Fish Hoek Chenin Blanc with your next parcel of fish and chips.

The Fish Hoek range is available at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Somerfield and Thresher, RRP £6.19.

LIQUID NEWS :: They might not have done so well in the Olympics this year (gloat gloat) but those Aussies know a thing or two about winning medals for their beer. James Boag's Premium lager (5% ABV) hails from Tasmania and its fresh, clean flavour is a good match for light fish dishes. Boag's Premium Lager, which has won a clutch of international awards, is available from Makro, independent and specialist beer retailers, priced from £1.29 a bottle.

:: After spending more than a decade writing about other people's wine, outspoken critic Monty Waldin decided it was time to get his hands dirty and make his own. His struggle to create good quality, affordable wine using organic and biodynamic methods in a small corner of rural France has been recorded for a new series, Chateau Monty, which begins on Channel 4 on Thursday September 4. Will he succeed? Tune in to find out.

Alternatively, you can read all about it in Chateau Monty - A Corking Wine Adventure by Monty Waldin [Portico Books, £16.99].

This might give the game away, but you can also taste the fruits of his labours - wine from Chateau Monty is available from Adnams Cellar & Kitchen Stores (or from www.adnams.co.uk), priced £7.99.

:: The people at innocent drinks have spent the last nine years convincing us that oranges are not the only fruit - only to now turn around and produce their very own OJ.

A helpful world map on each carton points out where they get the oranges from, and reassures eco-worriers that they wouldn't do anything as silly as air-freight them to innocent HQ. The global selection process means that the juice will taste different according to the season - sometimes sweeter, sometimes sharper. Just like the real deal, in fact.

innocent orange juice - with or without 'bits' is available in one-litre cartons from supermarkets nationwide, priced £1.89.