Billecart-Salmon NV ‘Brut Rosé’ Half bottle

Lovers of rosé Champagne - and lovers in general - cannot get enough of this gorgeous, sexy bubbly. It stands out from the crowd with its deep, salmon-pink highlights and its effusive nose of toasty straw berries and cream. The half-bottle format is the perfect way to start off a romantic evening, too, fuelling meaningful glances destined to become much more. Oh yes, and it’s a delicious accompaniment to so many foods. Try it with the tian of Dungeness crab or the poached zuccini blossom appetizers.

Argentinian Malbec

Despite being the fifth-largest producer of wine on the planet, Argentina has come late to the international wine scene, some two decades after Chile's arrival. Still, they have managed to carve out a substantial niche for themselves by becoming associated with one grape in particular: Malbec, whose ancestral home is in France's southwest corner. Bordeaux uses Malbec as a small component in a five-grape blend, so the grape seldom shines brightly there. The dark wines of Cahors feature Malbec but have often been tough and hard to enjoy until they are quite old. In Argentina, it may have found its apogee, making rich, ripe, full-bodied wines with that distinctive whiff of molasses cookie that so many of them wear like a badge of honour. Good with so many red meats, but perfect with beef.