Pouilly Fume 'Les Champlins' 2006

So Mark Cavendish has gone home to rest up ahead of the Olympics, but the Tour goes on, and the new format seems to be keeping things interesting. Today's winner was Cyril Dessel, a French AG2R rider. He used to race for Jelly Belly - I could ride for them.

Time for a French wine. We had a Pouilly Fume 'Les Champlins' 2006. I've cycled through Pouilly sur Loire, it's pretty flat, not like today's stage. 2006 was wet. Very wet. You can just see my panniers wearing their little raincoats outside the Chateau in the centre of town.

The 'Les Champlins' is pretty good despite the rain. It's steely in that mineral way that the Loire has perfected, with some lemon and lime balanced by a weird but good honeyed apricot kinda thing going on. At 12% alcohol it's easy drinking stuff. At about £7.50 it's a reasonable price for this appellation.

Andre Colonge Fleurie 2006 - Come On You Reds

On Saturday I went to Wembley to see the mighty Ebbsfleet take on Torquay in the FA Trophy. I own Ebbsfleet, along with around 24,999 of my friends, so it was an exciting day for me.

We won - hurrah!!! It wasn't easy, and for the first half hour it didn't look to be at all possible, but it was wonderful.

Afterwards we went for dinner and had a particularly good Fleurie. It was a cheerful purple-red with strong legs. It smelled of mashed damsons and blackberries and even blueberries, which was strange but good. It tasted just as it smelled, aided by soft ripe tannins and a medium level of alcohol. It was smooth and decidedly more-ish.

It wasn't cheap, but restaurant wine never is. Expect to pay around ��10 from a wine merchant.

Clos Saint Vincent Saint Emilion 2002

We had a Clos Saint Vincent Saint Emilion 2002 at the weekend. It looked thick and dark, with an almost overpowering smell of fresh cut wood. The tannins were ripe and soft and the fruit did fight it's way through with a forward guard of blackcurrants, but they did struggle.

It needed a little time to relax, so we put it aside. Once it had had a little time it was altogether friendlier, the blackcurrants were rich and velvety. The wood had settled into a softer vanilla sweetness and some plummy juiciness was set free. A liquorice spiciness followed on for a long finish.

Clos Saint Vincent is a very good wine, I'll just remember to give it some time to breathe next time.

Domaine du Colombier Petit Chablis

I've had visitors over from the colonies, so I've been drinking a lot of French wine, with Chablis being a particular favourite. We've had some lovely wines, but as the dollar price is calculated 'sticker shock' is evident. Chablis isn't cheap chardonnay, but it's often reasonable value if you really love the style.

We tried a Domaine du Colombier 2005 Petit Chablis, the idea being that Petit Chablis is usually cheaper than its straight Chablis neighbours. This one was even cheaper, it started life at ��9.50, and was now ��6.95 with a discount from the BBR Outlet because it's ready to drink right now.

If we'd tried it as a random French chardonnay on an ordinary weeknight it would have stood up well. It has a lemony, minerally character, with medium body and alcohol. It's at it's best with food when its fruitiness comes through. Unfortunately this wasn't just a random choice, we've been drinking the real deal, even with the odd Premier Cru thrown in.

It tasted cheaper, thinner, not as bold, not as balanced or integrated. It was a nice chardonnay, but at this price point there's lots nicer from Burgundy, from France in general as well as the rest of the world. It was a false economy.

Tour Des Vins Sancerre

We found ourselves short of white wine, with drinkers heading in from the north. We needed to stock up, but had neither the time nor the energy to head out for a proper shopping trip. We walked around to 'Bargain Booze' and took out chances.

Beyond the 3 for ��10 offers on Blossom Hill and Echo Falls we found a tiny section of the fridge in the back which had an interesting, if ageing, selection. One of our choices was Bartyon & Guestier's Tour des Vins Sancerre 2004.

It tasted likea basic Sancerre should with a minerally zip and tense fruit, although it seemed to be softening a little. It went well with the salmon and salad we had for tea. At ��8 it was well priced for a corner store Sancerre. It's not a brand I'd actively seek out, but I certainly wouldn't reject it.

Mâcon-La Roche Vineuse Vieilles Vignes 2003

We had a bottle of 2003 M��con-La Roche Vineuse, Vieilles Vignes (which means old vines, if you're interested in that sort of thing) at the weekend.

There was a slight presentational screw up as the fancy 'rabbit' corkscrew device pushed the cork into the bottle, with a degree of style and grace. We served it in a pottery jug which worked out well to make the wine look like that served in a French neighbourhood restaurant. It also meant that people at the table wanted to try the 'blind tasting guessing game'.

Unfortunately for the game, this wasn't a tough challenge. If you wanted to give someone a glass of Chardonnay, this would be it. It was a rich, pure fruit blend of lemons, melons (which is an anagram of lemons, so they go together really well) and peach whizzed together.

It was good value at just under ��7 from Berry Bros & Rudd's Outlet store, a ��3 saving on retail. I guess that was because it's now ready to drink and approaching its peak. They are currently selling the 2006 for drinking in 2010.

Chablis Séguinot-Bordet

Another day another cathedral related board game. This time is was Notre Dame, and the objective was to gain prestige and keep your Parisian corner free of rats. We seemed pretty rat free so were able to focus on finer things. We had a 2005 Chablis, Domaine S��guinot-Bordet from Berry Bros & Rudd.

A clear bright lemon gold it had plenty of fruity aromas. There was lemon and peach, as well as a welcome squirt of melon. It was bone dry with a crisp, mineral acidity which suited the wine. Medium bodied with medium alcohol the fruit dominated, but was cut nicely with a little steely minerality.

I picked this bottle up from Berry Bros outlet, saving myself almost three quid from the ��11 asking price. I'd happily pay ��11 for it, but it tasted just that little bit better knowing it was on sale.

Château des Maladrets 2005 Beaujolais Villages

We settled down for a game of Pillars of the Earth, and decided to enjoy a glass of French wine to help us through the trauma of building a cathedral. We had a bottle of Beaujolais Villages 2005 Ch��teau des Maladrets.

A bright purple colour, it smelled of fresh crushed raspberries and blackcurrants. It felt smooth and velvety, with a medium full body. This Beaujolais had mashed fruit a plenty with enough spicy pepper to stop it feeling like Ribena with alcohol.

We served it cool, just a few degrees below room temperature, which really brought out its fruitiness. At ��5-6 a bottle from Majestic, this is a good value wine that adds a little exuberance to the table.

Premiere Sauvignon Blanc From The Loire

The Paris-Nice cycle race is underway and men in brightly coloured lycra are whizzing through streets that I bimbled through slowly in the cold rain as I cycled my way along the Loire. One of the things that kept me going was the promise of a decent glass of wine at the end of each day's ride. We mmostly opted for a jug of house white along the way, and in the sections covered by the Pro-teams for the last couple of days that was Sauvignon Blanc.

The closest I've had to those refreshing cold wines back home is Premiere Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France. It's dry with a high acidity and tastes of fresh grass with grapefruit. The flavour isn't overly intense, and it has a medium body matched by a medium alcohol level. It's about £4 a bottle, which is probably double what we paid in bars for similar quantities fresh out of the tap.

It's not the best Sauvignion Blanc in the world, in France, or even in the Loire, but it tastes like the kind of wine you would be drinking whilst eating your dinner, looking out through the rain at the Loire as it rolls past.

Pere La Force Cabernet-Merlot

Pere La Force boasts a decidedly fancy label, giving the impression of being a swanky wine. It's a Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot mix, the basis of the swankiest Bordeaux. So far so good. It's a Vin de Pays d'Oc, so it's not priced like a Bordeaux.

It's a rich purple colour with a spicy aroma filled out with cooked black fruits. It tastes jammy with liquorice and cake-spices. There's some Ribena-like sweet blackcurrant too. The fruit is somewhat overcooked, but that just makes it feel warming and more-ish. It's easy to enjoy, with enough depth to be interesting.

At under ��5 a bottle this is a good value wine, perfect for a mid week treat, and it wouldn't be out of place with a Sunday roast or a cheese plate.

Domaine de Guiron - Wine as we know it

We had a Domaine de Guiron 2006 from Gascony this weekend. It was fine. It was clear and bright, it smelled fresh and citrussy with a little green grass. It was dry with a medium high acidity. It tasted like wine, slighly acidic, slightly fruity, with a little bit of lemon and apple. It tasted best cold. It was light in body and alcohol with 11.5%.

It's made of a mix of French workhorse grapes including Colombard and Ugni Blanc. It would taste great if you were picnicking on a sunny day, and you've love it bits if you were drinking it outside on a sunny day in Gascony.

At ��5-��5.50 it is rather over-priced for an ordinary wine, there's better choices out there, and it's fun to look for them.

Côtes De Saint Mont - Cuvée Spéciale Boiseraie 2006

When people talk of fine wines, the talk often makes its way to France. France produces some fabulous wines and many command high prices, some even justify those prices. Yet in French households ordinary wine is being drunk and enjoyed by ordinary families with ordinary meals.

C��tes De Saint Mont - Cuv��e Sp��ciale Boiseraie 2006 is just such a wine, picked up in a French supermarket for under ��3, not in the bargain bucket or cheapo-wines section, but in the big aisle full of weekday wines.

Its pale and dry with a medium high acidity. It smells a little of lemons and some curious vegetables, nothing specific, just the sort of smell you get when you open the botton draw of the fridge. It has a similar taste, nothing specific, nothing unpleasant, just nothing memorable.

Givry Premier Cru

I recently had a house guest who loves Pinot Grigio. Just Pinot Grigio, nothing else, and I hadn't got any. I opted for this Givry 1er Cru Blanc 2003 Les Petits Buis as I thought it was likely to be the most acceptable of what was available.

It was a good choice. Dry, crisp and bright, with a clean aroma. It smelled of fresh fruit salad with a hint of nuttiness and cinnamon, which was strange but good. It was pretty fruity, with melon and red apple (not a good description, but a mature, sweet apple, not like a green one!).

Despite being almost, but not completely exactly unlike Pinot Grigio, the wine went down well, receiving a thumbs up. Then there was the pesky moment when I explained it was Chardonnay - a surprise, but one that may have opened up a new, and slightly more expensive interest in wine.

Pouilly-Vinzelles - Paradise?

Having polished off all the Louis Latour M��con-Lugny in the house we opted to try a Louis Latour Pouilly-Vinzelles 'En Paradis' 2005 which looked similar (!) and was about a quid more expensive, so I was looking forward to it.

It's pale, with a light aroma of underripe apricot and some blossom. It's dry with a crisp acidity and medium body. It fell down a little in the flavour department. I was expecting good things but there wasn't a lot of flavour intensity. A little pineapple lurked in there, with a little buttered toast, but it was well diluted, lacking the concentration I'd enjoyed from its cheaper Burgundian neighbour.

Save yourself a pound or two and choose the Macon-Lugny from Majestic instead.

Chablis Saint Martin - Wine at Malmaison

I've just come back from a Christmas jolly at Malmaison in Birmingham. Malmaison is part of the same group as Hotel du Vin, so has an impressive wine list which borders on overwhelming. We had a Michel Laroche Chablis St Martin , I cycled the Way of Saint Martin, and this wine was made on the grounds of an old Monastery named in his honour, so it made me happy.

It was a lemon colour with just a little green. It smelled minerally with green apples. It was bone dry with a crisp acidity. The flinty minerals and apples continued with just a touch of butteriness and nuts on the finish. A nice Chablis.

Expect to pay £10 in the high street, triple that in a restaurant.

Running out of Macon Lugny

With Christmas fast approaching I was shopping for wine, and picked up a selection for assorted festive needs. Two nice people loaded up the car for me.

We tried out a bottle from the haul with a fish pie. It was a Louis Latour M��con-Lugny 2006. A bright, pale lemon with a touch of green. It smelled fresh and crisp with apple and something not quite liquorice, not quite quince but really inviting. Bone dry and crisply acidic it was refreshingly clean. Apples and a little lemon joined the not-quite identified slightly spicy taste with some soft malolactic butteriness. It worked really well.

At ��7-8 a bottle this is good value chardonnay from Burgundy, but with the latest offer at Majestic it's ��5 on multi-buy. I'm really glad, as we've already worked our way through the Christmas dinner allowance. Stock up whilst it's on sale.

Condrieu Les Ravines Niero 2002

It's seriously frosty out there and I needed some warming up. I opted for a sunshine wine Condrieu Les Ravines Niero 2002 from Berry Bros & Rudd.

Pale gold in colour with thick and gloopy legs, it looks warming. It smells quite floral, with honeysuckle and more direct honey. It's dry with a medium acidity and quite a full body and a good slug of alcohol. It tastes like dried rather than fresh apricots and some toasted almonds and strangely, but not unpleasantly, dried flowers.

It has a soft, long finish. It's not an economy wine, and I felt it didn't live up to the ��20 price tag, possibly as it may be just a smidge past it's best and starting to tire.

Beaujolais Nouveau 2007

This weekend we opened our bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau 2007 which arrived Friday - we were concerned it might go off if we left it another week.

Explaining the concept to wine-curious teens wasn't easy. It's tough to explain why you'd rush to buy a wine that's fresh off the vines when they're used to seeing older bottles working their way through the kitchen.

The French have always summed up the Nouveau sales to English speaking countries as "Made early, drunk early, pissed early - paid early", hardly a glowing guarantee of quality, but an honest reflection of the financial realities of wine production. Beaujolais wines aren't all rushed out for the pre-Thanksgiving Thursday. There's plenty of good ones released after a winter of relaxation.

Our bottle was cheerfully bluey-purple with a boiled sweet aroma. Dry, with a medium acidity and little tannin the boiled sweet flavour was enhanced with some raspberries and strawberries as well as a strange confectionery blend which got better with each slurp. 12% alcohol may have helped it get better. Our teen-tester described it as being like wine, just watered down a bit - quite an accurrate description really.

Served cool with the intention of having just one bottle a year, Beaujolais Nouveau is a fun, gluggable, sociable wine. It's fun to try wine from this summer's grapes, you just shouldn't pay a lot for it. This bottle came in at under ��3 so I have no complaints.

My guest photographer considered it important to picture the bottle on the diary page of consumption. Look out for more artistically constructed images in future.

The stuff of dreams

I bought a football club today, well, a piece of one. MyFootballClub agreed to buy Ebbsfleet, a Conference side with prospects. They aren't terribly local to me. I've only been to Gravesend once, to marshal the Tour de France. Owning a football club is often a sign of obsessed passion, but as I own less than 1/20,000th at the moment, I can afford to lose my stake.

Obsessed passion isn't always a bad thing. Claude Calix sold his house and lived in a caravan so that he could establish his own winery. His passion shows through in La Croix des Cabustines Chardonnay 2005. It's a pale gold with strong legs and a rich scent of creamy vanilla and ripe pineapple. Just off dry with a zippy acidity it tastes of toffee apples and cinnamon. The flavour carries on and develops with good fruit and spice.

It tastes noticeably more luxurious than the ��5.50 price tag at Laithwaites, making it a great midweek treat.

Pasta Sauce Wine

Some wines go great with rich thick tomato sauces. Some are better suited to being in the sauce. Ch��teau Guiraud Boissezon Cuvee Melanie 2004 is one of the latter. It adds great colour and richness.

As a drink it's not quite so good. Under-ripe tannins hide the overcooked fruit flavours underneath. There's a little spiciness, but it struggles to fight its way through a wall of acid. If you're not a pasta fan, you could try mulling it at Christmas, added sugar, spice and heat may mellow it. It's not bad served ice cold - one part wine to two parts Coke.