Winter warmer with a Pinot Noir

Today has been sunny yet chilly and as I've been in snowy Amsterdam for the last few weeks, I've been craving comfort food. Tonight I cooked a Nigel Slater recipe: haricot beans and chicken bake. It's got rosemary, mushrooms, garlic, cream and parmesan to boot.

Wine choice: Pathway Pinot Noir 2008, 13%, Marlborough, New Zealand (£9.98, Morrisons).

It's raspberry red in colour and quite transparent, with cherries and a hint of American bacon on the nose and on the palate the cherries carry through with roasted hazelnuts.

Probably not quite interesting enough to drink on its own. But it is transformed with the food. The acidity and light tannins cut through the cream and really works with the dish.