To the Grange for Scotland v England on Monday with Richard Marsham and Ed Brooke of the Leith Agency. Of course, wine and cricket have always been happy bedfellows - what better way to while away a rest day on a long tour to South Africa, Australia or New Zealand than by visiting a vineyard? With that in mind and knowing how much these advertising executives love their wine I paid a visit to Zubair Mohammed in the Stockbridge's Raeburn Fine wines (www.raeburnfinewines.com) to pick up the tipple for the lunch party.

In my quest to re-educate virtually everyone I meet on the delights of France I opted for a Sancerre (Sancerre 2005 Thierry Merlin-Cherrier), a Chinon (Chinon Cuvée Terroir 2002, Charles Joguet) from the Loire and a straight Bourgogne rouge 2005 (Domaine Dureuil-Janthial Bourgogne rouge 2005) from Burgundy, all coming in at around £10 a bottle. So that's a sauvignon blanc, cabernet franc and a pinot noir for the varietal lovers out there.

Marsham, who by day heads up the Leith Agency, is actually a bit of a wine buff and as lunch wore on I sensed some dissatisfaction with my selection. One of the reasons I volunteered was that the wines had a delicate, gentle character. Being from France they went well with food, meaning that the flavours were not overpoweringly ripe or fruit driven. The Sancerre flickered on the tongue and made for a soft, round aperitif while the Bourgogne rouge had plenty of lively, red cherry fruit without fatiguing the palate. Perhaps the Chinon was past its best as the fruit had faded away, leaving it with a meatier, animal character. To illustrate my point we ordered a Californian pinot noir. It was a little like switching from Bach to AC/DC and the effect was immediate. These wines, with their soft tannins and powerful fruit, invariably perform extremely well at international tastings and wine shows but often poorly when accompanied by food.

Bargains for your palate

There are still some eye-catching bargains on the shelves. Sainsbury has dropped 25% off its 2007 Brown Brothers Tarrango, down from £5.99, now £4.49. It's a light, Beaujolais-style red that can be served chilled. It's also offering Montana Sauvignon Blanc, a reliable, attractive white from Marlborough, New Zealand, down 25% from £7.99 to £5.99. Wine Rack and Thresher are offering Codorniu pinot noir Cava rose at £5.99, down from £8.99, when you buy three.

Foodies at the Festival

Don't forget you can catch me at Foodies at The Festival (www.foodiesfestival.com) this Saturday, 23rd August, where I will be hosting a masterclass on dry, white Bordeaux. For more information or to book tickets, call the hotline on 0131 226 7766.