A few suggestions for things to drink with the dishes cooked on Nigel Slater's new series on the BBC.

A. Squash and Turkey Bake

This looks full of flavour, with the sweetness of the squash and the deep savoury flavours from the mushrooms, onions and turkey mince. It definately needs a good red wine, and I think one with a fruit driven style. The sweetness of the squash makes me think of a Grenache based wine, one where the yields are low and the winemaker has worked with a gentle hand. An ideal place to find a wine like this would be the Terrasses du Larzac, particularly "Miejour" from Plan de l'Om, or the "Les Terrasses" from Domaine de la Croix Chaptal. Both have lovely well defined fruit flavours, with red berry fruit to the fore, with sweet spice and  a lovely touch of dried herbs in the "Les Terrasses" and more complex fruit and spice in the "Miejour".

B. Pasta Pesto

Pesto based on basil, parmesan and olive oil needs a wine that has sufficient acidity to not be overwhelmed and tannins that do not become astringent against the big complex flavours of the sauce. It is a classic Italian dish, and I would go for a classic Italian wine. The best is probably a good Chianti, or other Sangiovese based wine.

C. Broad Bean, Chilli and Red Onion Bruschetta

This looks to be a lovely lunch dish (I'll try it when the braod beans are ready next June!). It is a dish that will be great with a lighter red wine, or a fuller bodied dry white. If I went for a red wine it would need to be a nice ripe Pinot Noir, say the Ata Rangi Pinot from New Zealand, or a Cinsault from my beloved Languedoc. From my range i would go for the Cinq Seaux from Domaine d'Emile et Rose (formerly 1000 Roses), which while having plenty of fruit, and lowish tannins has been made with a gentle hand and so is light enough to combine nicely with these lovely flavours.

D. Ploughman's Pie

A novel dish this, an apple pie made with a cheesey pastry. As it has a sweetness with the savoury cheese, I don't know what wines to recommend with this dish. Perhaps a late harvest Grenache Noir from Languedoc, but one that is not very sweet. The wine would work well with the cheese in the pastry, and not be lost against the apples. Worth thinking about, but if you find a Grenache like this, let me know as I have been looking for a god one for ages!

E. Aromatic Mackerel

The oriental spices and herbs make this awkward to match with wine, but the oilyness of the fish and the ginger push me towards a white mine that is aromatic, but with a richness and a reasonably high acidity. I would go for a Picpoul de Pinet from Languedoc, but not any old Picpoul, this dish needs the best, and that it the Chateau Saint Martin de la Garrigue Picpoul de Pinet. Why is it the best? Well, it is complex, it has loads of flavour including apple, pear, lemon, tropical fruit, and loads of herbaciousness, it has a lovely weight in the mouth and perfect balance. It is as good a white wine as you could want to drink!

F. Roast Chicken

With Garlic, lemon, thyme and sage. FOr this I would want to drink something with a bit of power, either a full bodied white, or a red that has lovely soft tannins. The white could be an oaked Chardonnay, or from my range the lovely Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup CuveeSainte Agnes Blanc 2009, made from Rousanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Marsanne fermented and aged in oak.

All of these recipes certainly made my mouth water, and the thought of them has encouraged me to start blogging again. Let's hope the series continues to be as interesting, and that I have got back into blogging!