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Best Buys

The Boekenhoutskloof winery in South Africa is a famous producer. Its Porcupine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon (£5.24 down from £6.99) and Sauvignon (£4.49 down from £5.99) offer a cut-price glimpse of that star quality at Sainsbury's until May 13. Read

Cocktail Of The Week

CRANBERRY HIGHBALL Read

Ingredient Of The Week

The broad bean is a neglected vegetable, which is a shame because it has a robust flavour and is full of protein, phosphorous and vitamins A and C. Read

Matching your BBQ food with good wine

IT'S not hearing the first cuckoo, nor t he growl of countless petrol mowers coughing into life, but the wafting smoke of a million barbecues over garden fences across the nation, that finally confirms the beginning of the English summer. Read

Perfect Partners

SPRING LAMB AND WINE Read

The Church Tavern, Church Road, Perry Barr

THE Church Tavern has for a long time been a family-fun pub with a wacky warehouse, a child friendly policy, large family dining area and lots of bright lights and bubble gum machines. Read

The Mash House, The Waters Edge, Brindeyplace.

ONLY wimps don't like sausages and mash. Read

Cydric Tachdjian

They seek him here, they seek him there... foodies seek him everywhere

CRISP baguette, some smelly cheese, a few slices of garlicky sausage and a salad or two. Maybe a fruit tart for dessert. Read

Wythall Fish Bar; Station Road, Wythall

CONSIDERING the area's rural charms, it's amazing to see some inner city-style concrete bollards outside of this lovely shop. But the chips are so good, they're probably handy for keeping a clearway close to the door at peak times when the shop will have five-star potential. Served on a relatively quiet night by a happy lady keen to watch some European football (my kind of woman), a cone of fine chips weighed in at 320g on my in car-scales. At just 80p, a second helping was mighty tempting. Read

Bank, 4 Brindleyplace, Birmingham. 0121 633 4466.

WHY, when good ingredients have been cooked well and served by competent, charming staff, should I have left Bank without a feeling of warmth? Read

Best Buys

From New Zealand, Marlborough Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Majestic, £7.49 but down to £4.99 if you buy two), is perfect for spring, with punchy, invigorating, ripe, limey fruit in abundance. Read

Cocktail Of The Week

GIMLET Read

Glynn Purnell

Dimples make a great impression

EVERYONE knows dimples are cute. But did you know they can help make sure your chicken is cooked perfectly? Read

Ingredient Of The Week

WINNER of last year's World Cheese Award for Best Italian Cheese, Gorgonzola takes its name from the village of - yes, you've guessed it - Gorgonzola, near Milan. Read

Perfect Partners

MUSHROOM RISOTTO AND BAROLO Read

Sutton's Fish Bar, Walmley Road, Sutton Coldfield

NOTHING ever beats service with a smile. Read

The Malt House, 75 King Edwards Road, Brindleyplace, Birmingham

THIS Spirit pub is surely missing the biggest PR trick in the city. Read

Wine tourism has really taken off

THE film Sideways may have given wine tourism a shot in the arm - while not doing very much for sales of merlot. Read

Cielo

A taste of Italy left a spring in my step

MANY are the Italian restaurants I've tried in this country. Few are those that have left me skipping with joy. Read

Be proud of English wine

IT'S time to raise a toast to all things English this week, what with the Queen's birthday, Charles and Camilla in Brum and then St George's Day to inspire an overflow of national pride. Read

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