Hairy Bikers

Lemon and Almond Cake

Olly’s wine pairing: Moscato d’Asti Sourgal, Elio Perrone 2021 (5%) £8.50, thewinesociety.com

This sweet bubbly is charming served cold with a lemon and almond cake.

With just 5% alcohol, it’s light on its feet and the fizz lifts the palate splendidly. Every bubble is a bursting mini peach in a bright syrup squeezed from the ripest grapes.

Steak Bakes

Olly’s wine pairing: Finest Primitivo Terre di Chieti 2021 (14%) £7, Tesco

This Italian red is as fruity and deep as a plum in an inkwell.

With steak bakes, a hearty glugging red is just the ticket and this has a warming character for the richness of steak plus a perfect supple texture for that softly surrounding pastry.

Crab, Courgette and Saffron Tart

Olly’s wine pairing: M&S Found Ribolla Gialla 2020 (12%) £7.50

Crab always pairs beautifully with mildly aromatic grape varieties and this lightly floral ribolla gialla from Friuli in Italy has flown under the radar for too long. With its impressive appley allure and gentle fragrance, at this price, you just can’t lose.

Mac & Cheese Pie

Olly’s wine pairing: Pasqua Passimento Bianco 2021 (13%) £11.99, or £9.99 in a Mix Six deal, Majestic

A genius white wine made using a portion of dried white grapes, which fleshes out the texture into a creamy glossiness and gives the wine impressive depth. Spot on to pair with this rich and cleverly seasoned pie, it’s a real statement wine that’s terrific bang for your buck.

Cheat's Sourdough

Olly’s wine pairing: Beavertown Neck Oil Session IPA (330ml, 4.3%) £2, Sainsbury’s

Cold beer with a ploughman’s is one of life’s pleasures, and Neck Oil, packed with exotic hoppy vibrancy, strikes a balance between full flavour and light texture. It’s all the lubrication you need!

Blueberry Skyr Muffins

Olly’s wine pairing: Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin (37.8%) £35, Waitrose

This gin is steeped with shiraz grapes from Victoria in Australia for eight weeks, giving it a sweet fruitiness that’s lovely in a G&T – try 45ml Bloody Shiraz Gin with 100ml tonic and garnish with lemon.

Custard Tart

Olly’s wine pairing: Waitrose Cream Sherry (19.5%) £7.69

For a full-size bottle of scrumptious sweet sherry this is a steal of a deal. I love it served chilled in a white wine glass, and alongside a custard tart it’s a delightfully decadent treat at teatime. This bronze beauty will fortify against autumn’s chill.