We hope you all had a lovely valentines day yesterday! And as we’re in the mood we thought we’d mention the Tesco Finest Premier Cru Champagne today in our weekly picks. This medium-dry, well-rounded, elegant and fruity Champagne is a gold award winner of the International Wine Competition. The producer, Union Champagne in Avize, is the largest owner of premier and grand cru grapes in Champagne, owning some 1200 hectares of vines, thus giving them access to the lion's share of the best quality. Bob Tyrer of the Sunday Times recently wrote how this is, “one of the most interesting champagnes I’ve tasted for ages is a non-pink from Tesco, and it’s been reduced to a price even I can afford. Grown up fruit and minerals – a terrific bargain”. So if you’re looking to entertain this weekend, or are looking to celebrate something special, you can’t go far wrong with this.

Second up this week, we’ve got the 2010 Finest* Cotes Catalanes Carignan. Full of character, Sarah Jane Evans of Good Food, recently raved about how, “this crisp cherry and redcurrant number gets its flavours from the concentrated fruit of old vines. There are no oak barrels to flavour here, just grapes, pure and simple.” She recommends that you drink it with, grilled meat, hard cheeses, roasted vegetables – just as the Catalans would.