An Occasional TIpple: Here's to the glories of love, friendship an fabulous wine

What brought Yeats' immortal lines to mind was visiting a very dear pal, the rakish and roguish Terence Spiddell, last Saturday evening as he (somewhat impossibly) celebrated his 60th birthday. Alas, my own darling wife, the enigmatic Madame G., couldn’t make it to his birthday bash so I represented the side and made sure to eat enough of the delicious nibbles prepared by Spiddell’s glamorous Germanic partner, Helena Von Bielenberg, for both of us.

Helena had ingeniously constructed a delicious deconstructed (stop rolling your eyes!) take on chip-shop style fish’n’chips with homemade curry sauce. A veritable triumph which I took the trouble to match with today's WINE OF THE WEEK, the remarkably lush, fabulously fragrant and opulently golden 2021 Kimbao Sauvignon Blanc (£12.99, Naked Wines, visit www.nakedwines.com). A fulsome attack of citrussy and mineral flavours is enhanced by subtle, understated nutty aromatics and soothing backnotes of toast and honey. Unctuous and heady, this sophisticated Chilean white will also be an ideal match to subtly spiced fish or poultry dishes.

While the food may have been delightful and the wine sublime, the craic was about 90 miles better. Alas, all good times must come to an end and after much debauched merriment I headed back to our lovely home, Rose Cottage, in the cerebral company of another dear friend of a decidedly more philosophical, theological bent. This left me feeling somewhat maudlin. How quickly the pendulum spins around! One moment you’re clinking glasses, laughing, joking and singing the Okey Cokey. The next moment, it's time to shed a tear and weep for the troubles of our crazy world.

I find that red wine has a more consoling and sombre quality than white. So, even though I had been jollying the evening away with Sauvignon Blanc, before I went to bed I poured myself a large glass of today's second recommendation, the devilishly smooth, exquisitely balanced and very elegant 2021 Cotes du Rhone Villages (£11, M&S). Perfect with chicken, pork or fish, this medium-bodied red combines rich, tangy blackberry with softer cherry flavours over vividly atmospheric notes of wild violets before expertly judged hints of vanilla and spice add some complexity to its luxurious finish.

You could say that friendship isn't exactly rocket science. Not exactly. It's more about sharing and caring, innit? And being there. Boring stuff like that. Not judging too harshly when friends fail to express all this quite as eloquently as Yeats. Let's raise a glass this weekend to the glories of love, friendship and 60 years of Spiddell! Till next week, tipplers, sante!