Stocking the kitchen wine rack

If you wouldn’t drink it, you shouldn’t put it in your food – but don’t raid your vintage stuff to make a stew

Wine is often called for in a recipe not to add a dash of flavour, but to achieve something more complex Getty

It always amazes me when I listen to chefs advocating sourcing, freshness, locality and seasonality in their ingredients – and then I see their wine list. It often seems that much of their concern for the diner’s experience evaporates at the pass between the kitchen and the table. Happily, more ambitious kitchens are now engaging with their wine lists to produce a unified taste experience for customers.

However, the table is not wine’s ...