A quiet Saturday night in with the trouble & strife, Céline a friend, three fennel bulbs and some extra fine Shropshire blue.

For lack of anything carnal, I rustled up this River Café classic and washed it down with a particularly fine bottle of 2006 Valpolicella from Giuseppe Quintarelli. The spice in the wine was a fine foil to the crumbled Guyane chillies which gave it a certain, subtle, kick.

The 2005 was good, but the 2006 is definitely better.

Ah Bepi, as Giuseppe was known, your memory lingers on as does your reputation. Worth seeking out. The 2012 Macon Milly Lamartine from Héritiers de Comtes de Lafon was a little taciturn.