It’s unquestionably my favourite time of the year. For those of us in the south of the country, it’s time for perfect blue skies, gentle to moderate warmth, cooling afternoon breezes and long Sunday lunches. Further north, with notable exceptions of course, it’s superbly warm and becoming less humid by the week. It’s a perfect season for red wines that marry the attributes of fragrance and flavour with a fine but genuine backbone and the savoury aspect that’s so essential when sharing them around the table. So please consider the GD Vajra Langhe Rosso 2022. Simply put, this blend of five varieties – of which nebbiolo, barbera and dolcetto are dominant – is one of the most delicious, easy-drinking Italian entry-level wines I have tasted. It speaks so easily of its region and would perfectly suit an antipasto platter, a tomato-based pasta sauce or barbecued Italian-style sausages. I pride myself in sharing wines that over-deliver and this is absolutely no exception.