JOIN THE CLUB

What do chefs Jean-Christophe Novelli and Angela Hartnett, florist Orlando Hamilton and pig farmer Jimmy Doherty have in common?

A passion for entertaining.  Iconic Californian winemaker, Robert Mondavi, has rounded them up along with 24 UK food & wine experts to discuss the finer things in life at the Robert Mondavi Supper Club.

You can sign up to the website for free, and every month you will receive new recipes, and tips for stylish entertaining, the chance to win cool prizes (this month it's six Riedel Vinum Chardonnay glasses and a stylish Ultra decanter) and get access to special Mondavi wines from its cellars.   

The website also provides detailed wine tasting notes and suggestions for food and wine matching, if like me, you are clueless and often buy wine because you like the name!

Robert Mondavi’s mission has always been to enrich life through wine. In the US he is credited as the father of the Californian wine industry and he has an inextricable link with food, the arts and ‘gracious living’. The Robert Mondavi Supper Club has been created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Mondavi winery and to bring this philosophy to the UK.  

I sampled a few of the wines myself:

Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Chardonnay

Chardonnay is so 'Bridget Jones' but I can't help having a soft spot for it's oaky richness. This Californian beauty is a very soft, delicate Chardonnay without the harshness of some of the Chardonnay brands on the market. Very smooth, with definite lemony and peach tones.

Available from Somerfield - RRP £6.49

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Oh, this one is gorgeous. I could have drunk it all night. It has a very berry-like taste - blackberries, cherries and plums, and is unbelievably smooth. Recommended - it didn't last long!

Available from Majestic - RRP £9.99