A WARMING stew consumed outdoors presents a significant problem for the intrepid wine-lover. You need one hand for the bowl, one for the fork and a third for your lovely glass of wine. Perhaps the solution would be one of those fancy hats with a velcroed contraption to hold the wine, and a straw leading directly to your mouth. Regardless, the wine in your hat should be powerful and spicy.

South Africa has been a great wine destination for a long time with gluggable entry-level offerings and stunning bottles on the top shelf. Style-wise they fall between the old and the new world, with many of my favourite producers leaning more towards the French classics. You’ll often find South African blends using Rhone varieties such as Grenache, Shiraz (or Syrah) and Mourvedre that put many a Chateauneuf du Pape to shame, and for a fraction of the price.

A good one to try that doesn’t break the bank is the Cornelia Red 2013 (M&S, £10). This is a blend of Shiraz (70%), Cinsaut (20%) and Mourvedre (10%) from Swartland in South Africa. The grapes work really well together and they all bring something different to the party. It’s full, rich and spicy and perfect with Geoff’s stew.

The Cornelia White 2015 (M&S, £10) also deserves a place in your wine rack, especially if you’re a fan of crisp, clean fruit bombs. South Africa is normally where you find the most recent releases in the wine world, and this 2015 bottle is as fresh as they come.

Incidentally, when you’re picking up your half-case of Cornelia, you should also fling in a few bottles of the Zebra View Pinot Grigio 2014 (M&S, currently on offer at £6). This is very more-ish and exceptional value at just six pounds.