Let's start with meat. Wines of Argentina sent up a rallying cry, "Meat with malbec" recently, and usually these sorts of PR drives curdle my mayonnaise. However, Wines of Argentina got it right - in general with a beefy steak, you can't beat a dose of malbec to sauce up your dining. But I wouldn't leave it there: I've tasted some cabernet franc from Argentina to make your very heart shout like a tango-dancing romancer intent on sating its amorous appetite. Hearty fare calls for hearty wines and if you're tucking into a warming stew, blends of spicy deep grapes such as syrah and tannat work a treat - full on grapes that would be professional wrestlers if ever grapes were unleashed onto Sky Sports for our pleasure. How I long for that day.

Spain too has stacks to offer the mightier side of munching - wines from Ribera Del Duero have poke, the top drops from Priorat are imbued with both concentration and finesse and regions such as Calatayud can offer you terrific bang for your buck. And let's not forget Rioja - is there a finer red to go with lamb? You can select a modern fruity style or a more savoury traditional tipple from Rioja, depending on your preference. And if it's a bargain you're after, Chile has a whole bunch of reds that can stack up to gastronomy on a grand scale. Cabernet sauvignon, syrah, carmenere are all worth hunting. And for regions, look out for Elqui for bold spicy pure and seek wines, San Antonio for cooler climate reds that manage to pull of power and poise. And Italy - go wild in the northern hills of Piemonte in your hunt for structured reds such as barolo or head south to Sicily for wines laced with intense spice and perfume that are up and coming as some of the finest in Italy’s arsenal.

The rule of thumb with hearty dining is to think warm climate - nothing from mean and cold places, just stick with anywhere with the kind of climate you’d like to stretch out in wearing as little as possible and you’ll not go far wrong.

Wines from Waitrose

Peter Lehmann Back to Back Grenache 2006. A lighter-bodied red but hearty enough on flavour to match with full-on food. White pepper spice, pure and sleek, awesome value.
 

Torres Salmos 2006 Priorat (pictured, right). A blend of garnacha, syrah, cariñena and cabernet sauvignon, this has superb intensity with herby vanilla flavours, fleshy texture and berry-tinged spice. A wine to rock out with - power and poise.
 

Contino Rioja 2005. A rich, choccy, deep Rioja. Like wading through oodles of sheer pleasure. Intense and concentrated wine with a dose of trademark savoury Rioja spice - wonderful.

www.waitrosewine.com

Wines from merchants

Perez Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. Awesomely fruity with tropical edges (I know it sounds odd for a red wine but think guava), packed with hearty fruit, one of the best value Chilean cabernets on the market.

www.novumwines.com

Fabre Montmayou Gran Reserva Malbec 2007 (pictured, right). An Argentinian beauty packed with bounty. Scented with perfumed touches, the palate is dark and savoury with powerful deep dark fruit and long-lasting flavours. It's like attaching thrust and boost to your palate and going full throttle for the moon.

www.laithwaites.co.uk

Passopisciaro Rosso 2006. Magnificent. Grown on a volcano (Mount Etna, Sicily), this stuff erupts in a gloriously intense burst of zippy fruit, big flavour and sweet spice. Layered, complex, original and sexy; an outstanding wine to impress and indulge.

www.corneyandbarrow.com