Jose is our resident wine enthusiast and has kindly agreed to try lots of wines and give you his opinions. Jose tells it exactly like it is so good or bad Jose will leave you in no doubt as to what he thinks.

Lots of candid reviews of what Jose ate, drank and watched last week all wines are given a score out of 100.

Jose's Recommendations for Easter

Easter is upon us. Family gatherings, Spring days out, meeting up with friends. More lovely excuses for a little tipple. In moderation of course.

Let's start with a modestly priced bubbly - Don Cristobal Vintage Brut Reserva Cava 2006. Cover the bottle so none know what it is, offer it as champagne, few will know better, a great bubbly at rock bottom price. Marks & Spencer, £8.35.

My rating 78

I lunched at my country club .The club's claret this year is Chateau Reynier 2003 and, as a loyal member, I'm obliged to drink as much of it as possible. I had it with pan-fried chicken supreme in yoghurt and chilli with con-fit potatoes, broccoli, shallots and rosemary cream. Starting a little insipid, the wine built up with each sip getting better and better. As the club has a thriving wine section there's much input from the knowledgeable section members in choosing the wines carried by the club. I'm more than satisfied with their choice, particularly as it's inexpensively priced. A bottle at the club is £18.45. It's on the internet from J. Filippi Winemaker at $102 for a case (12 bottles). I can't find a retailer but I'd expect it would sell for about £9 a bottle.

My rating 85

As a pre-Easter treat a friend took me to the RAC club near Epsom. The food there has always been a favourite of mine. After a couple of glasses of champagne, I had Orkney scallops with soft cooked bacon on the side and butter-nut squash, followed by chicken, leek & mushroom pie. My pal also had the scallops (without the bacon) followed by slow-cooked belly of Middle White pork, roasted butter-nut, curly kale, and cider jus. We made good work of a bottle Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Marlborough, NZ. I tend towards reds usually but this was gorgeous, gently acidic, full of fruit, citrus, fresh and crisp. Terrific. There's an equivalent (not sure it's the exact one) in John Lewis for about £17.

My rating 86.

My young grandchildren don't tire of pizza. Any offer of eating out always leads to the nearest pizzeria. There are exceptions but generally the wine list in these establishments can be under-whelming. Pizza screams for the big Italian wines but, for a change, at home, I tried Beaujolais-Villages, Louis Jadot, Burgundy 2008. Waitrose £8.54, Budgens under £10.

My rating 80.

Lamb is a favourite dish at Easter- the choice of wines to accompany lamb is wide, so be brave and chose from red Burgundy, northern Rhone red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Tempranillo or Shiraz. You are looking for a long lasting aftertaste to match the robust flavours of the lamb. All the leading supermarkets carry a range of all or most of these, experiment (but in your own time, not when the family is gathered round you to pronounce you a wine genius or a freak).  

Chocolate is difficult to avoid at Easter, especially if you're around children. Keep them busy with choccy bunnies and egg hunts and contemplate the scene with a relaxing glass or two: if you're partial to the chocolate itself match light chocolates to lighter-bodied wines or sherry (try Osborne Pedro Ximenez sherry; stronger chocolate will need full-bodied wine (try a Californian Zinfandel).

Milk Chocolate can take Pinot Noir, Merlot, Rieslings, or most a decent dessert wine. If there's strawberries to go with the chocolate you have an excellent excuse for a sparkling wine or Champagne. Dark or bitter chocolate needs a robust flavour so chose from Zinfadels Cabernet Sauvignon Pinot Noir or Merlot. Be adventurous, discover your preferred choice. Here are some to start you off:

Zinfandel Napa Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. Tesco £10.99. My rating 78

Montana Reserve Pinot Noir, NZ, Marlborough 2007. Tesco £10.66. My rating 78

Blossom Hill Merlot, California, NV. Tesco £5.53. My rating 72

And finally, but not least: a friend, well versed in fine French wines, was bemoaning that he was not so knowledgeable about Italian wines. I said that, if in doubt, I always opted for a Chianti Classico or an Amarone. Here is a good example of the latter. So Tony, if you read this, try this Veneto with game, pasta and/or cheese. Cantina di Negrar 2006 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy. Wonderful red fruit and tannin (great even though I really don't go for too much tannin)

Waitrose £16.14. My rating 86

(Or if you want to push the boat out, £50 at Waitrose will buy a bottle of Allegrini 2004 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, an Italian classic). My rating 92