The Guardian

Victoria Moore spent January without the singleton's favourite dinner companion, the ready meal, and instead committed herself to preparing 'a proper meal' - 'not as easy as it sounds when you live on your own and cannot be bothered cooking'. As part of her reformation, she recommends two 'inexpensive and versatile' wines from Northern Italy: the 'smoothly textured but rife with flavour' 2003 Da Luca Alto Barbera d'Asti from Piedmont (6.99, Somerfield) and the 2003 Valpolicella Ripasso Classico (5.99, Marks & Spencer).