Goodbye love, hello loneliness and lovely wine

Oh, I'm being optimistic I know, but I can't stop thinking about very slowly cooked courgettes. Some dill, garlic, red chilli, lemon juice and a finely chopped onion.

Grated carrot, a few tomatoes, a little stock and a generous dollop of creme fraiche. A couple of spoonfuls of soaked rice spooned through, some seasoning and a very long simmer. A few more sprigs of dill as a garnish to finish it off. Yes, perhaps there's still enough daylight left to enjoy a light vegetable melange out on the patio of my lovely home, Rose Cottage, in the late afternoon sun.

I'll need a white wine. Something aromatic and fruity with bright floral notes. Step forward today's Wine of the week, the zippy, zesty and thoroughly refreshing 2021 Le Rocher de Saint Victor Picpoul de Pinet (£7.49, Lidl). A luscious palate full of round, gently spiced fruit flavours with rich citrussy backnotes combines with richly scented grassy aromatics. This elegant, well-structured Languedoc white has an abundance of pronounced peach and citrus flavours which mingle most pleasantly with backnotes of fresh green herbs before a very clean, discreetly acidic finish. It will also go extremely well with seafood or mild, creamy curries.

But what if it's cold and windy and wet and thoroughly miserable? Not like today when my darling wife, the enigmatic Madame G., and I walked through stunning parkland, the trees in their Autumn beauty, the woodland paths all dry. Under the November twilight peaceful waters mirrored a still sky. Ah, but on darker, wetter, colder days we'll need something more sombre, brooding and intense. And, most crucially, red. Today's second selection is the rustic, opulent and vibrantly aromatic 2020 Piccadoro Nero d'Avola (£5.75, Tesco). A full-bodied yet delicately spiced Sicilian red, brimfull of ripe, concentrated cherry and blackberry flavours alongside notes of black pepper and coriander before a lengthy, deeply satisfying and very savoury finish. My Madame served it with a delicious chorizo and mozzarella pizza with orange and yellow peppers.

And speaking of my darling wife, she's about to leave me. Again. In two days time. She's headed off to Istanbul to visit a sister who is happy to be married to a very rich sultan. I'm sure she'll have a great time. I won't- I'll be working and worrying, wasting away and waiting for her to come back to me. Probably drinking the odd glass of wine too, just for some company while she's away.

To wish her "bon voyage" I'll cook some trout tomorrow and match it with today's final recommendation, the fabulously fresh and fragrant 2020 M&S Collections Chablis (£15). A theatrically ripe pear and stonefruit nose welcomes a luscious palate full of lemon and crisp, sweet apple flavours which are deftly balanced by understated spice and very discreet hints of oak. Zingy and upbeat, this tangy white will also go wonderfully well with seafood, especially oysters and, dare I say it so early, it could even be a contender for serving with your prawn cocktails on Christmas Day.

Meanwhile, I will sit and I will wait. And look at the boats sailing past, wondering if that's the one that will bring my beloved home. A melancholy pastime best accompanied by more than a few glasses of wonderful wine. As I always tell my Madame, if you want the good stuff, stick with me. Till next week, tipplers, sante!