The Friday 5 #98

At last! Weather for rosé and my pick of the ones to buy now + May's book giveaway and further success with the air fryer . . .

I certainly didn’t expect it to be warmer and sunnier back in the UK than it was for the last few days in Umbria which included a massive hailstorm but that’s the unpredictable world we live in now. 

Anyway it means our thoughts can finally turn to spring eating and drinking including rosé (you’ll find my pick of the ones I’ve tasted so far including a couple I’m buying myself) and pet nat, a deliciously summery semi-sparkling natural wine which I wrote about in the Guardian last weekend

Those of you who have gardens can also - cross fingers - safely bring out the barbecue and, I suggest, get yourself a copy of Helen Graves new book BBQ Days, BBQ Nights which came out yesterday and which I can’t wait to get my hands on, being a massive fan of her previous book Live Fire.

It’s also time for my latest giveaway: Marc Millon’s scholarly but immensely readable Italy in a Wine Glass, plus a miraculous way of growing tomatoes and a surprisingly successful riff on a ploughman’s using Jersey Royals …

Oh, and a bit of housekeeping. A couple of paid subscribers who didn’t mean to unsubscribe had fallen by the wayside because they’d had to replace their credit card which often happens these days if there’s any security issue. So if you’re no longer a paid subscriber and want to carry on getting my wine and restaurant recs and recipes and join my monthly online tastings you may need to sign up again with the new card. 

Here we go then with the Friday 5.