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Winter evenings, we are constantly reminded, are the time to open the big reds, bring out the big guns, release the heavy hitters. That may be so, but light, elegant reds that do not clobber the food or the taster are always in season.

From Blauer Portugieser (a red grape once common across Germany, Austria and eastern Europe but now declining), and Schwarzriesling (nothing to do with Riesling, but Pinot Meunier, of blanc-de-noirs champagne fame), Lukas Krauß makes this wonderfully bright cherry-coloured wine, named in honour of his grandfather.

Smells of cherries, almonds and rose petals, a downright fragrant wine.
In the mouth, it brings clean, clear cherry and strawberry fruit, clove, aniseed and a little liquorice in the background.

For those who think red wine at all times needs to be so concentrated that it makes you vent steam out of your nostrils: hands off! For the rest, this is my recommendation for elegance, originality and drinking pleasure.

You can have it with a winter salad, like we did. It should also get along well with mild cheeses, having soft tannin, but good structure. Or it could accompany the rest of your Vanillekipferl, Zimtsterne and assorted Christmas biscuits over an afternoon.