Mike Tipping suggests the perfect wine to drink with a bowl of chilli con carne.

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed the unfortunate juxtaposition of Bar Talk and Tipping's Tipples last week (never mix grape and grain that's what I say). Obviously short of beer news, Joshua Titley resorted to throwing insults at we wine drinkers, whom he brands,'snooty hootered plonkaphiles.' That makes me hopping mad (deliberate pun), I can only assume that Mr Titley is currently suffering from SAD (smashed ale drinker) disorder.

You'll be glad to know there was not a snooty hooter in sight when I attended an Ebor Tipplers wine and food evening last month. Although there were one or two red hooters at the end of the tasting! The ET evenings are run by self-proclaimed enthusiastic amateurs Julie Holmes and Terry Pulleyn. Terry picks the wines and Julie prepares sample-sized food accompaniments.

The evening was informal but informative - you don't need to qualify as a wine anorak to attend. Delicious food, excellent wine and the opportunity to play the winebibbers version of the Price Is Right, what more can you ask for? Tickets cost £25 per person and when I attended, the venue was the historic Jacob's Well building in Trinity Lane, York. If you're interested in joining the mailing list, which will inform you of future sessions, then Julie can be contacted by email (julie.holmes60@ntlworld.com).

On the subject of food and wine pairing, I've come across the perfect wine accompaniment for chilli con carne, Las Moras Tannat Reserva 2003.

From the award-winning Las Moras winery in the San Juan region of Argentina it is produced entirely from organic grapes.

The tannat grape is known for producing deeply-coloured wines with plenty of tannins and this is no exception. Briary and rustic, but nicely balanced, there are flavours of blackcurrant and blackberry fruit with a little vanilla. A nicely made wine for the price.

Las Moras Tannat Reserva 2003, £6.49 at Majestic 16/20

Tippling term of the week: Mousse

A French word used to describe the froth on top of your Champers.

Updated: 16:38 Friday, January 27, 2006