A World Cup of wine

From 11 June until 11 July, there will be no escaping the World Cup. It's going to be a long month for those who don't like football, but even people who would prefer to watch grass grow than look at 22 men running around a field after a ball will accept that the idea of the world coming together for a month of fun is much better than some of the alternatives.

And, anyway, there's always wine. You can enjoy or escape the World Cup with a glass or two from many of the 32 countries competing in this year's tournament. We've got four footballing wines for you, and we're kicking off with one from South Africa.

The host nation's most famous grape is Pinotage. This is a blend of Pinot Noir and Hermitage, hence the name "Pinotage". It produces dark red wines with earthy flavours, hints of tropical fruit and lots of alcohol. We can recommend a 2008 Avontuur Pinotage from Stellenbosch. It has a very deep red, almost purple, colour, with a vanilla and coconut aroma, and it tastes of fruit and spices. Michael Oliver is a fan.