The perfect wine pairings for beans on toast and microwave meals | Alistair Gibson

Our pubs and restaurants remain closed but the sales of alcohol from supermarkets and independent wine merchants has increased dramatically.

A glass of wine to relax with at the end of the day is a small pleasure that we can still enjoy.

Here is an, almost, tongue-in-cheek take on wine pairing with meals made from store cupboard essentials.

Basic pasta in a tomato sauce has become a lockdown classic.

Ramón Bilbao Selección Especial 2017, Rioja (Majestic £9.99 but £7.49 if part of a mixed six) is a very modern-style rioja with more than enough youthful, bright red fruits to match the tomato element.

It has a relatively high proportion of garnacha in the blend and only spends eight months in oak, leading to a wine with aromas of red cherries and blackberries and just a little spice in the background. That is followed by a supple palate with more red cherries and gentle tannins before a well-rounded finish.

It would also work if you had combined a tin of tuna into your pasta sauce as well, and even beans on toast?

Rosé is a very versatile style of wine to pair with many store cupboard items.

Laurent Miquel Vendanges Nocturnes Rosé 2019, Pays d’Oc (Waitrose £6.69 on offer from £8.99 until May 5) is a blend of cinsault and syrah and, as the name implies, harvested at night to retain as much freshness as possible.

It’s a very delicate pale colour with red summer fruits and a dusting of lemon sherbet on the nose. The palate has more red fruits and a fresh, crisp finish. Pair with chicken and mushroom instant noodles or a spicy Asian-flavoured microwaveable rice sachet.

I made myself cheese on toast with the most mature cheddar that I could find and lashings of Worcestershire Sauce. Colomé Malbec 2018, Salta (Waitrose £12.99 on offer from £17.49 until May 5) was the perfect match.

It is made from some of the highest altitude vineyards in Argentina and is a very, fruit-forward New World-style red.

There is rich dark plum, spice and chocolate on the nose, followed by a smooth, dark fruit palate with a long, velvety finish. Almost too easy to drink in a lockdown but while on offer this is great value.