I see that my local supermarket has moved swiftly from summer to Christmas. Harvest festival and Halloween have been swept aside in the hurry to squeeze mince pies, tinsel and Christmas cards on to the shelves. It’s appalling.

In response I am embracing autumn with unprecedented fervour and, more importantly, enjoying it.

With the culinary support — alas, only in book form — of Nigel Slater, Tamasin Day-Lewis and Margaret Costa, I have been selecting the season’s best offerings and finding the most delicious of wines to drink with them.

Let’s begin with the apples, of which I have a substantial bounty from friends this year. Consequently, I am knee-deep in apple sauce, apple chutney, apple pies and crumbles.

Pork and apple sauce is one of autumn’s greatest delights and it has provided the ideal excuse to experiment with a lovely German Riesling from Dr Loosen that I have been sitting on for a while.

You might think it a bit peculiar to drink white wine with pork but I loved the way that the wine’s crisp acidity crunched through the meat’s reasonably high-fat content. I’m also particularly pleased with the way that its apple-like flavours are echoed by the sauce. It may be a slightly unconventional match but successful all the same.

I am fanatical about pigeon. I have never cooked it successfully, so to enjoy it I have had to go out (to hell with the credit crunch!) and totally blown the budget by enjoying it with a glass of tip-top red Burgundy.

It’s the earthy smoothness of Pinot Noir that seems to work so well with pigeon — and partridge too — and I can’t think of a better partner.

You would think I was a fanatical carnivore and it’s not the case. Vegetables are great and very wine friendly, too. Mushrooms are everywhere and in a bid to keep things simple I toss a few into the frying pan to enjoy with a plate of pasta.

As you might expect, nobody does better wines for pasta dishes than the Italians. Many of their reds have that alluring combination of fresh acidity to tackle the carbohydrates and the tannins to match the sauces. Grape varieties such as Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto and Sangiovese deliver on both counts.

You may be getting an inkling of why it is that I will never be a svelte-like figurine of a woman — and the worst confessions are yet to come.

Blueberry crumbles and flaky apple pies are just the absolute best and I’m completely unable to resist them. For the pie I rejoiced uncontrollably when I unearthed a half bottle of Loire valley Côteaux du Layon that I’d bought for a Christmas party over ten years ago. It was as fresh and crisp as the day itself and slipped down a treat with that buttery pastry.

I am even going to hold my hand up and admit to sipping my way though a glass or two of lightly sweet, sparkling Moscato d’Asti from Italy with the crumble.

No matter how quickly the shops would like to take us to Christmas, I urge you to resist. Let us enjoy autumn and all its offerings for now.

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