WINTER WARMERS TO YOUR DOOR
As we throw on our coats and indulge in heartier meals, our wines have also become heartier. Aside from feeling (and tasting!) good, winter wines are an instant comfort and a very welcome dinner party guest. Good Pair Days sommelier Banjo Harris Plane sat down with WHO to talk unusual food and wine pairings, dinner party tips and the latest wine trends.
What are some dos and don’ts of hosting a dinner party?
DO: Invite a diverse mix of people, be prepared – so you’re not scrambling on the evening – and most importantly, have fun!
DON’T:
• Be stingy – make sure there’s plenty of food and wine to go around.
• Just serve takeaway
• Only have reds or whites available – mix it up! Having friends over for dinner is not always a fine dining affair. Can you give us a quick pairing guide with some simple winter meals?
• Slow-cooked lamb shanks with a medium bodied cabernet sauvignon or cabernet franc
• Roast pork and vegetables with a richer pinot noir or grenache
• Carbonara pasta with a richer chardonnay or viognier
• Spicy Indian or Thai curries with an off-dry riesling or gewurztraminer.
Tell us about the latest trends in wine
Wine in a can is a big one – there’ s so many producers getting into this, it will flourish this summer. Low preservative wines are also growing in popularity. Light reds have been a trend for a little while now, but varieties such as grenache, dolcetto and gamay are becoming more popular, and can also be drunk in warmer weather. What’s an unusual food pairing you have tried that really worked?
Champagne and a block of parmesan cheese – the saltiness of the cheese goes so well with the wine!
Dessert wine – yes/no and why?
Dessert wine is so great, you just can’t drink too much of it. [There’s] so much flavour and complexity, and it’s a lovely way to finish a great meal.
How can we hold a wine tasting at home? Should we stick to the same brand/region or varietal?
The same variety can be fun, as long as everything else is mixed up – like the regions and producers. For example, you could have five different pinots from five different countries or states. A mix of producers from the same region can also be great.
As a sommelier what is the most expensive bottle of wine you have ever had?
A few years ago I was lucky enough to take part in an amazing educational scholarship for wine professionals, called the Len Evans Tutorial. At one of the dinners we were served wines going back to 1899, from some of the great producers in France. It’s hard to highlight one bottle, but a 1966 pinot noir from Domaine de la Romanée Conti (regarded as the greatest pinot producer on earth) was very memorable.