The Week Wines
Our wine editor Bruce Palling on breaking the rules of food and wine pairing, along with his latest wine selection from Lea & Sandeman.
Is there any point to rules about what to drink with different foods? After half a century of dedicated exploration, I have to admit that there is not much point to most of them. Yes, many whites wines are easier to drink with fish than red, and no, I wouldn’t drink white Burgundy with a rib of beef, but aside from this, most of the time it is a question of personal taste. Cheese is a case in point. The usual preference was red wine with cheese but more recently, adventurous souls have recommended Sancerre with Brie or goat’s cheese and Sauternes with Stilton. My friend, Jeremiah Tower, who practically invented California cuisine, once served Château d’yquem with roast beef and it was deemed a huge success.
There are some wines, such as those made with the Sangiovese grape in Italy, that beg for a robust food to show off their complexity. Sometimes, it is the balance between the two that is memorable. I still recall a meal at a grand Parisian restaurant 40 years ago, where the calf’s liver and the red Burgundy (a Gevrey-chambertin from 1971) perfectly complemented each other. The wine was enhanced by the taste of the liver, which it then eradicated, so that it was like a culinary tennis match with each bite or taste being completely new and perfect.
Strong fish such as red mullet can easily go with either red Burgundy or a good Beaujolais, while chicken is more than happy to team up with a delicate red or white. Other food though, especially game, should always be eaten with red wines. Hugh Johnson, when asked what goes best with grouse, replied “the most expensive and old Bordeaux or Burgundy that you could afford”. These excellent wines from Lea & Sandeman could easily stretch across different food categories, especially the rosé and the Grüner Veltliner, so don’t be afraid to break some rules. MIP* Rosé Domaine Sainte Lucie, 2016 If you thought rosé was an amusing but trivial wine to quaff on summer days, think again. MIP* (made in Provence) abuts Mont Sainte-victoire in the southern Rhône and benefits from a limestone wall that radiates heat back onto the vines. Composed of three of the main Rhône grape varieties (Cinsault, Syrah and Grenache), it is wonderfully aromatic and, despite its delicacy, complex, making it ideal as an apéritif. It has enough structure to make it a perfect accompaniment with Provençal food. This is one of Lea & Sandeman’s bestselling wines.
Grüner Veltliner Hochterrassen Salomon Undhof, 2016 Grüner Veltliner has only become fashionable in the past 20 years, though it has long been Austria’s favourite and most prolific grape variety. With time, these wines can be confused with serious white Burgundy, but at this age, they have a light minerality and a peppery flavour with a hint of green fruit. Sommeliers offer Grüner Veltliner as an alternative to Pinot Grigio as it has more class and freshness.
Dombeya Chardonnay, Stellenbosch, 2015 A surprisingly restrained South African Chardonnay that is not overblown, highly alcoholic or over-oaked. Made by Rianie Strydom, who worked in France and Italy before taking control of Haskell Wines in 2002, it is more like a south of France, or even Australian, Chardonnay, with a freshness and steely core. There is a touch of oak, but the flavour is clean and the alcohol moderate. Le Pech Mégé Domaine des Trinités, LanguedocRoussillon, 2014 The largest wine-producing region of France (between Montpellier and Carcassonne on the slopes of the Cévennes) is not known for producing elegant wines – too often they are heavy and galumphing. This is made from a trio of Rhône grapes (Grenache, Syrah and Carignan) based on biodynamic principles. It has a delightful freshness and balance that is seriously addictive and would work well with either white or red meat.
Caburnio Tenuta Monteti, Tuscany, 2012 This interesting bottle is from the coastal region of Tuscany, home to Sassicaia and Ornellaia, two of the greatest non-traditional Italian reds, and is the creation of Paolo Baratta, a former Italian politician. This region is not particularly friendly to Sangiovese, hence most of the grape varieties here are classic Bordeaux, but there is also 15% Alicante, which gives it a powerful lift. Great with any robust food, this has good balance and harmony, and is extremely good value.
Cèdre Héritage, Château du Cèdre, Carhors, 2014 The more approachable baby brother of their flagship wine, this is 95% Malbec and 5% Merlot rather than the 100% Malbec of its big brother. No shrinking violet, it doesn’t have that overripe burnt flavour that many from Cahors exhibit. It is the most popular wine from the southwest of France on the Lea & Sandeman list and gastropubs love it for its straightforward fruit driven flavours. A perfect barbeque wine.