Wines for summery dishes – and to boost morale
ummer? What summer? Sadly, the weather this year has been distinctly below par in the UK, although probably more like the standard British summer. After last year’samazingweatherfromMarch throughtoSeptember,wetendtothink– orhope–thateveryyearwillbethesame. Theeffectsofglobalwarming,however, havesoughttobringusbacktoreality,no doubtincreasingsalesofumbrellasand waterproofjackets.Althoughwehaven’t experiencedthe‘warming’partofthe equation,wehavecertainlyfelttheeffects oftheupsetofglobalweatherpatterns, withextremeweatherhittingmanyparts ofEurope,includingtheUK(yes,weare stillpartofEurope!).
Nevertheless, below average or not, we still have a couple of weeks left to fire up the barbie, or serve some summery dishes outside or in, accompanied naturally by a little glass of wine to both complement the dishes and give a boost to morale.
A glass of fizz always lifts the spirits and puts you in the party mood, even if its just the two of you. I have always been a huge fan of the crémant wines from different regions of France, representing excellent value for money. Made by the traditional method – the same as champagne – the quality of all crémant is irreproachable, with the price tag making it very affordable on a regular basis.
Sainsbury’s currently has a rather good Crémant de Bourgogne Brut, made by the aptly named Maison du Crémant, at £14 a bottle. Coming from the prestigious Burgundy region of France, it is made from a blend of several burgundian grape varieties, including chardonnay, aligoté, pinot
Snoir and gamay. Even though the latter two varieties are black, the wine is white, due to gently pressing of the grapes and elimination of the skins, which hold the colour.
Pale golden with a steady stream of fine bubbles, the aromas and flavours are of elderflower, green apple and lime, with hints of brioche from the 14 to 16 months ageing on the lees. A delicious way to start your meal, entertain friends and even excellent with a good old English fish and chips!
Following on from the apéritif, a crisp glass of sauvignon blanc is perfect summer drinking. La
Belle Angèle Sauvignon Blanc is elegant, refreshing and aromatic, from Majestic at £9.99. Designated simply as ‘Vin de France’ with no geographical origin, it is a blend of sauvignon blanc from different regions of France, designed to demonstrate the greatness of French sauvignon. Bursting with flavours of apple, citrus and gooseberry, it is the perfect accompaniment to a courgette and bacon quiche.
La Belle Angèle was the muse of many impressionist painters in the BelleÉpoque at the beginning of the 20th century. Known for her charm, elegance, good taste and joie de vivre, the same values as embodied by the wine.
After the starter, now for the main. Spicy sausages on the barbecue, with chicken or kebabs in a herby, peppery marinade with a touch of chili, needs a characterful, full-blooded red to match the smoky, spicy flavours. Les Jamelles Syrah 2019 from The Co-op is just the ticket at a more than reasonable £7.25. From the Pays d’Oc in the south of France, it is a deep coloured red, with great intensity of blackberries, black pepper and spice. ussex-based applicants are able to apply for grants of up to £2,000 to help save endangered crafts.
The grants are provided by The Heritage Crafts Association and the Sussex Heritage Trust. Four Sussex grants were awarded in March to two flint wallers, a brick and tile maker and a trug maker.
Duncan Berry is director at Berry Stonework Ltd, based in Lavant, near Chichester. He was one of the flint wallers and used the grant to buy tools. He said: “Flint walling was something that I did at school. I wanted to be a bricklayer but where I grew up there was flint so I learned the trade.”
Flintknapping is something that Berry Stonework does and is currently on the endangered list. It is the shaping of flint with a hammerstone for masonry purposes for use on buildings or facing walls.
He said: “It is so important to keep these heritage crafts going and not just for historical buildings but we recently did something at a site in Salisbury on some really modern, contemporary houses. It is as relevant to new housing as it is to older homes.”
“There are three of us and Callum Jackson, who has come through from 17, not knowing what he wants to do, is now 22 and set up for life. It is a skill and he will be able to command how much he earns as he gets older as it will become a rarity.”
The Endangered Crafts Fund was launched in 2019 to increase the likelihood of endangered crafts surviving into the next generation. To apply, the craft must be listed as endangered or critically endangered on the current HCA Red List of Endangered Crafts. The funding deadline for applications is next
SFriday (August 27). A wide variety of support is available from training yourself to learning a new craft or technique, to training an apprentice, buying specialist equipment, running workshops or finding innovative approaches to supporting and promoting endangered crafts.
Helen Reeve, general manager at Sussex Heritage Trust, said: “Excellent architecture and design, traditional building skills and craftmanship are an important part of the rich heritage of Sussex.
“It is important to facilitate the transfer of endangered crafts, building skills and knowledge, which is why we also run a bursary scheme for young people in Sussex looking to attend short courses on building conservation techniques at either the Weald & Downland Living Museum or West Dean College of Arts and Conservation.”
The Heritage Craft Association produces the Red List of Endangered Crafts every two years. The third was released this year and it reveals the crafts most at risk. It is compiled using data from a range of individuals and stakeholder groups including craftspeople, businesses, guilds and associations.
Mary Lewis, endangered crafts manager at HCA, said: “The Heritage Crafts Association’s mission is to support and promote crafts as a fundamental part of our living heritage. We believe that heritage crafts provide all sorts of benefits to the general public, and that they are part of culture as much as monuments and museum artefacts.”
For more information, email Mary at mary@heritagecrafts.org.uk or, Helen at helen.reeve@sussexheritagetrust.org.uk To apply, visit sussexheritagetrust.org.uk
By Richard Esling BSc DipWSET . Richard is an experienced wine consultant, agent, writer and educator. An erstwhile wine importer, he runs a wine agency and consultancy company called WineWyse, is founder and principal of the Sussex Wine Academy, chairman of Arundel Wine Society and is an International Wine Judge. @richardwje www.winewyse.com