Wine to dine

Drinks writer Peter Ranscombe picks three wines to go with Andy Mitchell’s recipes

DOMAINE JONES BLANC, 2013, £16 (VINO WINES)

Katie Jones once sold wines on behalf of a local co-operative in the Languedoc before setting up her own winery in 2009. Vandals emptied away all of her 2012 white wine, but Katie recovered and her 2013 blanc is a worthy comeback anthem. Grenache is best known as a red grape variety but here Katie has used its pink-skinned cousin, Grenache Gris, to make a dry white with aromas of blossoms and honeysuckle on the nose leading into fruity peach flavours and a touch of spice on the palate. Such whites from Roussillon will match the seared scallops well.

STONIER MORNINGTON PENINSULA PINOT NOIR, 2011, £14.99 (WAITROSE)

Pinot Noir could have been created to go with game – its juicy red fruit flavours and the absence of harsh tannins make it an ideal pairing for a host of meats, from pheasant through to venison. This bottle is special because it has more body than other Pinot Noirs from New Zealand, with the wood smoke and tobacco notes on the nose hinting at the meaty flavours on the palate. All of the red fruit aromas of strawberries, raspberries and cherries follow through on to the tongue, with the chewy tannins making it an ideal match.

CHATEAU BRIATTE, 2009, £22.75 (CORNEY & BARROW)

While the apples and the pears may be poached in red wine, I’ve opted for a Sauterne, France’s premier sweet white wine, as the pairing for this pudding because the honeyed flavours of the Chateau Briatte will work well with the honey and oatmeal parfait as well as the poached fruits. The honey flavours are balanced by refreshing acidity, which stops this dessert wine from becoming too cloying. To read interviews with Aurelio Montes Jr of Kaiken Winery in Argentina and John Kolasa of Château Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux, check out Peter Ranscombe’s blog, The Grape & The Grain, on the Scottish Field website at www.scottishfield.co.uk/ category/grapegrain/