Cheers to Food Fortnight!
Sam Wylie-Harris rounds up top drops to pair with favourite British staples
Acall to arms – especially your ‘drinking arm’ – British Food Fortnight (September 18 – October 3) is the perfect excuse to champion the best of British. We’re talking glass in hand and knife and fork at the ready to tuck into some great grub.
With our seafood and market stalls brimming with shellfish, delicious seasonal veg and quality meat, we shouldn’t really need an excuse to savour the fresh flavours and ingredients at the heart of our much loved stalwarts, of course. But if you do, now’s the time to support our farming community and local produce.
Here’s what’s on our wine and food pairing menu this British Food Fortnight, and the feel-good factor it brings to the table…
1. PAUL MAS PICPOUL DE PINET 2020, SOUTH OF FRANCE, £7.50, CO-OP STORES
September steers us in many directions, and with an ‘R’ in the month and start of the Native oyster season, picpoul is the wine to pluck and wash down with your plate of half-a-dozen. A refreshing alternative to muscadet or sauvignon blanc, this one’s crafted by famous Languedoc producer Jean Claude Mas and offers tangy green, yellow apple and citrus flavours, topped with grassy notes, an alluring herbal note and zesty acidity on the finish. Just lovely.
2. LEFT COAST OREGON WHITE PINOT NOIR 2019, WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON, USA, £12.99, ALDI
A delicious discovery from Oregon’s largest wine region, renowned for its pinot noir – and in this case, a refreshing 100% pinot noir white wine made from the red grape. Rich and ripe, it beautifully balances honeysuckle aromas with hints of pears and offers great depth of flavour; think apricots, peaches, intriguing fruity notes and a dry, minerally finish. Perfect with skate, dover sole or meaty white fish with a traditional parsley sauce and mashed potatoes.
3. VERGELEGEN CABERNET MERLOT FAIRTRADE 2018, STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA, £9, CO-OP STORES
A Bordeaux style blend with
New World fruitiness and excellent Fairtrade credentials, this vibrant food-friendly red loves a Sunday roast but feels just at home with a mid-week sausage and tomato pie. Classy with a polished oak note and toasty nose, a dark fruit core of blackcurrant and cassis are underpinned by cedar with the perfect level of ripeness and persistent, long finish. A generous, reliable label at a fair price.
4. TTD OLD VINE GARNACHA 2019, CATALUNYA, SPAIN, £9, SAINSBURY’S
With English apple season within sight and thoughts turning to classics such as roast pork belly, crackling and home-made apple sauce, a fun and fruity Spanish garnacha is just the ticket. Ripe, juicy and ready to harvest from your wine rack, this ample red shows lovely concentration with perfumed florals, plums, black cherry and hints of spice, layered with similar plush flavours on the palate, finishing with a touch of peppery spice and drink me now character.
5. DONNA ELVIRA SETTEMAZZE ANGLIANICO 2018, CAMPANIA, ITALY, £18, CAMPANIA WINES
As the saying goes, Italians live to eat and wine enthusiasts will adore this garnet gem made from the anglianico grape, cited as the nebbiolo of the south. A food-loving fiesta of flavours, there’s a beautiful intensity, with gorgeous aromas of forest fruits which unfurl on the palate, spiced cherry, a liquorice note, soft tannins, and plenty of finesse on the lingering finish. One for roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, or roast grouse with game chips.
6. WISTON ESTATE BLANC DE NOIR 2014, WEST SUSSEX, ENGLAND, £56, WISTON ESTATE
An exciting new release from award-winning winery
Wiston Estate, this stunning sparkler’s made from pinot noir and pinot meunier and has an evocative nose of autumnal fruits, ripe lemon and orange zest with a nutty complexity. Really expressive succulent fruit on the palate, with hints of baked apple and ripe greengage, good intensity and lovely long finish. A gourmet style of English fizz, the suggested pairing is wild mushroom risotto or roast guinea fowl, but also astonishingly good with seafood mousse and melba toast.
7. CHAPEL DOWN DISCOVERY SERIES MIXED CASE, KENT, ENGLAND, £120, CHAPEL DOWN
Can’t decide? If you really want to champion British food and winemaking in one sitting, check out the new Chapel Down Discovery Series from England’s largest producer. The first in a series of small-batch releases aimed at adventurous wine lovers, you can explore three varieties and styles with their new six bottle case, which pairs perfectly with salmon, shellfish and flaky fish. Includes two Pinot Noir Rosé 2020, two Pinot Blanc 2018 and two Albariño 2018 (England’s first albariño!). A suave selection to tantalise the taste buds and pique your interest in home-grown tipples. Cheers!