Wine with Gerard Richardson

SO, the burning question is what should you pair with the strawberries and cream that are undoubtedly on the menu for June?

The good news is there are literally dozens of options, from Champagne and late harvest rieslings to virtually any crisp white wine.

Champagne or, dare I say it,

English sparkling wine is the obvious choice to pair with strawberries as the bubbles lift the fruit and help make your palate tingle with flavours but, as fizz ain’t to Mrs R’s taste, we tend to hit the whites.

Mrs R is a Sauvignon girl, in fact almost exclusively a Marlborough sauvignon girl, so her path in this column ends with those gorgeously acidic tropical fruit wines but my quest continues.

In fact, I tried a cracking chenin from South Africa, a chablis and a Mosel riesling, but the wine that really took the strawberry crown was a Californian chardonnay.

The mix of peach and apple flavours mixed in with a generous dollop of oak-infused vanilla melded perfectly with the fruit and the end result was almost electric on my palate, with a creamy caramel finish.

So there you have it, whether it’s the jubilee or Wimbledon, a decent oaky chardonnay is the perfect match for a punnet of strawberries and a wedge of fresh cream.

Ghost Pines Chardonnay, California

Quite outstanding for the price with layers of baked apples, brioche bread, warm pears and lashings of vanilla spice on the finish. www.oddbins.com £16

Kylie Minogue Chardonnay, Margaret River

What can I say, the wonderful Miss Minogue knows how to pick a good one. Fresh peaches, baked apples and lashings of buttercream – all in perfect balance. www.winedelivered.co.uk £20