Good

Our "good" wine range, including Counterpoint Chardonnay Australia Rich and creamy with ripe, tropical fruit flavours, Camino del Monte Rioja Spain Elegant with intense red fruit notes combined with a touch of vanilla and a velvety texture, Piazzi Terre Siciliane IGT Rosé Spain A dry, refreshing and fruity rosé. Bright, fresh raspberry and cherry fruit flavours and Amodo Prosecco Extra Dry NV Italy This aromatic Prosecco has notes of juicy pears, fresh apples and hints of citrus. It is refreshing and crisp with lively bubbles and a lingering finish.

Better

Our better wine range includes Bernard Michaut Petit Chablis France Rich fruit character and remarkable elegance
and finesse, with some mineral notes, Charles Smith ViNO Rosso USA A blend of 75% Cabernet and 25% Sangiovese, elegant black cherry and plum flavours with herbal notes and refreshing acidity, Gris des Seigneurs France A light and dry, pale rosé from South of France with notes of cranberry and strawberry and a mouth-watering finish and G.H. MUMM CORDON ROUGE BRUT NV France Intense fruity taste with notes of peaches, pears, green apples complement its fresh after taste.

Best

Our best wine range includes Bernard Michaut Petit Chablis France Rich fruit character and remarkable elegance and finesse, with some mineral notes, BeaujolaisVillages Domaine de Sermezy France Bright ruby coloured, the nose is bursting with fresh cherry and raspberry fruit. Fresh and juicy with bags of fruit and very gentle tannin, Charles Smith ViNO Rosé USA Dry and refreshing with vibrant strawberry and cherry notes and Lallier Champagne Brut France Great complexity and finesse, this has an energising, citrusy palate and delivers an equal measure of ripe, toasty fruit.

Cheese

Cheese and wine pairing can be a complicated match, but generally white wines fare better than red. When pairing cheese and wine consider the acidity and fat content of the cheese. Creamy, light and fresh cheese, works well with crisp and vibrant wines like Sauvignon Blanc, whereas strong flavoured hard cheeses can pair well with reds like Cabernet Sauvignon.

WINE MATCH...

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Ara, page 30. Zesty and refreshing with fresh tropical and citrus flavours. Central Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, El Pico, page 27. Dark fruit flavours with peppery hints and intergrated tannins.

Fish

Light, fresh and simple white wines complement the delicate nature of fish and other seafoods. The way the fish has been cooked should determine your choice of wine, however some all-round good pairings are Sauvignon Blanc, with its high acidity it makes a perfect partner for fish, and Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc region in Southern France with its dry and refreshing taste is a fantastic match with seafood and shellfish. Muscadet is also an ideal pairing for seafood and shellfish.

WINE MATCH...
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, The Pass, page 31. Tropical and citrus fruits, with an underlying grassy and herbaceous character. Picpoul de Pinet, Chapelle des Pénitents, page 19. Crisp and aromatic wine from the Mediterranean with passion fruit and zest citrus notes. Muscadet de Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie, L’Aubiniere, page 17. Fresh and lively, with beautifully balanced citrus and pear flavours.

poultry

Chicken dishes can vary in style depending on how they are cooked and the flavours of any sauces they may be cooked in, but the best overall match for chicken is a Chardonnay – not too overpowering for the delicate flavours.
WINE MATCH...
Chardonnay, Counterpoint, page 32. Rich and creamy with ripe tropical fruit flavours. Petit Chablis, Bernard Michaut, page 16. Rich fruit character and remarkable elegance and finesse, with some mineral notes.

Pasta

A classic match for pasta is Italian wine, however there are many other great options. It is the flavour of the sauce which needs to be taken into consideration when choosing a wine to pair with pasta, for a creamy sauce choose creamy based wines such as Chardonnay and for tomato sauce based pasta dishes pair well with red wines with refreshing acidity, like a young Chianti.

WINE MATCH...
Stellenbosch Chardonnay, The Crux, page 28. Citrus and tropical fruit flavours. Mineral and creamy complexity from a top producer, The Winery of Good Hope. Tuscany Chianti DOCG, 14º Secolo, page 21. A fine example of Chianti well suited to food with typical red fruit flavours.

Meat

A general rule is to match the intensity of the dish with the wine, so full-flavoured dishes like steak and roast beef pair well with big tannic red wines like Malbec and Shiraz. For a more delicate flavoured meat like lamb go with a medium bodied smooth wine, Rioja is a great match and a really food friendly wine. Pork pairs best with fruity light to medium bodied wines with low tannins, like Beaujolais or Pinot Noir.

WINE MATCH...
Mendoza Malbec, Rocosa, page 25. This Argentinean red is intensely flavoured with black fruit notes, liquorice and spice. Rioja, Camino del Monte, page 23. Elegant with intense red fruit notes combined with a touch of vanilla and a velvety texture. Beaujolais-Villages, Domaine de Sermezy, page 18. Bright ruby coloured, the nose is bursting with fresh cherry and raspberry fruit. Fresh and juicy with bags of fruit and very gentle tannins.