We can supply your home with an array of quality and classic wines from around the world. They all compliment our food menu selection.
Geoff, an independant wine merchant and owner of Portland Wine, Macclesfield, has worked with us to construct our seasonal wine menus which we can happily deliver for you on our visit.
Here is the pick for January / February 2010:
WHITE WINES
1 Los Vilos Chardonnay Chile £5.99
Chardonnay and a dash of Sauvignon Blanc blend well to give aromas of tropical fruit, and well-tuned
weight on the palate making this a very quaffable dry white.
This Chardonnay is a versatile food partner, offering both refreshing acidity and richness. Key ingredients to
go for include chicken, fish and seafood, with crab an especially good match, because of its richness.
This wine will also stand up to many cuisines so have fun experimenting. It works particularly well with Thai green curry.
Avoid, however, heavy red meats, creamy sauces and anything smoked. You can also enjoy this wine on its own as an aperitif.
2 Alto Pampas del sur Viognier Argentina £6.99
With ripe, peachy fruit this is full and flavoursome and reflects the hot sunshine of Argentina. It has more weight
than a French Viognier, yet is still lively and fresh.
This Viognier is very versatile, from aperitif to dessert. It has enough delicacy not to overpower subtly flavoured
chicken dishes, and enough robustness to stand up to pork or lamb. This wine can also be matched successfully
with spicy Asian dishes.
3 McCorkindale Riesling New Zealand £9.99
This is a classic, dry Riesling from renowned winemaker, Alan McCorkindale. It bursts with flavours of violets,
lemon blossom, ginger, apricots and Seville orange zest. Wonderful balance keeps it fresh and you wanting more!
Good matches for this wine are fish and shellfish, especially prawns and crabs, though it can take on meat too,
especially when meat is a component rather than the centrepiece of the meal, for example a bit of crisp bacon or
smoked chicken tossed in a salad. This wine will stand up well to sauces containing cream and to smoked fish,
as well to barbecue sauces and light doses of spice, but avoid cheese and salty preparations.
4 Sancerre Domaine Daulny Loire £11.99
This is our favourite Sancerre. The different cuvees come together to give a wine of great complexity and elegance,
reflecting the different soil types on which the Sauvignon grapes are grown.
An aperitif to savour. Excellent with creamy goat’s cheese, either on its own, in a salad, or stuffed and cooked in
green bell peppers. It will also go well with fish and seafood in most preparations, though not with meat, chicken
and most cheeses except for goats’ cheese.
5 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand £25.99
With up-front gooseberry, green pepper and elderflower character typical of the region, together with a touch
of fatness from the oak and often a slight dash of Semillon, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is undoubtedly one of
the best examples of this variety to come from New Zealand.
This sauvignon blanc is the perfect match for seafood but can be successfully partnered with a wide variety
of foods. Great with sashimi and lightly spiced Asian fish and chicken dishes.
RED WINES
1 Grant Burge Benchmark Shiraz Australia £5.99
Vibrant purple / deep red colour with rich aromas of pepper, dark berries and spice. The palate displays
complex oak, fruit and savoury spice characteristics with smooth, lingering tannins.
This wine is ideal for robust foods simply prepared. Try it with sausages, steak and roast game, as well as
with simple casseroles. It makes for a great barbecue wine, and will work with most cheeses (though it is not
so great with blue cheese). Avoid creamy sauces and anything too salty.
2 Gustales Rioja Crianza Spain £7.99
This is a rich, ripe wine with a fresh, fruity palate that exhibits strawberry, minty and old oak flavours.
Full-bodied with great depth of fruit and good oak.
Though it is a great match for Spanish food, this is a versatile wine that you can take around the world to
match with most cuisines, even Asian ones such as Indian food. An ideal match of lamb, veal or try pork
shoulder stew with potatoes and chorizo.
3 Pask Gimblett Road Merlot New Zealand £9.99
Well balanced wine, very appealing. Intense yet soft bouquet. Ripe soft palate, a hint of plums and
spice – indicative of the 13 months or so in both French and American oak.
It makes a good aperitif red, and is a nice match for simpler preparations of chicken, pork, lamb and
beef. It is perfect for a light lunch or picnic built around cold cuts and cheese, and you can even try it
with fish, though avoid cream sauces and anything too spicy or salty
4 Raka Quinary South Africa £11.99
Dark bright ruby colour, blackcurrant, berries and black cherries with spicy hints some lead pencil and
well-hidden oak on the nose. Juicy black fruit carries through on the palate, fairly complex, good balance, long dry finish.
This wine can stand can stand up to rich and robust fare, but is also perfect to complement simply cooked
or grilled red meat, game and chicken. It works well with most cheeses and cold-cuts, including salami.
Vegetarians can try it with roast root vegetables or vegetable tarts.
5 Chateau Franc Baudron France £12.99
A wine crammed with dark berry character and spicy currant fruit, which has a genuine quality and character
from Montagne St. Emilion
This is a real treat of a wine, and, though it can stand up to robust stew and game, perhaps the best way to
offset its glory and enjoy it is with a roast of the finest beef or lamb joint you can find. It is also a classic partner
for sharp cheddar. Avoid cream sauces and anything too spicy or salty.