Taking the Italian version of tapas, cichetti, and matching a different dish with a Prosecco from the Bisol range was the aim of the tasting at the newly opened Wine Theatre in Southwark. Not only a stylish venue and, I should add, free food and drink but a chat with the owner/chef too (who use to be the personal chef of Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed. Well, it impressed me!). They source their ingredients from the local markets of Borough and Smithfield and offer punters a free selection of cichetti everyday between 5:30 and 8pm. Surprisingly they find some reticence with us Brits on the take-up of the food; many expecting a hefty bill at the end I guess.

In Madrid I adore the tapas dishes - free or paid for; it is the main reason I returned there a couple of weeks back (for the tapas and seeing my old mate Roberto too of course). But this is cichetti, the Italian version, with the bubbles supplied by Bisol.

First with the 'basic' Bisol Jaio Prosecco a superb calamari brushetta

We were here for a Circle of Wine Writers Wine and Charcuterie Tasting hosted by Fiona (matchingfoodandwine.com) at the new Terroirs wine bar in William IV Street, London. The Charcuterie comprising a delicately flavoured Jamon de Teruel from Spain, a nicely textural Duck Rillette, Saucisson Sec from the Pyrenees and a garlic and spice Terrine Terroirs.

Rather than the 'usual suspects' to accompany charcuterie (simple rustic French wines) Fiona picked a more eclectic list of bottles to sample, each calling on the intrinsic flavours of the food (smoky, spicy, garlic). The only thing not offered was a sparkling...

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Maitres Vignerons de Saint-Tropez Rosé Carte Noire, 2008, France.
Price: £9.99 Nicolas
A nice opening shot - and as expected a fine match for the array of foods. Nice berry fruits and a decently long, dry, finish. A 'standard' rosé wine for such fare and I thought a superb foil to the Terrine, although others disagreed.
Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Assyrtiko Hatzidakis, 2007, Santorini, Greece.
Stockist: Caves de Pyrene Waitrose Price: £9.00
Not a wine I would ever have considered, interesting but didn't really work for me lacking a bit of zip and zing. Seafood and shellfish apparently work better. The pepper edge in the saucisson was really emphasised by the wine.
Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Weingut Christmann Riesling IDIG Grosses Gewaechs, 2007, Pfalz, Germany.
Stockist: Charles Taylor Price: £35
Not being a lover of Riesling - heresy I realise - I did enjoy this wine. Very young still but the way I like it; a touch of weighty sweetness, superb fruit but sadly not a wine that worked well with any of the food. Too delicate in flavour I think; but then what do the Germans eat with all their charcuterie?
Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Chapel Hill Verdelho, 2007, Australia.
£9.49 in independents including Planet of the Grapes, Ongar Wines Ltd, Australian Wines Online, Rehills of Jemond, Badmington Wines
A zesty citrus and nettle wine; far too forceful with the charcuterie though.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Lambrusco Reggiano Concerto, 2007, Emilia Romagna, Italy.
Stockist: Everywine, Harrods, Booths Price: £8-£10 In terms of matching with the food this was the star. A combination of bubbles, a bitter twist to the wine and perfect acidity was great with the rillettes and the (positive) fat of the jamon.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Jean-Luc Matha Cuvee Lairis Marcillac, 2006, Marcillac, France
Stockist: Caves de Pyrène Price: £9.99
Not convinced this rustic country wine (from the South West of France) really worked as well as others seemed to think. Remained rustic and overly tannic for me.
Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Domaine Jean Foillard Morgon, 2007, Beaujolais, France
Price: around £16 a bottle from Caves de Pyrene, slurp.co.uk
I believe there were a couple of markedly different bottles of this being poured; I managed to get some of the 'good' bottle. The lack of tannins and the soft fruit brought out the wonderful sweetness in the jamon particularly. For someone who never drinks Beaujolais this was a revelation; my second choice for the top match.
Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Isabel Estate Pinot Noir, 2005, New Zealand
£18.55 Berry Brothers & Rudd
A lovely fruit-forward Pinot that worked with the charcuterie much better than expected. Lovely spicy, sprightly palate that seemed particularly good with the duck rillette (duck plus pinot is always a good choice) and managed the garlic infused Terrine too.
Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Manzanilla La Gitana Sherry, NV, Spain.
£8.49 at Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury, Majestic, Somerfield, Wine Rack, plus independents.
Not a fan of Riesling nor Sherry; more howls of derision from my neighbours. Despite being a tapas favourite this wine just trampled over all the food. Far too forceful and strong. The salty component matched the salt in the jamon OK but the delicate flavour was lost. Unsurprisingly this was many peoples preferred choice.
Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: El Grifo Canari, 1997, Lanzarote, Spain.
A cream sherry (or rather sherry-style wine) from Lanzarote. Far too sweet for the charcuterie but a marvellous opportunity to try such a delicious wine. There you go - sherry and delicious in the same sentence!

A learning experience; just much more enjoyable than my (detested) school days. I did miss the juvenile giggling at the cookery teachers hairy legs encased in green tights mind...

Fiona has posted her own take on the session on Matching Food and Wine.

Many of Marks and Spencer's ready meals are on double offer - buy one get 1 half price plus a 1/3 discount and includes the Gastropub King Prawn, Cod, Salmon and Smoked Haddock Pie and Chunky Chips. Throw in a bottle of wine and a meal for two worked out at just over a fiver-a-head. Which also includes 5p for a carrier bag.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: M&S Australian Chardonnay, 2007, South Australia
Stockist: Marks & Spencer Price: £5.99 [More: Adegga / Snooth]

Generously flavoured - all guava and pears with a nice dash of apple and crisp, stone fruits. A small part has seen some oak for 'a subtle dab of extra richness'. Full, firm but balanced with good acidity.
Produced and bottled by the Yalumba Wine Company, states the small print, for this, like all M&S wines is an 'own-label'. On-line a case of 12 is listed at the equivalent of £4.49 a bottle - great value (add 2 value points to the rating). Alcohol 14%.


Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]

Maybe just a touch too flavoursome for the fish pie but the creamy elements in both wine and food really complimented each other. The wines acidity at the same time cutting through the richness. Hell, its mid-week, who cares! Buy and enjoy.

For a wine match a rosé seemed the obvious choice.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Torre Beratxa Garnacha Rosado, 2006, Navarra, Spain.
Stockist: Threshers Price: £5.49 [More on Adegga]

A touch of paint on the nose but little else. Deep red fruits, a smidgen of licorice and a tannic splash on the finish. A touch of sour cherry, a little blackcurrant all mixed with a soupçon of raspberry. Fresh, crisp and lively.
100% Garnacha/Grenache. Alcohol 13.5%.

Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 86/100 [3.25 out of 5]

For me that supermarket is Waitrose. The wine is a bottle of £4.99 South African white while the eye is drawn to a tortilla from the new Delicatezze range. Specifically Edamame Bean, Artichoke and Lemon Pesto Tortilla made from free range eggs, which appeared better value than other dishes in the same range; and more substantial too. Add a salad and a meal is made.

Taking little more than 15 minutes in the oven you might need to make use of the quick-chill machine to get the white to non-shelf, drinkable temperature.

Review0.3

Wine Tasting Note: Nederburg Chardonnay-Viognier, 2007, Western Cape, South Africa.
Available from Waitrose for £4.99. [More on Adegga]
Crisp and refreshing - a touch acidic perhaps but nicely rounded with peach, melon and floral notes. The Chardonnay has seen some barrel ageing, but the whole is lifted by the lemon floweriness of the Viognier. It's fine and fine summer-garden drinking. Alcohol 13.5%. Fine with the salad-tortilla combination; you don't afterall, want anything you have to think too much about.

Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 84/100 [3 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Château Laures Blanc, 2006, Entre-Deux-Mers, Bordeaux, France
Available from Bordeaux-Undiscovered [more] for £6.75 (normally £9.64)
The Semillon really comes though on the nose giving a lovely herby touch to the lemon-citrus that dominates. Palate is nicely rich and full with a slight spritz and good acidity balancing it all out. A honeyed touch to the lemony complexity all melds together wonderfully.

Château Laures is a 70 hectare estate owned and run for many generations by the same family. They've pulled together a typical Bordeaux blend for this bottle - 60% Semillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Muscadelle. Alcohol 12.5%.
Scribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

While more than suitable for a wide range of foods - salads and fish particularly recommended - a match with a Marmade Tomato Tart worked superbly well. Based on a recipe in Rick Stein's French Odyssey this combines pesto, garlic, tomatoes and puff pastry into a lovely spring-type dish. I added a slice of ham and a little Mozarella to the topping just to make them a little more substantial.

Wine Tasting Note: Periquita White, 2007, Setabul, Portugal.
Currently on offer at Waitrose for £3.99.

Even at the normal price of £4.99 it's a fine little blend of Arinto and Moscatel from the Setubal Peninsula, south of Lisbon. The Arinto gives the crispness and freshness, while the Moscatel lends a lovely aromatic component plus a level of spiciness to the flavour that proved to match so well with the fritters.

Scribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

The fritter recipe comes from the regular food-blog event, Waiter There's Something In My..., that I co-host over on SpittoonExtra with this particular round, 'Pulses', selected and hosted by Cooksister. As a regular host I do try and make some of the dishes submitted to each round. The varied creations from across the globe never ceases to amaze. The Spicy Chickpea Fritters came from Australian blogger Kazari at I Think I Have A Recipe For That. The mix of caraway, cumin and coriander also complimented the wine; the yoghurt sauce is a must too!

The delightful Joanne of Henley Fine Wines popped over the other week, brandishing, as his her want, a couple of bottles of wine - one of which was a sparkling red. The NV Bundaleer Shiraz is one of the prize offering that her small company imports direct.

I really wanted to do this wine justice with its food accompaniment and scoured another new addition - Rick Stein's French Odyssey - for something that would benefit from the bubbles and the red fruit flavours. Step forward Sautéed Lambs Kidneys on Toasted Brioche with Sauvignon Blanc, Mustard and Tarragon!

Bundaleer Sparkling Shiraz, NV, Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia
Available from Henley Fine Wines [more] for £8.50 More on: Adegga / Snooth
While there is a touch of sweetness it just makes this blackberry flavoured wonder all the more drinkable. Nicely balanced with plenty of classy fizz and good balance. Medium bodied. Alcohol 13.5%.
Scribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Sautéed Lambs Kidneys on Toasted Brioche with Sauvignon Blanc, Mustard and Tarragon.
Adapted from Rick Stein's French Odyssey [Amazon.co.uk £13]
For one
4 sliced lambs kidneys with white cores removed
Knob of unsalted butter
Large glug of Sauvignon Blanc
¼ tablespoon Dijon mustard
Fresh tarragon
Double cream
2 thick slices of brioche toasted

Melt some butter and fry the kidneys over a high heat for about 2 minutes on each side until lightly browned but still pink in the middle. Remove and keep warm. De-glaze the pan with the wine and reduce. Add the mustard, any free-run juices from the kidneys, chopped tarragon and cream and boil until a nice sauce consistency is reached. Season.

Top the brioche with the kidneys and spoon over the sauce. Garnish with tarragon.

The dish is very rich - all that glorious cream I guess - with the wines bubbles cutting through, leaving the palate refreshed (and hankering for more!). The sweetness of the brioche and the wine matched nicely; I was enjoying the combination so much I failed to notice the tannins. In fact I failed to notice much else until the bottle ran dry!

Extremely Spring-like in its use of fresh broad beans and rocket it also proved a superb match for the 'green' flavours inherent in the Howard Park Sauvignon.

Wine Tasting Note: Howard Park Sauvignon Blanc, 2007, Western Australia
Soon to be available from Bibendum for £11 per bottle
The punch on the palate perfectly replaces what it lacks in colour; it is rather pale and lemon-juice in colour. The green, grassy, herby, mouth-wateringly juicy fruit is from the portion of grapes sourced from the Pemberton region of Western Australia. For the citrus characteristics and the weighty feel say thanks to the 50% from the Margaret River. Very focused. Very crunchy and fresh. Alcohol 12.5%.

Scribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]

The recipe for Oven-baked Sea Bream/Bass with Fennel and Dill (specifics below) was created by Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi to accompany the Gabbiano Pinot Grigio 2007. The producers also suggest that the wine would be great with Baked Lemon and Herb Crusted Salmon but the Sea Bass looked so tempting from Oxford's Covered Market I plumped for this recipe instead.

Wine Tasting Note: Gabbiano Pinot Grigio, 2007, Venezie, Italy.
Available from Sainsbury's and Tesco for £5.99.
A soft, gentle wine. Not one that makes you sit up and explode with adjectives but pleasurable and with a touch of character - hints of almonds, orange rind and citrus. Its lightly herbed edge would make it a fine partner for salads and most fish dishes, so with this specific partnership it was understandably a great match. I might have overdone the garlic a little and under-utilised the dill (I often find it a little overpowering in flavour and I'm not a huge fan) but the Pinot Grigio melded all together - a recommended pairing.

Scribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]

Many an Aussie Sparkling Shiraz has passed my lips, but a sparkling Merlot? This may just be a first.

Wine Tasting Note: Hollick Sparkling Merlot, 2004, Coonawarra, Australia.
Available from Independents including Andrew Chapman Fine Wines for £13.99 & Australian Wines Online £14.20.

The aroma from this lovely wine leaps from the glass - pure blackberry fruit. The fizz, hardly noticeable in the glass, really explodes in the mouth giving a fine, frothy, sensation. A fresh palate followed by a mellow finish. A good, long, length and a lick of tannin evident but generally soft, fruity and hugely drinkable. Alcohol 13.5%.
Scribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

The problem with eggs, when matching with wine, is their mouth-coating qualities. What a sparkling wine does well is clean the palate and counter this effect. The thought that the salmon might be better replaced with a slice of black pudding might have worked better; as it is though it is a good, interesting, combination.

Ouefs Hollique

Ingredients:

Muffin - halved
Fresh baby spinach
quality smoked salmon
poached free range egg
Hollandaise Sauce

Method:
Simply layer the spinach on to a toasted muffin followed by a slice or two of smoked salmon. Carefully place a freshly poached egg or two on top and complete with a dollop of Hollandaise.

Eggs are never that easy to match - the mouth-coating texture can play havoc with a wine. It might be a touch tricky to find a top-notch wine match this time.

• 1 tablespoon fresh white breadcrumbs
• 150g shelled walnuts or hazelnuts
• 1 small clove garlic
• 50g freshly grated Pecorino cheese
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped Marjoram
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons strianed Greek yoghurt
• 450g fresh green fettuccine
• freshly ground black pepper

Alex at Eating Leeds went all sparkling on us with a bottle of Domenico de Bertiol Prosecco. Great with the prawns themselves but a very bad clash with the salad.

It's a fresh, light, citrussy wine with some residual sweetness and it went really well with the prawns - the citrus cutting through the richness of the butter and prawns, the sweetness mixing well with the fish sauce and lemon. A very happy match."

Something a little different for me too - a white Côtes du Rhône. I can't claim any great thought went on the choice; more a question of 'a white in the fridge lets use that'.

Wine Tasting Note: Jaboulet Côtes du Rhône Parallèle 45, 2006, Rhône, France.

Available for £7.99 from Surf4Wine [more]

A waxy, herby aroma very distinctive and unusual flavour. Quite full but dry with good length of flavour. The herby element picked up the coriander in the recipe but, rather than the wine being a complimentary match, the contrast was marked.

This is not to say it was a bad combination, rather that the flavours were contrasting and brought out subtle complexities in both. The wines quite substantial acidity cut through the garlic-buttery sauce beautifully. Served with noodles the dish could have benefited with a little peppering up with a dash of chili, as Francesca explained in her comment.

Parallèle 45 refers to the 45th latitude, half-way between the Equator and North Pole which runs through the vineyard. Alcohol 13.5%.
Scribblings Rating - 88/100

As can be read in the Foodie List review the cook book makes it easy to both purchase the ingredients (a shopping list of requirements is supplied) as well as giving minute by minute instructions on cooking each dish. The shopping list suggests a wine or some other drink for each dish; for this recipe 'Sizzling Garlic-Buttered Prawns' they mention a Viognier. I wonder...

Garlic-Buttered Prawns hardly requires a recipe being basically uncooked tiger prawns tossed in a little butter with a little flavouring...

Sizzling Garlic-Buttered Prawns
Heat a 'large slurp' of olive oil in a frying pan or wok over a medium heat. Add about 1/4 block of butter. Add tiger prawns to the pan. Keep them moving.

Add a teaspoon of Thai fish sauce and some black pepper. Add 2 large chopped garlic cloves and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Add 3/4 packet of fresh coriander, chopped. When prawns cooked serve over a fresh salad, topped with the remaining coriander and some crusty bread. I might serve with noodles, 'cause I like noodles.

I was after something a 'little different' to match this mix of sweet juicy melon, salty Iberian meat and firm Pecornio cheese, the twelth edition of Combinations. A Prosecco was initially top of the list until this half bottle of Vino Dulce came my way while in Spain last week.

Wine Tasting Note: Fariña Val de Reyes, 2004, Castilla y León, Spain.
No idea of UK stockists. Decanter Wines list wines from Fariña, this bottle is not one of them.

Lemons all the way on the palate mixed with a little orange peel and a dash of sherbet. Val de Reyes is a mix of Moscatel and Albino according to the back label, with an alcohol level of 13%. It is just a lowly Vino de Tierra.

It just matched so deliciously with the food. The mix of flavours from the salty ham (I used Palata Ibérico from Spain), the fine Pecorino, the freshly plucked basil, the heat from the chili countered by the sweetest melon were all handled, tamed and emphasised by the wine. Just a superb match.
Scribblings Rating - 90/100

In total contrast to my sweet wine selection Eating Leeds, a few weeks ago, selected a 'lightly chilled bottle of Brown Brothers 2005 Tarrango' as their choice of wine to match the food. An interesting choice and one that I would never have considered.

The recipe for Melon, Pecorino and Culatello Antipasti with balsamic vinegar and chilli dressing appears on page 139 of the May 2007 issue of Delicious. Culatello, the focus of the magazines preceding article, is a select air-dried ham. I am sure other 'lesser' quality air-dried meats can be used as a replacement.

Finding a wine to compliment the mix of sweet melon, salty cheese and the ham plus some heat from the chilli dressing, is going to be tricky...

Melon, Pecorino and Culatello Antipasti with Balsamic Vinegar and Chilli Dressing.
Serves 4 as a starter (or 2 as a mains I suspect)
Per person take 4 wedges of melon (cantaloup, galia or honeydew) and pile 3 slices of culatello on top. Scatter with a few very finely sliced pieces of Pecorino and 6 small fresh basil leaves.

The dressing is a red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped, mixed with 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and seasoning. This is drizzled over the dish.

I'll go with the second version.

Since Eating Leeds first put out the challenge for a wine to accompany garlic soup I have had several wine suggestions whirling around in my head - a Chardonnay, a Viognier or perhaps a full Pinot Gris.

The wine twitters (see the sidebar) suggested a Southern Rhone or a Priorat blend. An Italian white - Pigato, Vermentino, Arneis, Garganega, and interestingly a Prosecco.

Did I go with any of these ideas? Did I 'ell!

Wine Tasting Note: Domaine du Tariquet Rosé, 2006, VdP des Cotes de Gascogne, France.

Available from Everywine for £6.65 bottle min purchase 12 bottles. Also listed by Museum Wines [more].

A beautiful colour - grenadine has been suggested but it is the mirror of an old rose just outside my front door. The aroma is light and fresh - the suggestive rose image brings hints of flower petals. The palate has a hint of spritz, a nice medium weight and a good, long fruity finish with an edge of raspberries and a soft tannic finish.

It stood up very well to the powerful garlic soup. The acidity leaving the palate refreshed with the raspberry flavours amply able to force there way through the garlic.

A blend of Merlot, Syrah and Tannat. Alcohol 11.5%. Screw-capped with a great label design.

Scribblings Rating - 90/100

The wine is made by the Grassa family. Maïté Dubuc-Grassa and her brother Yves Grassa make wine from 900 hectares (2224 acres) of vines, making them the largest independent vineyard in France. They produce 7 million bottles of wine.

The Famille Grassa signature style relies on the winemaker capturing the first aromas of the grape, a process which involves meticulous care at every stage. Using state-of-the-art technology and facilities (Tariquet owns the largest pressing room in Europe), Yves Grassa has created a fine, unique and fruity style of wine that bears the Tariquet signature and corresponds perfectly to the taste of todays consumer."

Toyed with several possibilities - an off-dry Chenin (to match the vegetable element and counter the sweetness in the sauce) from South Africa or perhaps using the weight of an Alsace Pinot Gris, again often with a little sweetness - but settled on something sparkling. With a Champagne off the list due to budget constraints I plumped for a New World Sparkling.

I am sure it is not difficult to rustle up a lemon sauce but this recipe, lifted from the March 2007 issue of Fresh magazine, uses 2 packets of Blue Dragon Lemon Sauce. I am sure it is fine... But the soda water is something you cannot substitute, as I have heard several times this week - both on a TV cookery program and direct from a chef.

It is also Chinese New Year so this steamed pak choi and lemon chicken recipe seemed apt. The difficulty with a wine selection will be with the sauce - how sweet is it? And will the wine clash or marry with the flavours of the pak choi?

Wine Tasting Note:Dorio Primitivo Del Salento, 2001, Salento, Italy.
Listed by Oddbins for £6.99.

Intense in colour and restrained in that typical Italian way on the nose - although hints of leather and a floral, light note came through. Superbly delicious on the palate. An array of complex flavours - orange, chocolate, spice and so much more. A sweetness of fruit, a depth and juiciness that bowled us over. Excellent.

The distinctive nose is down to the 15% Aglianico included with the Primitivo. Alcohol 13.5%.
Scribblings Rating - 94/100

The wine stood up well to the spice-laced dish. The palate-ruining qualities of the eggs were washed away with by the acidity and, while perhaps the hot chili deadened the complexity of flavours just a touch, it worked rather well.

The mouth-coating properties of egg yolks are what cause the problem. Breakfast-style dishes that involve eggs are often delicious with a sparkling wine or champagne, but here, with the addition of spices, tomatoes and chorizo sausage such a match is not a guaranteed success.

The recipe below is taken from the February issue of Delicious magazine. Another reason for selecting this particular dish is the large quantity of Choirzo I have; not all of it will be used in the Waiter There Is Something In My... Stew event.

Paprika and Choirzo Baked Eggs (serves 4)

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil


• 100g chorizo sausage skinned, roughly chopped


• 100g thick cut Serrano ham, roughly chopped


• 1 red pepper deseeded and diced


• 1 medium onion, finely chopped


• 2 garlic cloves crushed


• 2 medium-hot green chillies deseeded and finely chopped


• 1 tsp cumin


• 2 tsp hot paprika


• 1x400g cans chopped tomatoes


• 1/2 tsp Tabasco


• 1 tbsp chopped Oregano


• 150ml vegetable or chicken stock


• 8 medium eggs


• 100g cheddar, grated (optional)

With no tinned green lentils on the shelf at Waitrose, and I'm buggered if I am going to simmer raw one for hours on end, I substituted Puy Lentils. Despite my loathing of parsnips I did indeed put one in the pot and actually had a couple of bites too. Still the devils vegetable though!

The dish was lovely; the lamb juicy and deliciously tasty and, while I should have reduced the gravy a little to aide its concentration, it went marvellously with the soft red I selected.

Wine Tasting Note: Bodegas Ribera de Pelazas Abadengo, 2003, Vinos de La Tierra Arribes del Duero, Spain.
Available from Oddbins for £7.49.
Juan Garcia, obscure, packed with potential for bigger league stuff - especially with juicy, smooth wines like these blazing the trail. Plenty of fruit, wrapped up in an oaky whole. Touches of spiced blackberries and red currants. Alcohol is quite high at 14.5% and noticeable when sipping as the stew bubbled away. But the palate feel is immensely attractive - soft and juicy before a gentle cascade into that fruit medley and a tannic burst into a long blackcurrant finish.
Scribblings Rating - 92/100

The recipe, below, is taken from the November issue of Delicious - lamb shoulder marinaded in garlic and rosemary, cooked for a couple of hours until the succulent meat falls from the bone and served with a gravy spiked with redcurrant sauce. A red wine is the immediate, perhaps obvious, wine choice; something mellow but rich...

Back home I hoped this Viognier from Australia would make another brilliant match. It didn't - quite. While the body and the vibrant flavours were of a type to balance out the fiery chilli in the food and match the teriyaki and sweet chilli the wine's inherent dryness let the side down; but only just.

Duncan MacGillivray Beau Sea Viognier, 2005, Adelaide Hills, Australia.
Available from Oddbins for £9.99.
A gorgoues Australian take on Viognier. Lime is the basis but there is so much more - tropical fruits and more than a dollop of fresh, crisp apple flavours. It has had a touch of oak but this just adds a touch of creamy complexity rather than denuding the wine of fruit. A single vineyard wine which is listed on the Oddbins website as Longview Viognier. The grapes were sourced from Longview's vineyard at Macclesfield in the Adelaide Hills. Screw-capped. Alcohol 14%.

It is a lovely wine, perfectly balanced and just right with the dish, rather than a perfect match (a touch more sweetness required).
Scribblings Rating - 90/100

1. An Austrian Dessert
2. Baked Mackerel with Rhubarb Sauce
3. Flatbreads with Spiced Chicken, Pistachios and Green Peppers hosted by Eating Leeds
4. Fresh Herbs hosted by Beau of Basic Juice
5. Southern Style Lamb Chicken hosted by Benito

For this round, as we slip into Autumn, something seasonal: Roast Partridge with Grapes and Walnuts. This is From Sophie Grigson’s Country Kitchen. I am hoping that some form of game bird are available locally where you live, any could be substituted if partridge cannot be found, and at a pinch I guess chicken could be used although the intensity of flavour will not match that of a ‘proper’ game bird.

Matching Game with Wine

Serving feathered game (partridge, quail, pigeon, grouse, guinea fowl, pheasant) is a great excuse for opening the best possible wines. Older vintages from Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rioja are superb accompaniments while the richer, fruitier wines from the New World should appeal to fans of the styles too. Depending on how strong you make the sauce you could also consider something spicy from the Rhône or, by taking the grapes and the walnuts as the starting point, a good white wine might be an option – a top Italian white to bring out the nut flavours perhaps or an Alsace Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc with enough weight, (maybe even a touch of sweetness to match the grapes), to balance the richness of the meat. As the advert says – the possibilities are endless. .