We’re serving up summer sensations thanks to Sally Codling, a chef at Gordon Ramsay Academy in Woking
Chef Sally’s pea scotch eggs
Offering a change from the normal sausage meat, these vibrant green, fresh & herby Scotch eggs are vegetarian; perfect for summer picnics or lunches al fresco. Serve warm with a little salt.
Ingredients
• Six eggs • 1 tsp olive oil • 3 shallots, finely chopped • 250g frozen peas • Few sprigs of mint, leaves picked • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 40g Pecorino cheese, finely grated • 40g plain flour • 60g panko breadcrumbs
Method
1. Half fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Gently lower in four eggs (saving two for the coating) and cook for six minutes. Lift out using a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of iced water to cool completely. Carefully peel the eggs (they will feel soft so be gentle) and set aside. 2. Add the oil to a medium frying pan over a low heat and fry the shallots for 5-8 minutes or until softened. Add the peas and cook until defrosted, about two minutes. Tip into a food processor with the mint leaves and season to taste. Blitz until to a rough paste. 3. Scrape the mixture out into a bowl and mix in the Pecorino. Leave to cool. 4. In the palm of your hand, flatten a heaped tablespoon of the cooled pea mixture. Put a peeled egg in the centre and carefully push up the edges of the mixture to cover and enclose the egg. 5. Carefully roll into a ball and repeat with the other three peeled eggs and pea mixture. Place on a baking tray or plate, loosely cover and chill for 30 minutes to firm up. 6. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Beat the remaining two eggs together in another dish and spread out the breadcrumbs in a third. 7. Roll each ball first in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs to coat. 8. Preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180°C. Carefully lower in the eggs (you may have to cook one at a time or in batches to stop the oil temperature from dropping too much) and fry for 2-3 minutes or until crispy and golden brown all over. Scoop out onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain any excess oil. 9. Sprinkle with a little salt and serve warm.
This hearty salad from Chef Sally is packed with fresh herbs to give it tons of flavour, while the addition of punchy blue cheese and bulgur wheat make it feel like a substantial meal in itself. Celebrate new-season asparagus in spring and early summer, or you can use courgettes, green beans, peas or cucumber as alternatives.
Ingredients
• 150g bulghur wheat • 250ml water • Sea salt • 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 2-3cm lengths • 75g pumpkin seeds • Large handful of parsley, roughly chopped • Large handful of mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped • 200g Gorgonzola (optional) • Pecorino, to serve (optional)
For the dressing
• Zest and juice of two lemons • 100ml olive oil • 1tsp Dijon mustard • 1tsp runny honey
Method
1. Add the bulghur wheat and water to a pan, season well with salt and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and take it off the heat. Leave to sit for 20 minutes. 2. Once all the water has been absorbed, take the lid off the pan and allow to cool. 3. Fill another pan with water, season with salt, bring to the boil and blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside. 4. Mix together all the dressing ingredients (in a bowl or pop in jam jar and shake together). 5. Mix the asparagus, pumpkin seeds and chopped herbs through the bulghur wheat. 6. Pour over the dressing and toss well. Crumble over the Gorgonzola in rough chunks and shave a little Pecorino over the top with a vegetable peeler. Ready to serve alongside any barbecue!
Think you know Portuguese wines? Round & About’s wine columnist says it’s time to drink again as he explores the cool climate wines of the Douro Valley
One of the great joys of wine is discovery. From new vintages of old favourites to wines from regions you’ve not encountered before, there’s always something to arrest your attention.
Every now and again, however, you come across wines that are not merely surprising but revelatory. Such epiphanies don’t come often, but when they do, they can change the way you think about wine.
I had just such an experience last week when I toured Portugal’s Douro Valley. To most wine lovers, the Douro – and Portugal as a whole means one wine, port. That fabled, seemingly immortal fortified wine is one of the world’s greats, but as I discovered on my trip, there’s a lot more to the Douro than just port…
“Fresh, elegant, tangy, and precise.” These are Portuguese tasting notes I’ve published precisely once, just now. Until recently, I thought of Portuguese wines as being big, intense, powerful wines which can take years of cellaring to open up, and that was just the whites. My recent trip showed me how things have changed. A quiet revolution has swept winemaking in this stunning land, and now delicate whites and refreshing, complex reds are popping up all over the upper reaches of the valley.
The Douro Valley: A Hotbed of Cool Climate Wines
So, let’s set the scene. The Douro Valley lies in northern Portugal on schist – I said schist – and granite soils. With steep slopes, plenty of sun and just enough rainfall, it’s an ideal place to produce grapes. Here endeth the Wine Spirit Education Trust (WSET) lesson. What WSET doesn’t make sufficient note of is the region’s altitude. The Douro can rise to over 700m, which provides the cool conditions required to produce fresh, elegant, tangy, and precise (second time) whites, reds, and even ports, as the following show.
The Pedra No. 03 White Port, Quinta Da Pedra Alta NV (N.D. John Wine Merchants £17.95)) tastes as good as it looks. And let’s face it; it looks beautiful. Three firsts for me here. One, being offered a cocktail – Pedra No. 03 with tonic – at a wine tasting. Second, tasting a white port I loved – I’ll be discovering unicorns next. And thirdly, being told by a winemaker not to worry too much about the grape mix. Portugal has more native grapes than any other country in the world – 250+. Chilled on its own, this presents a lovely peach, pear and honeysuckle nose with just a hint of almonds. In the mouth, it’s generous, flavoured with a combination of white berries, grapes, citrus and honey. There is sweetness, but the freshness keeps it balanced and clean. This crowd-pleaser is well-worth seeking out.
As our guide, the amazing Ana took us through our itinerary; a question popped into my head. ‘Does Portugal make sparkling wine?’ Before I could ask, she told me we’d be tasting several, and the Chão da Portela Bruto was my favourite. Traditionally made, it showed a nose of apples, peaches and yeast, while on the palate, there were tropical fruits, red apples, melon, red berries, and creamy yeast. A great fizz for what I suspect will be a great price, given what it goes for in Europe; it’s not imported to the UK yet, but when it does come in, stock up.
What can I say about the Manoella, Douro Branco, Wine & Soul 2020 (Tanners £17.95). Well, fresh, elegant, tangy, and precise are all terms that spring to mind (third time). There’s serious complexity here, too though. Layers of green and white fruits, lemons and a good dose of minerals produce a wine that’s made for seafood or white meats, which has the capacity to age and develop.
Port producers have been at the vanguard of these new Douro wines, and Kopke’s Quinta Sao Luiz Colheita Branco (Ocado £12.50) is excellent. Mid-gold in colour, there’s freshness and depth on the nose with musky, orange blossom notes lifted by grapefruit and lemon. The palate’s weighty, full of yellow plums, peaches and apricots, before a strident fresh acidity comes in at the end.
Stepping up a level, we have Quanta Terra ‘Terra a Terra’ Branco (FESTA £21.50). Lemons, limes, and grapefruit make for a mouth-watering opening before apples, peaches in syrup, and green herbs are added to the mix. This is a seriously good wine which has the power and persistence to go well with everything from pork to hard cheeses.
And so, to the reds. I’ve had hundreds of Portuguese red wines over the years. Generally, they’ve been excellent, on the weighty side, and great value. The 2018 Pedra a Pedra Tinto (Taurus Wines £16.99) shows two of these characteristics, but rather than being weighty; it’s lively, red berry driven and soft as a sigh. Raspberries, strawberries, and redcurrants are all on show, with an undercurrent of spices, herbs, and a touch of creamy vanilla—just the thing for roast lamb or roasted vegetable couscous.
The Pedacos Grande Reserva 2018 is another wine that isn’t imported as yet. This is a great shame as it’s a fantastically food-friendly wine. I tried it with wheelbarrow barbecued steak, and it was a marriage made in heaven, even if the nuptials were conducted in an alley behind the winery. Deep brooding colour, I thought it would be an old school bruiser, but beyond the plum, cooked blackberry, and cherry fruit, there was a vibrancy that was fresh, elegant, oh, and tangy. This has time on its side, and it’ll be fascinating to see it and how the Pedacos winery evolves.
I’ll finish, as so many great meals do, with a vintage port, the Quinta da Pedra Alta 2018 Vintage Port (Bancroft Wines £50.99). Vintage port is a rare wine, the product of a single year’s harvest; it makes up a tiny proportion of the port houses’ production, but it is often the wine they are judged by.
At best, it’s sumptuous, complex, rich, and capable of ageing for decades. What it never is, especially in youth, is fresh, elegant, and tangy. The Quinta da Pedra Alta 2018 is, and it’s all the more joyous for it. Even at this tender age, it offers masses of sweetly toned black fruits, cherries, figs, prunes, and herbs, but it does so in an elegantly balanced way. Whereas most vintage ports are about as wieldy as the Isle of Man when young, you could drink this now with food as table wine. It’s that refined and approachable.
I hope you will give Portuguese wines a try – particularly these new-wave wines from the Douro. They can be sensational and make for fascinating drinking.
Next time out, barbecue reds.
More soon…
Giles
Wine Tourism has been extremely popular over the last few years, either through organised tours or so-called DIY trips. If you’re thinking of doing one, I’d strongly recommend the Douro. The region is stunningly beautiful, the wineries are welcoming and the range of wines on the show is as breath-taking as the views.
Tim & Tam Spittle tell us about the vodka made from sheep’s milk thanks to their friendly “Black Lions” on the family farm and summer walks, tours and tastings to enjoy
Vodka is typically made from potato, grain, even grapes. But sheep’s milk? This was the challenge Tim & Tan Spittle couldn’t wait to climb.
“Sheaf House Farm, which Tim’s mum and dad bought over 50 years ago, would simply never survive today as a small Cotswold sheep farm if we didn’t also try new things,” explains Tan.
“We’ve always loved vodka. We were thinking of alternative diversifications and thought it needed to be niche. Knowing about cow’s milk vodkas, we wondered why no one had ever done it with sheep’s milk. That’s where it began.”
Milk for the vodka comes from Tim and Tan’s beloved flock of Black Lion sheep, all crossbred from Swiss Valais Blacknose and grazed on what has been the family farm for two generations. BLACKLION was created as a premium sipping vodka using the sugar-rich whey left over after cheese-making that would otherwise go to waste. “Creating BLACKLION took us on a four-year adventure working with amazingly talented and patient local distillers to perfect a vodka we love.” says Tim.
Since launching, the vodka has legions of fans, as well as winning a galaxy of gold star reviews and was featured on Gordon Ramsay’s last episode of Future Food Stars last month (above). “Gordon was incredibly genuine and inspiring,” adds Tan, “and we were just so pleased with his enthusiastic review, after tasting BLACKLION.”
The vodka’s unique and crisp, full-bodied flavour also serves a smooth with a warming aftertaste and a hint of edelweiss.
As for the beautiful sheep behind the creation, this iconic breed originated in the mountains of Switzerland, explaining why the Matterhorn appears on every bottle. “When we came up with the idea, we thought we needed to make our vodka doubly rare; so we created our own breed of sheep the “Black Lions”. A cross between the Swiss Valais Blacknose and a British milking sheep, they have an unbelievable temperament – they’re almost too quiet; too friendly!”
Tim & Tan will start their own farm walks, tours and tastings over the summer, offering guests the chance to meet the sheep and taste the vodka. “We’ll have a mixologist making different cocktails and it will just be a lovely day out for everyone to enjoy,” adds Tim.
“This part of the world remains to be the one of the most beautiful regions of Great Britain with its rolling hills, spectacular views and majestic towns and villages. It’s also home to some incredibly talented chefs, local producers and craft drink distillers making it a fantastic destination for foodies!”
From Cava to Champagne, Tasmania to South Africa, our wine columnist Giles Luckett serves up the 10 best sparkling wines on the market
Summer’s here, and I’m in a sparkling mood. Having had to put the log burner on throughout May (sorry, Greta), the sun’s finally shining, and that calls for fizz.
Such is the effervescence of my disposition that I’ve decided to do a bumper edition and run down my top ten sparkling wines for summer 2023. The following are drawn all over the world and run the gamut of styles from desert-bleached bone dry through to a rich off-dry Champagne that is bottled elegance. They vary in price from “A dangerous third bottle…?” to “I can’t wait for your 50th, so we can have that again” by way of whites and rosés. What unites them is their excellence and how astonishingly versatile this glorious style of wine can be. So, pop pickers, in at number ten…
10. A new entry, all the way from South Africa, it’s the Kleine Zalze Cap Classique (Taylors Fine Wines £21). This is a ripe, soft, fruit-driven wine that’s deliciously satisfying. Mid-gold, the nose boasts tropical fruits, yeast, and a lovely biscuity tone. It’s broad and expansive in the mouth, with big flavours of peach, apricot, guava, and a tang of lemon. A fine solo sipper, it’s a wine where two bottles seem ideal. Well, that’s what we’ve found on more than one occasion.
9. At number nine, we have a re-issue of a much-loved classic, the Roger Goulart Reserva 2019 (Surrey Wine Cellar £19). This is to bog-standard Cava what a Ferrari 355 is to the family run about. It’s in a different class. Invitingly deep gold colour, the nose is evolved, rich and full of autumn fruits. On the palate, the long bottle age shows again, presenting magnificent tones of apricot, red pear, nectarine, and crushed nuts. The finish is long, mellow, and rounded. This is a serious Cava that’s seriously good. It was made for pairing white meats, and meaty fish such as monkish or heavily smoked salmon.
8. A non-mover at number eight, and another Spanish stunner, it’s the Cune Cava (Majestic £9.99). This is one of those wines that always leaves me smiling. Its consistency is admirable, if unremarkable, given that the amazing CVNE team makes it, and it never disappoints. Pale gold, the nose is a cheerful blend of honeydew melon, pears and grapes with a warm, bready tinge. In the mouth, it’s light to medium-bodied and offers white-skinned fruits backed by rounded yet fresh acidity and a hint of honey — a joyous accompaniment to a summer’s evening.
7. At seven, we’ve got the first of two wines from South Africa’s Graham Beck. Regular readers of this column will know I’ve long-admired Beck’s back catalogue, but this a new wine that has classic written all over it. It’s the Graham Beck Ultra Brut 2016 (VINUM £19.90). If you like your sparkling wines bone dry but approachable and complex, this is an excellent choice. Bottle-aged for three years prior to release; at this point, this is a fresh, zesty wine with underlying notes of brioche and peach stones. This is better with food at this point – oily fish, white meats, and creamy cheeses are all good – but it will age and mellow out over the next three-to-five years.
6. Another new entry at number six, it’s the Simonnet-Febvre Crémant de Bourgogne (Tesco £15). Crémant de Bourgogne is a sparkling wine made in Burgundy, and like most crémants, they offer great wines that are great value for money. Simonnet-Fevre has been making classic wines in Chablis since 1845, and their class shows through here. A blend of Chardonnay supported by Pinot Noir, on the nose, there’s plenty of fresh green apple and pear with underlying notes of chalk and a saline touch. It’s clean and tangy in the mouth but soon develops a peach, yellow plum and vanilla creaminess. Wonderfully versatile, it’s the perfect aperitif, but it goes equally well with smoked fish or a peppery rocket and goat’s cheese salad.
5. Taking fifth spot is a wine from a land down under; the Jansz Premium Cuvée (Waitrose £18.49). The first time I tasted this tremendous Tasmanian sparkler was at the winery when our press tour was treated to a tasting of 30+ wines, none of which we wanted to spit, few of us did, and the afternoon was a contented, if sleepy, blur. A recent encounter reminded me of quite how good this wine is. The bouquet melds white berries, plums, honeysuckle and citrus. At the same time, its generous, multi-layered tones range from autumnal berries to tropical fruits, almonds, and finally, lemon-soaked minerals and smoke. This is undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest sparkling wines, yet it remains affordable.
4. At number four, Graham’s back, this time with the Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 2018 (Majestic £18.99). Being produced from 100% Chardonnay from cooler, high-altitude sites, you might expect this to be light, bright and breezy, and as about as substantial as a marshmallow crash helmet, but like me, you’d be wrong. Extended bottle age before release has leant this wine weight and depth. Mid-gold, the nose has a vanilla foam scent to it before fresh flavours of grapefruit and lime come forth. On the palate, the bright green apple, peach, and apricot flavours are powerful yet balanced, and there’s a lovely finish of limes and coconut at the end.
3. This week at three, it’s the Champagne Taittinger’s Nocturne (Waitrose £45), the only ballad in this summer’s chart. Nocturne is a ‘Sec’ champagne which means it has a much higher level of sweetness – 17.5 grams per litre, versus less than 12 grams for ‘Brut’ (Noel Edmonds never gave this level of detail on Top of the Pops!). The result is a wine that has a luxuriously full, opulent mouthfeel. Taittinger’s signature peaches in syrup accent take centre stage, and as you sip, the richness builds. This could quickly become cloying and sickly, but extended ageing and perfectly judged citrusy acidity make it mellow and harmonious.
2. At number two, but only by a whisker, is the Bruno Paillard Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs (Petersham Cellar £60). I bought a parcel of Paillard’s wines earlier this year and have been happily tasting my way through them. While all are outstanding, and the Dosage Zero (Wanderlust Wine £59) almost made it to this list, the Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs is on another level. 100% Chardonnay from 100% rated vineyards, this is everything you could wish for from a blanc de blancs. Fragrant, mixing white flowers, grapes, greengages, and vanilla notes, the complex aromas are a prelude to a wine that is soft, subtle, and astonishingly complex. Baked apple, ripe comice pear, white currant, and grapefruit are wrapped in a creamy, nutty finish. I’ve had this on its own and with foods as diverse as baked white fish, roasted artichokes, and pork medallions, and it’s always performed beautifully.
1. And holding the number one spot, we have a wine that tastes as beautiful as it looks, the Gosset Celebris Extra Brut 2007 (The Champagne Company £119.50). Gosset is a champagne-lovers’ champagne. Made without compromise, all have a steely backbone from their wines not undergoing malolactic fermentation, which converts firmer malic acid into softer latic acid. Not doing “malo” as it’s known, preserves the wine’s purity and extends its life. Gosset’s wines need age – I prefer the non-vintage after a couple of years in bottle – and the Celebris gets a minimum of ten years. 2007 is a wine that offers piercingly beautiful notes of red berries, blackcurrant leaves, lavender honey, yeast and spices in a powerfully refined fashion. Food’s best friend, try this seafood – it’s sublime with lobster (someone was paying), white fish or spring lamb.
Well, that’s it for this edition. Here’s to a sparkling summer.
The GOAT summer pop-up is coming to The Star, Witley
Stop the search for the perfect summer spot, The Star gastropub in Surrey is launching an al fresco pop-up that promises to be nothing but the GOAT.
Firing up in collaboration with Cabrito Goat Meat – a multi award-winning, ethical meat company on a mission to put all the billy goats born into the UK dairy system back into the food chain – The Star’s GOAT pop-up will be serving up delicious, sustainable dishes in the picturesque country pub’s expansive south-facing garden and terrace all summer long.
All your satiating street food favourites are getting the GOAT treatment – from melt-in-the-mouth burgers to moreish tacos and poutines packing a punch. The Star’s chef owners Jamie Dobbin and James Lyon Shaw (whose independent pub group Brucan Pubs was hailed the ‘undeniable winner’ of Best Food Offer at the Publican Awards 2023) are using every morsel of Cabrito’s 100% British goat meat, produced from a sustainable farming system, to its greatest potential.
Settle into your sun-soaked spot and choose between: the Nanny Mac burger with double patty smash; a single patty Billy the Kid burger with American cheese; Pulled Goat Shoulder tacos with red cabbage slaw and chimichurri; and comforting Curry Goat poutine.
Jazzed up jackfruit options are also coming in hot for those who want the GOAT experience without actually, well, eating goat, including the Gone Goat burger with meat-free patties, Spiced Jackfruit tacos and Jackfruit poutine.
Launching on Saturday 10th June, The Star’s GOAT pop-up will run from 12pm till 6pm every Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer. The ultimate way to get your goat.
With the weather getting warmer there can be nothing better than dining al fresco so try these recipes from Traeger, makers of world-leading premium wood pellet BBQs
Grilled Lobster Tails
Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 25 mins | Serves: 2
This is wood-fired flavour, from the sea to your backyard. Simply cut a slit to butterfly the lobster tails, pour the butter mixture, then let our signature heat and smoke do the rest.
1. Prepare the lobster by cutting down the middle of the tough shell toward the tail with kitchen shears.
2. Using your fingers, gently pry the meat from the shell, keeping it attached at the base of the tail. Lift the meat so it is resting on top of the split shell (again, keeping it attached at the base of the tail).
3. Make a slit down the middle of the meat to butterfly it open on top.
4. Place the lobster tails on a rimmed baking sheet.
5. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the lemon juice, paprika, garlic salt, Traeger Fin & Feature Rub, pepper and parsley.
6. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture over each lobster tail. Keep the remaining butter mixture warm.
7. When ready to cook, set Traeger temperature to 260°C and preheat, lid closed for 15 minutes.
8. Remove the lobster tails from the baking sheet and arrange them directly on the grill grate. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the meat is white and opaque.
9. Transfer lobster tails to a platter and serve with the reserved butter mixture. Enjoy!
Roasted Sheet Pan Salmon with Spring Veg and Pesto
Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 12 mins | Serves: 4
The beauty of this recipe is that it all cooks together in 10-12 minutes! Salmon is such a crowd-pleaser on the grill and is a perfect match for these spring vegetables with pesto. But how often do we focus on crispy salmon skin? This recipe cooks the salmon with the skin side up for a beautiful presentation for those who love the skin. And if you don’t care for it? No worries! Cook it skin-side down and it will still be beautiful.
Ingredients:
• 4 Salmon pieces (100g), skin on, pin bones removed • 3 tablespoons olive oil • Rock salt and freshly ground black pepper • 16 fresh asparagus spears, sliced into 2.5cm pieces • 180g cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved • 300g sugar snap peas • 1 1/2 lemons halved • 85g fresh pesto • 2/3 lemon, zested • Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Steps:
1. When ready to cook, set the temperature to high and preheat, lid closed for 15 minutes.
2. Rinse the salmon and pat dry with paper towel. Brush all sides of the salmon with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides. Place the salmon pieces skin-side up on the sheet tray (or down if preferred) leaving 2 inches between each piece.
3. Place the asparagus, sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes in a bowl. Gently mix the vegetables with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a fresh grinding of pepper. Scatter the vegetables evenly onto the sheet pan.
4. Place the sheet pan on the grill. In addition, place the lemons cut-side down directly on the grill grate towards the front of the grill. Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes at 80°C.
5. After 5 minutes, remove the lemons from the grill and stir the vegetables. Close the lid and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 60°C and can be flaked with a fork.
6. Remove the sheet pan from the grill. Place the fish and vegetables on a serving platter and drizzle with the pesto. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the top of the fish and vegetables and add a few basil leaves for garnish. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
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Our wine columnist Giles Luckett explores the best wines from South Africa worth trying
Hello. This article was inspired by a recent South African wine tasting, one that turned out to be a simultaneous trip down memory lane and a voyage of discovery (if that doesn’t win Mixed Metaphor of the Year, nothing will!).
This vast county has 30 diverse wine districts and 60 Wine of Origin (WO) designations, boasts a mix of microclimates and soils to enable it to grow pretty much every grape variety brilliantly. They’ve also been making wine since the 1650s, so they have had plenty of time to perfect their art.
I became a fan of South African wines in my student days, as they offered affordability and drinkability in equal measure. Three decades in the wine trade has burnished my love of the country’s wines and allowed me to try everything from mighty Cabernet Sauvignons that aren’t so much dry as desiccated to that well-known heart condition treatment (well, well-known to Jane Austen) the luscious Klein Constantia. Such long experience meant I attended the tasting expecting great wines but no surprises. What I encountered came as something of a shock…
Alongside the usual cavalcade of world-class Cabernet Sauvignons (the Vergelegen Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch 2017 (Wine Society £16) was in marvellous form, so full, so refined, and typical of this wonderful vintage), cool climate Chardonnays (Journeys End Winemakers Chardonnay) (Laithwaites £14.99), and native grape classics such as the Beaumont Family Pinotage, Bot River, Walker Bay 2018 Pinotage (the Wine Society £18) was a line-up of newbies the like of which I didn’t know existed. Luscious, fruit-bomb Viogniers like the Mount Rozier Estate Queen Bee Viognier 2022 (Laithwaites £12.99), a previously unseen Tempranillo, from Mellasat Vineyards (Brompton Wines £20.9%) which took this Riojan classic and gave it even more oomph and even an orange wine. Well, no one’s perfect.
(Another) South African Wine Revolution
I’d read that South African wine had undergone one of its periodic reinventions in the past few years, but I didn’t appreciate how significant this one was. On the evidence of this extensive tasting, this is as significant a change as they moved away from making South Africian ‘port’ and ‘sherry’ and moved into table wines.
What is the revolution this time? Well, in essence, it’s about working with nature. It’s about aligning the right grapes, exploration of sites, and using the right grapes and the right production methods to give wines that are authentic, and which convey a ‘taste of place.’ The rationale behind this move varies hugely, but what is universal is the exceptional quality of the wines being produced, as the following highlights show.
Boschendale Chenin (Tesco £9) is about as traditional as South African wine gets. Chenin, or Steen as it’s known here, is planted all over the country as it used to be used for fortified wines. These days it’s mainly used to produce crisp, apple, and melon flavoured wines, the best of which, such as Boschendale’s, have a shot of citrus, honey, and minerals giving them complexity.
South African Sauvignon Blanc isn’t a wine I’m that familiar with. Like many of my generation, I was introduced to Sauvignon by the thrillingly fruit-driven gooseberry and green pepper wines of New Zealand in the late 1980s. After a year or so of drinking this style, the thrill wore off, and I’ve avoided New World Sauvignon ever since. It seems I’ve been missing out, however, as when I tasted the Journey’s End Identity Sauvignon (£9 Sainsbury’s), I found a wine of subtlety and class. The notes of gooseberries, rhubarb, and peppers are still there, but the volume’s been turned down, and peachy, yellow plum notes have fleshed it out, making for a jolly, food-friendly glassful.
Kleine Zalze is another South African winery whose wines I’ve always enjoyed. Hailing from the prestigious Stellenbosch region, their Vineyard Selection Chenin (Vinum £13.10) is a serious, grown-up wine. Oak-aged, there’s a creaminess to this wine that compliments the rich peach, guava, and apricot tones before a fresh, firm acidity pulls everything together. This would be brilliant with lemon roast chicken or mushroom risotto.
Spier is one of South Africa’s oldest wineries, and yet they produce one of its newest and rarest wines. Albarino is a grape most commonly associated with Spain, where it produces some of the country’s greatest whites. Ranging in style from the dry and crisp to the very dry and very crisp, it’s a wine I’ve always liked. The Spier Albarino (Majestic £9.99) has all the citrus you’d expect, but with its full, glycerine-rich body, it has softer, fatter notes of baked apple and pear that make it eminently drinkable.
I’ll leave the whites with Jordan Wines’ The Real McCoy Riesling 2022. Like Pinot Noir, Riesling seems to be a grape that every nation wants to do well. The quality of the grape is such that everyone wants to create ones that can rival the French and German versions. Jordan has done pretty good job, if you ask me. While this is very much a South African wine, the lovely floral, apple and honey nose, taut, crisp, green and white berry saturated palate and cleansing, mineral-laden acidity make for a compelling Riesling. I plan to try this with a stir fry, but as a solo sipper, it’s a pearl.
Pinotage is South Africa’s signature grape. Created in 1925 by crossing the noble Pinot Noir and commoner Cinsault (at the time, the Pinot wasn’t so much cross as flaming furious), the idea was to give a noble vine with good heat resistance. It’s a vine capable of great things in the right hands (and utterly forgettable dross in the wrong hands), as the Spier Pinotage shows. Mid-red, the nose is an inviting mix of crushed red berries, warm spices, cherries, and earth. These impressions flow onto the palate where the amble, yet rounded, tannins give it structure, and a hint of mint adds freshness. A great BBQ wine, should the sun ever shine.
Blends have always worked well in South Africa. Some of my earliest memories of South African wine are of tasting the likes of Simonsig and Meerlust’s mighty Rubicon. Having such a wealth of grapes to call upon, it’s easy to see why they are popular. One I caught up with at the tasting was Kanonkop’s Kadette (Tesco £12), the entry-level wine from the superb Kanonkop estate. Blending Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, this is an inky dark, brooding, spicy, and super-ripe wine that doesn’t so much caress your palate as give it a cuddle and offer it a blanket. If you like big, rich, spicy, and intense wines, this is a great choice.
Syrah, one of the great grapes of the Rhone Valley, is another variety you rarely see adorning South African wine labels. So when I saw the Griffin Syrah (£20 Ocado), I was intrigued. I tasted the 2016, and the bottle aging had clearly helped it. Young Syrah can be a handful, closed, tannic, brooding, and acidic. This was deep, mellow, and open. It offered a huge weight of plum, black cherry, and bramble fruit alongside signature notes of herbs, white pepper, and raspberries. Drinking well now, it has time on its side and would be fantastic with roasted red meats or hard cheeses.
I couldn’t write a piece on South African wine and not mention a Cabernet Sauvignon. This noblest of vines seems to like South Africa and consistently produces world-class wines that are as good as they are affordable. I reviewed the Major Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 by Ernie Els Wines last year, and it was outstanding. This time out, I looked at the 2017, which, if anything, was even better. Very dark with only a glimmer of crimson at the rim, the nose offered an intensely concentrated mix of cassis, green peppers, mint, cherries, and smoke. In the mouth, it was powerful yet elegant. Fresh blackcurrants take centre stage, but there’s excellent support from black cherries, chocolate, spicy vanilla, and a shot of cranberry acidity. A delicious wine, I’d give it plenty of time open before drinking.
I’ll finish this piece as I finished the tasting with a fizz. I’ve tasted the Graham Beck Pinot Noir Rosé (Majestic £16.99) around a dozen times in the past year, and my notes have been consistent in their praise. While I love all of Beck’s sparkling wines, the Pinot Noir Rosé is on a different level. Sweetly toned strawberries and raspberries mingle with softer flavours of brioche, black fig, creamy yeast, and a hint of saline. This will undoubtedly be our summer fizz, and with its weight and freshness, it will partner all kinds of food admirably well.
I hope this whistle-stop tour will prompt you to explore South Africa’s great wine treasury. Next time out, I’m heading back down under for some splendid summer sippers.
Learn more about the wines of Rioja as Round and About’s wine columnist shares his thoughts on the best red and white Riojas on the UK market
Hello. A game I like to play sometimes is wine keywords – I’m too old for an Xbox, and I don’t drink enough port to be good at bridge. The aim of the game is to encapsulate a wine region’s history in as few words as possible and have people guess where you’re talking about. Trust me, this goes down a storm with men of a certain age with model railways and a subscription to Decanter!
So, Bordeaux could be, ‘British-owned. British invented. British drunk while Champagne could be ‘Monasteries. War. Billionaire brands.’ Which region, though, would be, ‘Bugs. Trains. A fascist’.
It is none other than the beloved region of Rioja, which is the subject of my latest ode to wine.
The Wines Of Rioja: A Very, Very Brief History
Wines have been produced in Rioja in northwest Spain for donkey’s years. The Romans introduced viniculture here, and the wines enjoyed an excellent local reputation. The wines came to international prominence in the 1850s when phylloxera – a root-chewing bug – devastated much of France’s vineyards, most notably in nearby Bordeaux. Bordeaux winemakers in need of work decamped to Rioja, bringing expertise in the use of oak, amongst other things, and helped take the wines to a whole new level.
Around this time, the railway finally reached the wine towns of Haro and Logrono. This meant that Rioja could be transported easily to the rest of Spain and the ports, which have them access to international markets.
Owing to the world wars and the Spanish Civil War, the region fell on hard times in the early part of the 20th century, and it was only with the rise to power of Franco that its fortunes were restored. Franco was mad about wine and wanted to see Rioja take its rightful place on the world stage. In one of his (extremely rare) good deads, he helped ensure that the wines were produced to high standards and became sought after again.
Rioja Today: New Classic Wines
Today, Rioja is rightly regarded as one of the great wine regions of the world. Its capacity for value is unrivalled, and there’s a surprising level of diversity in the nature and styles of wine, between the traditional and the modernist. In this article, I will offer you the benefit of my 30-odd-year obsession with this beautiful, complex, generous wine region, which I hope will whet your appetite for these extraordinary wines.
Let’s begin with the wine that started my love affair with Rioja, the Cune Crianza (Sainsbury’s £9). I first encountered this as Harrods’ Rioja when a Spanish colleague Carlos recommended it as a star staff buy. He wasn’t wrong. To this day, I can remember it. As someone who’d been brought up on Bordeaux and wines from the Midi and the Rhone, this was a revelation. A wine packed with exuberant red and blackberry fruit, spices, citrus peel, and creamy vanilla, it was as if I’d been drinking black and white wines, and this was my introduction to colour. I had the 2018 last night and found it just as diverting as I did all those years ago.
Next are two whites. White Rioja was, for the longest time, something that was best avoided. The Riojans’ idea that wood was good, so more wood is better, worked well (to an extent) with the reds, but for whites, it was often folly. A familiar tasting note for white Rioja in the 1990s was, ‘Smells of old chip fat, colour of old chip fat, tastes of… old chip fat.’ Happily, those days are gone, as these two contrasting corkers show.
The Muga Blanco (Majestic £12.99) is a modernist interpretation and is bottled summer. A blend of mainly Viura and Malvasia, the nose is bright, full of apple blossom, pears, and a hint of honey. In the mouth, it’s clean and delicate, yet the persistent fruit notes of pears, honeydew melon, apricots, and tangy gooseberries give it oomph.
By contrast, the Cune Barrel Fermented Rioja Blanco (Waitrose £10) is an altogether more rounded, richer, mellow, traditional iteration. This is one of my favourite white wines, and I must have had close to 30 different vintages. The consistency is remarkable, and it never fails to please. The latest vintage has the same ripe, soft mouthfeel and generosity of fruit I’ve come to expect, but this time out, there’s a nutty edge to buttery peach, apricot, and green apple fruit. A great wine for summer sipping.
I mentioned my adoration for the wines of Contino in my last column, and I make no apology for mentioning one again this time. This time, it’s the Contino Reserva 2017. You can often tell a lot about the quality of wine and the vintage by the wine’s classification. In Germany, higher levels of sugar are revered and in rare vintages, you get the mighty trockenberenausle, which has so much sugar in grapes that it can take months to ferment and end up with 6 or 7 degrees of alcohol. In Champagne, it’s if a wine is vintage or not, and in Rioja it’s about the level of oak ageing the wine can sustain. Categories such as Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva all have pre-release ageing requirements in barrel and bottle, and as a crude rule of thumb, the more it can take, the better the wine is and the higher its designation.
The Contino Reserva 2017 (Noble Green £22) is an outstanding glass of wine. 2017 was a ‘challenging’ year – in the same way that nailing water to a wall with a hammer made of ice is challenging – yet by virtue of having a sublime vineyard and uncompromising winemakers with exceptional skill, they have turned out a sumptuous wine.
The nose in an inviting blend of smoked black fruit, tapenade, and cranberries. The voluptuous palate is medium-bodied, full of brambles, strawberries, hints of chocolate and raspberries, and a good helping mixed spice. As hard and angular as a bubble bath in a paddling pool, this won’t make seriously old bones, but it’s seriously good now.
Marqués de Cáceres is one of those Rioja brands – like Campo Viejo – that seemed to lose their way some years ago. For the longest time, their red, white, and rosé wines were a supermarket staple, and while they were OK for the money, that’s all they were. Today, they are back in a big way. Flagship wines like Gaudium are well worth their £40+ price tag. For rather more modest money, the Marqués de Cáceres Reserva (Majestic £12.99) is deep joy. This is the old-school Rioja. High extract with lots of dried blackcurrants, plums, warm spices, vanilla, and orange peel; this is perfect for red meats and hard Spanish cheeses.
Generally speaking I don’t tend to go for Gran Reserva wines. Rioja’s – unfair – reputation as wood aged in wine stems from this style. Eager to use the impressive designation, too many industrial producers have subjected wines that didn’t have the fruit of the extract to carry such a weight of oak, and the results weren’t great.
When done well, however, Gran Reserva Rioja can be glorious. Take the Beronia Gran Reserva 2015 (Majestic £21). Hailing from a great vintage, even after 28 months in cask, it remains deeply coloured, with a bramble, red cherry, and plum scented nose. In the mouth the fruity continues to take centre stage, with layer-upon-layer of black and red berries rounded off by creamy oak. Great now, this has a long future.
Roda may not be a winery you’re familiar with, but in the course of 30-odd year life, it’s taken Rioja by storm. Roda is the picture of modernity in a traditional region. They restrict the amount of oak, favour French (subtler, more expensive) over American, use cooler fermentation temperatures, and aim to bring a subtle expression of Rioja to life. The resulting wines are fascinating, combining traditional flavours with an arresting delicacy of approach. The Roda 1 2016 (Master of Malt £29.95) offers a great introduction to these beguiling wines.
Still with me? Good, only two to go, and what a pair…
Vina Real is another traditional wine, but there’s a delicacy and a flair to their wines that I’ve always loved. My latest encounter with this noble wine was the Vina Real 2016 Reserva (Tanners £21.50). This is a red berry and spices wine. The colour is paler than some thanks to four years in barrel, and buttery oak runs through it like Brighton through a stick of Brighton rock. It doesn’t overwhelm, however. Instead, it adds cream tones to the wide range of juicy berries, and gives a wine that was made for food.
And finally, a budget-busting classic, the Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva 2010 (Petersham Cellars £275). Now, £275 is an awful lot of money for a bottle of wine, but this is a rare beast. Only mad in exceptional years and aged for five years in oak and a further five in bottle – sometimes even longer – this a wonderful curio. Showing none of its age, it’s bright red and youthfully intense. Medium-bodied, mouth-filling, creamy and exotic, there’s everything from blackcurrants and cherries to Asian spices, coffees, dark marmalade, and charcoal. It’s a great Rioja experience, at a price.
Well, that’s it for now. All this talk of Rioja has given me a thirst the size of CVNE’s barrel hall.
Make a date for British Street Food Awards, Mark Bowen of Reading FC & a Sunday acoustic session
Blue Collar Corner, Reading’s street food and drinks arena in Hosier Street, is uncovering it’s roof terrace and preparing for summer with a packed line-up of events and DJs this month.
Events include two days of hosting the South Eastern heats of the British Street Food Awards, a Supporter Trust at Reading (STAR) evening with Mark Bowen and the Reading FC off field team plus live music.
“We can’t wait to bring British Street Food Awards to Blue Collar Corner on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th April” Glen Dinning of Blue Collar says, “We last hosted the Awards at Market Place in November 2020 where the quality and variety of food on offer was incredible. It’s so exciting to see future food trends – this is a chance to experience the very best of the British street food scene, vote for your favourites and support independent businesses.
“Variety of food is an ongoing theme here at Blue Collar Corner now with our four kitchens on short term rotations between two to four weeks each keeping the food option fresh and exciting.
“Our evenings with Brian McDermott in conversation last year were very special events. Glen continues “so we’re really happy to be welcoming more Reading FC related events on Wednesday 26th April when the Supporters Trust of Reading host an evening with Mark Bowen and the off field team.”
“We’ve uncovered our roof terrace and are getting the site summer ready” Glen continued, “Our live acoustic Sunday sessions have been a big hit recently. Our next of these will be the 19 Something Festival Launch on Sunday 23rd April, raising money for Age UK with stripped down live sets from a selection of local acts.”
This month you can enjoy:
Sat 18th Apr – British Street Food Awards + DJ Rob Wire + DJ Chris Gale Sun 19th Apr – British Street Food Awards Thu 20th Apr – Feel Good Thursdays w/ DJ Rich Sloman Fri 21st Apr – DJs Elle Cee & Kingpinn Sat 22nd Apr – Rum & Donuts DJs + DJ Arthur Sun 23th Apr – 19 Something Festival launch in aid of Age UK Wed 26th Apr – Supporters Trust at Reading w/ Mark Bowen & off field team Thu 27th Apr – Feel Good Thursdays w/ DJ Slippery People Fri 28th Apr – DJ Acronym Sat 29th Apr – DJ Mark Fitzpatrick + DJ Gilbert Sun 30th Apr – Rum & Donuts DJs + DJs Elle Cee & Kingpinn
For full info on Blue Collar’s April DJ sets and events (including their Cheese Feast event in Forbury on 28th-30th April), see blue.collar | Facebook | Linktree or follow their socials at @bluecollarfood.
