Tamworth belly ribs and 2006 Qupé Roussanne

Sometimes the best matches are the unexpected ones. I was (shameless plug alert) helping the team at my son’s restaurant Hawksmoor select wines for a dinner to celebrate their 10th anniversary which will feature some of the classic dishes they’ve had on the menu since the early days.

One was Tamworth Belly Ribs which I remembered as a rich, sticky, American style pork rib. I was almost sure a lush red like grenache would be the ideal match but it turned out the dish had evolved into a lighter, more Asian style of dish and that the ribs were now accompanied by a punchy slaw.

It suggested a white rather than a red so Hawksmoor’s wine buyer Becca pulled out a range of options including this 2006 Roussanne from Qupé's Bien Nacido Hillside Estate*, a Californian producer who has also been on the winelist since the early days. It was absolutely stunning, partly because of the age of the wine but also its intensity and concentration (it’s a none-too-timid 14.5%).

For those of you in the restaurant business it goes to show you need to keep an eye on the wine pairings you recommend for signature dishes. Chef may have changed them while you weren't looking!

* and from the website it doesn't look as if they are actually making it any more

Seafood pizza and Craven The Firs Syrah

A full-flavoured red and seafood? Doesn’t sound like the kind of pairing that would work but as ever it depends on the wine and how the dish is prepared.

The pizza was one of a range of gourmet pizzas at a great little restaurant called Burrata at The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Capetown we visited on Friday night with a couple of winemakers, Mick and Jeanine Craven of Craven Wines (Mick also makes wine at Mulderbosch) and Gavin Bruwer of B Vintners who also makes the Raats Family wines.

I ordered a di Mare (prawns, squid and chili aioli) just because I was curious to see what it was like. Thanks to the garlic it was quite punchy so easily able to handle a red.

The syrah (a 2015 and definitely a syrah rather than a shiraz) was Mick and Jeanine’s, a really delicious bright juicy example with a good whack of the white pepper and spice that characterises wines from the northern Rhône. Amazingly it was only 12.5%, which is typical of a trend to lower alcohol wines among the new generation of South African wine producers (though Mick is in fact an Aussie!). Apparently it’ll be hitting the UK sometime in the spring.

Cold rare fillet of beef and Cinsault

Given that it’s been in the mid-30s in the Cape Winelands recently it’s not surprising the local prefer their beef cold rather than hot but that also requires a change of thinking - from full-bodied to lighter reds.

The wine I’ve been finding hits the spot perfectly is Cinsault (or Cinsaut as it’s sometimes spelt) a traditional Cape grape variety that’s being given a new lease of life producing wines that are more like Beaujolais in style

The one that prompted this post was the 2014 Hinterland Cinsaut from Blackwater - a beautifully pristine, fresh, fragrant young wine that went perfectly with a beef fillet marinated (I would guess) with garlic and herbs, simply seared, cooled and served rare.

Cabernet Franc is another good candidate for cold roast beef as I discovered at Warwick as of course is pinot noir but we haven’t been in pinot country for the last couple of days. Good tip to remember for summer!

Image © koss13 on fotolia.com

Cheese, pear chutney and Jurançon

This might not have been the best match of the week - that honour goes to the turbot and orange wine pairing I experienced at Ellory which I’ve already written up here - but it’s the one that’s easiest to replicate at home.

It was at a swish new Bristol restaurant called Adelina Yard which does what must be one of the best fixed price lunch deals in the country. Three brilliant courses for just £15.

I went with my friend wine writer Susy Atkins so you’d think we’d have done some damage to the wine list but we virtuously decided to have a alcohol-free lunch. Until, that is, I tried the pear chutney that went with the cheese plate and decided it was crying out for a glass of sweet wine.

It’s one you might be unaware of - a sweet Jurançon* from south-west France called Symphonie de Novembre from Domaine Cauhapé, one of my favourite Jurançon producers. Although it was from the 2010 vintage it was still really fresh with lovely lush apricot and passionfruit flavours. A real treat. You can buy it from James Nicholson for £11.99 a half bottle and around £13 from WoodWinters and various other independents. The Wine Society has full-sized bottles of the 2012 for £19.

And the cheeses? I was afraid you were going to ask me that. I can’t remember to be honest, we were yammering so much. But they included (I think) a goats cheese, an Ubriaco, a Pecorino and a Shropshire Blue. But the chutney was the real inspiration**.

*Sweet Jurancon is just labelled Jurançon. If it’s a dry wine it’s referred to as Jurançon Sec.

** Note, it wasn't a very vinegary chutney which can be a bit brutal for wine. More like a pear compote.