Smoked haddock and apple salad with New Zealand Riesling

I was overwhelmed with good wine pairings last week but given that quite a few were similar to ones I’ve written about before I’m making this my star match.

It was the starter at the Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival supper - a terrific event laid on by the organisers of the event for the sponsors and speakers. I liked the fact that it was billed as a ‘supper’ rather than a ‘dinner’. Apart from the starter, which was plated up beforehand, the food was served family style down a huge long table (right). It made for a particularly relaxed and convivial evening.

East Anglia is known for its smoked fish so the starter was based on Pinney’s smoked haddock which was served raw like a carpaccio with local salad leaves, a julienne of apple and sour cream.

It was partnered with a crisp, dry Riesling from Forrest Wines which had a note of apple and citrus itself which matched the dish quite beautifully. (Riesling is generally good with smoked fish too). You can buy it from Adnams for £9.99 a bottle or £8.99 by the case.

The main course pairing was excellent too: an almost gamey beef and oyster pie with mash and braised red cabbage with elderberries, matched with a Domaine St Anne 2007 St Gervais, Cotes du Rhone Villages (also from Adnams at £15.99 a bottle.) Another good match to add to the Grenache list.

Laksa and Riesling

Laksa is one of those dishes you hesitate to pair with wine being both a soup and really spicy but the pairing I came across at the Pegasus Bay wine dinner at The Providores the other night was spot on.

One of the reasons I think it worked so well was that the chicken that had been used to make the laksa had apparently been smoked and smoked food is generally good with Riesling. It was also aromatic rather than fierily hot and contained - I would guess - a fair amount of coconut milk which tends to ease in a wine pairing.

As I’ve mentioned the Riesling, the 2008 Pegasus Bay ‘Bel Canto’, was already acquiring those appealing limey, kerosene notes which chimed in perfectly with the flavours of the soup. (You might think that you’d go for a simpler, less expensive Riesling with this sort of dish but in my opinion it was the intensity of the wine that made the match work so well.)

It’s not widely available but you should be able to track down a stockist through New Generation wines in the UK (info@newgenerationwines.com) and Empson USA in the US (nbarber@empsonusa.com). For other stockists see the Pegasus Bay website.

Image © FomaA - Fotolia

Gladstone Pinot Noir and hare royale

My match of the week has to include Gladstone Pinot Noir from Wairarapa in New Zealand which featured in two unexpectedly good pairings at two different restaurants.

The first was at Bistro Bruno Loubet where I discovered to my surprise it was a better match for a super-rich dish of hare royale than the full bodied Argentinian red (Clos de los Siete) both I and the sommelier had thought would be the ideal partner.

The second was at Texture where it proved a surprise hit with a subtle fish dish of cod with barley risotto, prawns and shellfish jus.

The common factor? Both dishes had a umami element - the hare in its rich savoury sauce, the risotto in its shellfish jus and umami is flattering to most wines, especially Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The hare also had a sweet pumpkin and dried mandarin pure which accentuated the acidity and freshness of the wine.

It’s an interesting comment on the increasing open-mindedness of French sommeliers and restaurateurs in London that both restaurants should offer a New Zealand Pinot by the glass instead of a burgundy. That wouldn’t have been the case a few years ago.

Goats' cheese and Sauvignon Blanc

Despite the freak flurries of snow and sub arctic temperatures last week spring has officially arrived and with it longer daylight hours and a switch to lighter eating. For me there’s no combination that reflects the season better than goats' cheese and Sauvignon Blanc, one of the great classic food and wine pairings.

Does it matter which goats' cheese and which Sauvignon and whether you introduce any other ingredients to the plate? Not a lot, if truth be told. You might argue that it’s impossible to beat a Sancerre paired with a Crottin de Chavignol from the same area but I’ve had equal pleasure from a young moussey goats' cheese with an unoaked New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (the match is certainly better without oak which diminishes the Sauvignon’s acidity and minerality)

If the cheese is grilled or part of a salad that will work too, especially if the salad includes soft herbs such as tarragon, coriander or dill. Likewise, asparagus, which has a similar flavour profile to Sauvignon Blanc will enhance the match. You can even add contrasting ingredients such as roasted grilled peppers and the pairing will work. Take full advantage of it!