Braised cuttlefish and artichokes with orange wine

This week’s match of the week was a toss up between this pairing of orange wine and braised cuttlefish at Emilia in Ashburton and a delicious tuna and crab taco with a cracking margarita at Zapote in Shoreditch but I reckoned you know that tacos (fishy ones especially) are great with margaritas and it’s always a struggle to know what to drink with artichokes.

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As I’ve said before it’s much easier to pair them when they’re braised or grilled than when they’re boiled, French-style with a vinaigrette or if they're partnered with other more wine-friendly ingredients - in this case cuttlefish and white beans.

I knew from past experience orange wine goes well with octopus so thought it would go with cuttlefish and it did, brilliantly, thanks partly to the wine being so delicious.

It was a deeply coloured 2021 skin contact Malvasia called Giandon Bianco from Il Farneto in Emilia Romagna with really lovely apricot and quince fruit. You can also buy it from the natural wine shop Highbury Library in London for £21. I think orange wines work particularly well when they’re made from aromatic grape varieties like malvasia and pinot gris

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