Match of the week

Beetroot and goat cheese macarons with a pet nat rosé
In a week of pretty amazing wine pairings (it’s not every day you get to taste five different vintages of Harlan Estate* over dinner) there was one really interesting match I wouldn’t have predicted - and that’s what this weekly slot is all about.
It was at a new(ish) restaurant called Osip in Bruton I’ll be writing about shortly and was with one of the initial snacks of the set price menu: beetroot and goat cheese macarons. Not having a particularly sweet tooth I’m not generally big fan of macarons but these were satisfyingly savoury with a really good beetroot flavour which chimed in perfectly with the Les Quatre Pétillant rosé brut nature we’d ordered as an aperitif.
Although it’s made from southern grapes - grenache, syrah and carignan - it’s produced in the Loire and is available from Uncharted Wines for £18.89. I particularly like the explanation on the label: “The Les Quatre philosophy is to make the best wines possible with a style they like to call ‘Paris Wine Bar’. We take that to mean totally drinkable, accessible and fun, all whilst being brilliantly made.”
That’s totally true.
See also The best wines to pair with beetroot
* It only didn't make Match of the Week because it was paired, fairly conventionally with a fillet steak!

Moscato d’Asti and rose macarons
There were two strong candidates for match of the week this week but as my last three pairings have involved a crisp white wine (which reveals something about my current preferences) I didn’t think I could feature yet another one*
The other was one of the pairings I showed at a ‘Fabulous Fizz and food’ event TV presenter and cookery writer Thane Prince and I hosted at a tasting for The Women’s Chapter at city bank Arbuthnot Latham last week and for me it was the match of the night.
We had a hunch macarons would work with moscato d’asti but weren’t sure which flavour would go best. So I had the arduous task of nibbling my way through a box and rose came out top. (Followed by vanilla in case you're interested. Avoid coffee.)
We suggested it would be a great way to finish off a midweek supper if you didn’t have time to make a pudding but frankly it’s so good I’d keep it to yourself. The macarons were by Ladurée, the Moscato, a Vietta Cascinetta, from Bibendum (£14.95 from allaboutwine.com or £18.95 from Roberson. See wine-searcher.com for other stockists
*I’ve made it my wine of the week instead!
Most popular
.jpg)
My latest book

News and views
.jpg)


