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Which BBQ book to buy this summer
Barbecue, as you may have observed, has become big business not only in terms of increasingly flashy bits of kit but a whole raft of books telling you how to up your grilling game. I got blogger and instagrammer Dan Vaux-Nobes, aka Essex Eating, to take a look at three of the titles that have been released his summer. Here's his verdict on which to choose.
"I used to barbecue meat for a living. For seven years I managed a small but incredibly busy BBQ joint in Bristol and in that time I smoked more pulled pork, beef brisket, ribs and chicken thighs than I care to remember. I was personally responsible for an apocalyptic, yet ultimately delicious swathe of carnage, death and butchery inflicted on the global farm animal community.
Although, on the plus side; this also means I am well qualified to review three newly released BBQ recipe books for the summer! Yay!
Seared by Genevieve Taylor
First up, Genevieve Taylor’s latest book ‘Seared’ – ‘The ultimate guide to barbecuing meat’ provides exactly what it promises on the cover, so vegetarians can deservedly f*ck right off. I’m obviously joking here, so please don’t start throwing veg of the heavier variety at me in the street, I’m thinking squashes, baking potatoes etc. LIke you possess the physical strength to lob them at me anyway, with your undernourished, protein-less bodies.
Despite being broken down into just three broad sections, an introduction, ‘Beast’ and ‘Bird’ this is a very comprehensive, surprisingly hefty book, packed with some really interesting and mucho delicious sounding recipes, Achiote Chicken with Lime Crema or Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Tequila and Maple Syrup anyone?
The more traditional stuff gets a look-in too, pulled-pork, beef brisket, Buffalo hot-wings etc. There’s also an explanation on how to make your own Texas Hot Link sausages, which caught me eye.
The introduction is a seriously informative guide to cooking with fire, providing guidance on everything you need to consider if you really want to get the most out of your barbecuing experience - meat provenance and structure, types of BBQ, useful equipment, fuel types, brines and rubs. It’s all covered. Some of the recipes contain some fairly technical BBQ’ing skills, but they’re well written with solid explanations of the techniques involved.
If you’ve got a half-decent BBQ and want to learn how to really use It, kicking it up substantially from blackened burgers and carbonised sausages (and I can’t stress this enough, you’re not even remotely vegetarian) then this is a book you definitely want to own.
Seared is published by Quadrille at £20
Outside by Gill Meller
Gill Meller’s latest book ‘Outside: Recipes for a Wilder way of Eating’ takes an entirely more freestyle approach to cooking over fire. No BBQ? Absolutely not a problem, Gill doesn’t really mind – cook it over whatever you can lay your hands on, fire-pit, campfire or perhaps the smouldering remains of your garden shed that you’ve inadvertently burnt to the ground whilst attempting to wing-it. Gill is not fussy.
The book itself is full of beautiful, aspirational pics of gorgeous food with just the right level of char in idyllic outdoor settings, all smouldering logs and wild-flowers. It really draws you in and the latent pyro-maniac in me is incredibly attracted to the notion of getting out ‘there’ gathering some wood, throwing a grate over the embers and just cooking like our ancestors might have done. Although I doubt very much they ever ate as well as this.
The recipes are gorgeous, the sort of grub you always wished you were eating whilst camping, Venison Loin with Pears, Bacon and Sage or how about a bowl of Trout, Potato and Dill Soup cooked over the glowing embers? Yes please.
There’s a fair old selection of meat based recipes, but vegetarians and pescatarians are also looked after, as well as people who don’t want to cook over fire at all – there’s a whole section of rather lovely looking salads and picnic food.
One of the interesting things about the recipes being so ‘freestyle’ and easy-going with regards to the cooking method, is that any half-competent cook can easily adapt the recipes to cook at home. I had a crack at the Crispy Pork with Thyme, Garlic and Fennel Seeds using my oven grill and it was absolutely superb, obviously it would have tasted better cooked over wood embers whilst out in the wild, but to be fair, everything does!
This is a lovely book for those just wanting to cook something really nice over whatever fire source you can lay your hands on, whilst camping or at the beach or just at the end of the garden. Just keep the fire away from the shed.
Outside is published by Quadrille at £30
Live Fire by Helen Graves
Finally, a look at ‘Live Fire’ by Helen Graves. I’ve known Helen for quite a few years, and she’s an absolutely superb natural cook. In fact, I can honestly say, over the past decade I’ve probably spent more time drooling over pictures of her food than anyone else’s. Everything she cooks looks and sounds brilliant. No pressure then.
I’m glad to say her book lives up to her formidable reputation. The recipes are stunning, slightly less technical with regards to BBQ technique than Genevieve’s book above, but they’re a hell of a lot of fun. Helen lives in London, and obviously takes a lot of inspiration for her recipes from the melting-pot of African, Asian and Middle-Eastern cooking you find in the city. Lots of spice, herbs and bold flavours.
As you’d expect, there’s a lot of meat recipes but vegetarians and pescatarians get a solid look-in, in fact I tried a couple of the recipes out and I can hand-on-heart say the Charred Tomatoes with Cool Yoghurt, Pomegranate Molasses and Herbs (recipe here) combined with a plate of Lamb Chops with Charred Chilli Sauce, all mopped up with a heap of Easy Flatbreads is quite possibly one of the best dinners I’ve ever cooked. Word of warning – it was stunningly spicy, Helen likes a bit of chilli but bloody hell it was good, I just couldn’t leave it alone despite the scorching hot nature of it.
A real selling point with ‘Live Fire’ is that nearly all of the recipes include alternative instructions on how to cook the food and achieve similar results without a BBQ.
I can’t recommend ‘Live Fire’ enough, as I said Helen is an incredibly talented cook and a whole collection of her superb recipes in print is something to get stuck-into and really appreciate.
Live Fire is published by Hardie Grant at £26
You can follow Dan @essexeating on instagram.
When to pair red wine with fish
Few people now throw up their hands in horror at the idea of matching red wine with fish. But how many realise just how often you can pair the two?
Here are six occasions when I think you can:
When the fish is ‘meaty’
If that doesn’t sound a contradiction in terms! Tuna is an obvious example but swordfish, monkfish and, occasionally, salmon fall into that category. That doesn’t mean they should only be drunk with a red (think of salade Niçoise, for example, which is more enjoyable with a rosé) simply that reds - usually light ones like Pinot Noir and Loire Cabernet Franc - generally work.
When it’s seared, grilled or barbecued
Just like any other food, searing, grilling or barbecuing fish creates an intensity of flavour that cries out for a red, especially if the fish is prepared with a spicy marinade or baste. Even oily fish like mackerel and sardines can work with a light, chilled red if they’re treated this way.
When it’s roasted
Similar thinking. The classic example is roast monkfish, especially if wrapped in pancetta and served with a red wine sauce (see below) when it differs very little from a meat roast. You could even drink red with a whole roast turbot or brill (though I generally prefer white). Accompaniments such as lentils or mushrooms will enhance a red wine match.
When it’s served with meat
Surf’n’turf! Once meat is involved one inclines towards a red, certainly if that meat is steak. Spanish-style dishes that combine chorizo and fish like hake are a natural for reds (like crianza Riojas) too.
When it’s served in a Mediterranean-style fish soup or stew
A recent discovery - that a classic French Provençal soup with its punchy accompaniment of rouille (a mayonnaise-type sauce made with garlic, chilli and saffron) is great with a gutsy red (I tried it with a minor Madiran but any traditional southern or south-western red that wasn’t too fruit driven would work). It’s the slightly bitter saffron note that these soups and stews like bouillabaisse contain that seems to be the key. A sauce that had similar ingredients would work too as would this dish of braised squid above.
When it’s served with a red wine sauce
You might not think that you could serve a really powerful red wine sauce with fish but with a full-flavoured fish such as halibut or turbot it works. And the natural pairing is a substantial, but not overwhelmingly alcoholic or tannic red. Like a fleshy Merlot.
Photo © Belokoni Dmitri at shutterstock.com
What type of wine works best with a barbecue?
This week is National Barbecue Week in the UK and if you're planning a barbecue this weekend you might well be wondering what to drink. Here's an article I wrote for Decanter a few years ago which still holds good today, I think.
It’s a sign of the times that the latest recommended food matches for Bordeaux are with barbecued food. On the face of it it’s not the most obvious pairing but of course Bordeaux is not just top growths, or simply red for that matter, any more than barbecue necessarily involves large hunks of meat slathered with barbeque sauce.
The mere fact of cooking over coals doesn’ t create problems for wines. It simply gives the ingredient - fish or meat - a charred edge which possibly calls for a wine with more intensity but no different in essence from one you’d chose if you’d pan-fried the meat or cooked it under an indoor grill.
It’s only once you start marinating your base ingredient, adding a rub or serving it with a sauce or when you serve several different barbecued foods together with a selection of strongly flavoured salads, as is so typical of many British barbecues, that you can run into difficulties.
The main issue is which way to go - to match power with power or go for a more refreshing option - the vinous equivalent of a beer. There are supporters of both points of view, depending on the style of barbecue. US 'master griller', Steven Raichlen, author of the best-selling ‘Barbecue Bible’ cookbook series says that with classic American barbecue recipes such as Texas style brisket or North Carolina-style pork shoulder that acquire a smoky flavour from being cooked over an indirect heat you need a ‘bulldozer of a wine’ such as a Zinfandel or a Shiraz. “You could drink a really beautiful St Emilion with a chargrilled steak but not with smoked brisket”. Pieter Ferreira of Graham Beck wines agrees. “Personally, I feel the bigger and bolder the wine is the better. With meaty barbecues a bold Pinotage will work wonders.”
On the other hand fellow South African, Oscar Foulkes, the winemaker at Cloof reckons that “something cold and flavourful such as Sauvignon Blanc or rosé covers a multitude of sins. Apart from the refreshment the freshness of the wine brings some levity to the palate” while Jerry Comfort of Beringer, an expert on food and wine pairing, opines that the “classic sweet/sour/spicy style (of barbecue) is best with fruity off-dry or dry whites like Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, white zin or a high acid, aromatic Pinot.”
Obviously it partly depends on your base ingredient. If you’re grilling seafood, for example, a fruity white might well be welcome. “At the beginning of a barbecue I often hand round hand round a glass of Mosel riesling or if I’m grilling a few clams with garlic and parsley butter I might offer a Sauvignon Blanc” says Raichlen. But it was surprising how many people I spoke to spontaneously mentioned other whites such as Viognier or Chardonnay which can deal with both the charring and the sweetness of many barbecued foods as good all-round pairings. It bore out a recent thread on NY Times wine writer Eric Asimov’s blog The Pour in which many winelovers confessed their growing preference for white wine.
Rosé too has a useful part to play at barbecues, especially the new stronger, bolder styles that have become increasingly popular over the last couple of years - wines such as Charlie Melton’s Rose of Virginia or even Bordeaux rosés such as Chateau de Sours. Their advantage being that they have both the full-bodied fruit and sweetness to cope with the smokiness and spiciness of many marinades as well as the crisp, refreshing acidity of a white wine. They also, unlike many reds, work well with Asian flavours. And, of course, they’re normally served chilled.
Modern fruit-driven reds can do a similar job. Jerry Comfort suggests a “big but soft shiraz or Zin” , Peter Ferreira of Graham Beck, a Pinotage. What you really don’t want though on a steaming hot day is some 15% tannic red served at the ambient temperature which could well be 25-30 degrees Centigrade. Bringing the temperature of bigger reds down to 18 degrees certainly helps them to retain their freshness. “I have been known to drink chilled red or - don’t tell a soul - red wine with a few cubes of ice which you can do because our reds are so concentrated” says Oscar Foulkes of Cloof.
A cool serving temperature is one reason why beer works so well with barbecue but palate-cleansing carbonation also plays a part which should lead you to consider sparkling wine as another option. Many, admittedly, are too light and dry but, again, the new generation of fruity sparkling rosés and sparkling reds like sparkling Shiraz can also be a good all-round match as, of course, can sparkling wine-based cocktails like bellinis.
Steven Raichlen also prompted me not to overlook grilled desserts, an opportunity to enjoy a fine dessert wine at the end of the meal. “In the US we cook a lot of desserts on the grill - grilled pineapple and peaches or a gooey confection of flame-toasted marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers called s’mores (so good you have to have some more of them). With these a Moscato d’Asti can be great.” (The Bordelais will be delighted to hear that Raichlen considers sweet Bordeaux a good match for some savoury barbecue preparations too which figures when you think about the level of sweetness in many dishes.)
My own view is that the best approach to wine and barbecue is to structure or theme your event in some way rather than serve the hotpotch of different meats and salads at least one of which is bound to clash with the wine you’re serving. A selection of grilled seafood followed by steak or a butterflied leg of lamb would enable you to follow the conventional pattern of option of white followed by red.
There’s a lot to be said too for the ‘terroir’ approach: serve the same wine as the locals would with a similar dish. Look at the great barbecuing nations and think what they drink. Zinfandel with ribs. Malbec with an Argentinian-style steak with chimichurri salsa. Pinotage with a South-African style braii. Sake, with Japanese-style or even Korean barbecue. Just don’t mix it up if you’re serving serious wine.
What to match with different marinades and rubs
Better with white or rosé
Marinades based on oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs (crisp dry whites, e.g. Sauvignon Blanc)
Asian flavours such as lime, coriander and chilli (aromatic whites such as Pinot Gris, Riesling and rosé)
Middle Eastern spicing such as cumin, coriander and mint (sharp, lemony whites, dry rosé)
Better with red
Smokey or chilli-based marinades or rubs (Shiraz, Pinotage, Zinfandel)
Red wine marinades (Cabernet, Merlot or blends of the two)
Tomato-based sauces (Sangiovese, Zinfandel)
Cape Malay style spicing (sweet and spicy) (a jammy Pinotage or Shiraz)
Wine and BBQ tips
“The spicier the rub, the sweeter or more acidic you want your wine to be” James Lehman, chef Ironstone Vineyards
"Marinades based on mustard, vinegar or reduced wine will make all foods more wine-friendly” Jerry Comfort - Beringer
"If you have a basting sauce that contains sugar treat it like a glaze rather than a marinade and add it at the end of the cooking period so that the sugar doesn’t burn” Steven Raichlen
This article was published in the August 07 edition of Decanter
Which wine to pair with Texas BBQ
US-based wine writer and educator David Furer reports on an epic tasting in the homeland of American barbeque, Austin, Texas pairing a selection of international and home-grown reds with different meats.
Pairing wines with various styles of American barbeque is a chancey proposition. Traditional American tastes tend toward lager beers, iced tea, sodas (what Brits refer to as 'fizzy drinks') and water.
Why? The development of BBQ as an outdoor eating method long preceded the recent exposure of wine to the broader US palate. Add to this BBQ’s tendency to absorb hours of exposure to smoke from wood from which its cooking heat is derived, sweet and/or sour sauces used for marinating, braising and dressing the meats, and a range of flavorsome spices sometimes imbued with fierce chiles - and you have no easy task in hand.
That said Texas's standard, readily applied by our host Franklin Barbecue in my home of Austin, is merely to rub black pepper and salt into the raw meat before allowing it to slowly cook in heat and smoke derived from oak and/or mesquite wood. The results are so good that the addition of sauces, although housemade and very tasty, is akin to gilding the lily.
The wines I chose were exclusively still, dry reds from the portfolio of Pioneer Wine Company, a distributor with extensive choices providing plenty of opportunities for successful and not so successful pairings.
However I thought that these diverse, high-quality wines from respected growers would show better with the food than they did - a sentiment shared by our group of tasters. With the array of intense flavors both in the meats and wines it was one of the most difficult pairings any of us ever experienced.
Joining myself and Stacy Franklin, co-owner of Franklin Barbecue and her husband Aaron, were Nat Davis, formerly a New York CIty-based sommelier now working for Pioneer, Ken Seeber, former chef and now salesman for Texas' Twin Liquors retail chain and Greg Randle, a wine consultant to restaurants and private collectors.
"The fat left in the meats we serve are minimal, we try to render everything so you're left with the essence of fat, not the actual pieces of fat - aside from the brisket where one end is always fatty" said Stacy. "No one wants a piece of pork which has a noticeable piece of fat in it."
She claims Texas BBQ originated from German-owned markets which served BBQ pieces from unsold lesser cuts such as brisket. The ribs take six hours to do well whereas brisket takes her staff 18. "It's more time-consuming so it's more special."
For Nat the unique thing about Texas BBQ is the emphasis on brisket comparable to that of New York City's delis’ emphasis on corned beef and pastrami. "It's such a challenge that when you achieve its pinnacle it's all the more incredible" he said, pointing out that great ribs can, by comparison, be found in many places, a comment which garnered nods from Ken.
Greg's take on the suitability of wines with BBQ is "over-the-top New World with some Rhone wines" citing the Seghesio Barolo 07 as possessing some of that 'in-your-face’ style.
"To me the Musar is a typical acetone-brett cat, sometimes making me think except for its whites 'how can someone drink this garbage?'
“Texas BBQ is about sweet tea, Dr. Pepper and Big Red sodas. As an adult, a porter or double bock beer. I don't typically think of wine going with BBQ except for Zinfandel and Aussie Shiraz."
Nat would have liked a Beaujolais to sip along with the fattier meats "the way you choose Brachetto d'Acqui in Italy to go with cold, smoked meats." He posited that if one grows up with a particular style of BBQ (styles in the US range from Hawaiian to the Carolinas) it may influence one's preferences later in life.
The meats were the full line from Franklin - boneless turkey breast, pulled pork (meat off the bone and pulled apart or shredded), pork ribs, beef brisket, and sausage, a coarse ground beef, heart and pork meat combination, the heart giving it a "little more iron and gamey taste", according to Stacy. Garlic and black pepper is added before the meat is stuffed into the natural casing.
The wines we tried are listed alphabetically with comments an amalgamation of those supplied by the group unless specified otherwise:
Aalto Aalto Ribera del Duero 2008
Excellent wine, swamps the turkey and zips up a little better with the pulled pork. Good with the rib which laid well into the layers of flavor. So streamlined, it went seamlessly well with the brisket. "It’s the chameleon wine of the day as it fits almost any tasting with any meats," said Ken. The standout for Ken and Stacy, a close second for Nat, Greg, and I though it topped all for its flexibilty.
Alpha Xinomavro, Hedgehog Vineyard, Amyndeon Greece 2008
Good, smoky and earthy wine which does alright with the turkey, not so much with the pulled pork. The tart cherry flavor contrasted and cleaned up the sausage.
A. A. Badenhorst (Shiraz, Cinsault, Mourvedre, Grenache) Southern Cape 2008
Good wine, balanced. Fun with the pulled pork, a pleasant chug with the garlicky sausage.
Barboursville Octagon (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon), Virginia 2006
Light-medium body, nearly austere, the olive character comes alive with the turkey. Fends well with most, best with the rib.
Caduceus Nagual de la NAGA (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangio, Tempranillo) Arizona 2010
Good upfront fruit character with a tannic finish. Missed with the turkey, much better with the pulled pork and ribs, fair with the brisket and sausage.
Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2008
Compact and intense wine which is softened from its primarily raspberry character by the peppery turkey. Its iron depth comes across even more with the pulled pork, its richness more with the rib. Works with the brisket although the alcohol jumps with this. Nat found the Janasse with the turkey and pullled pork acquired a juicy, concentrated pomegranate note, Stacy agreed finding the combination more mellow than other wines. Greg's top wine for the meal.
Fall Creek Vineyards Tempranillo (Salt Lick Vineyards.) Texas Hill Country 10
The American oak-derived vanilla clobbered the turkey but for Stacy showed well with the sausage, I thought this local favorite also did well with the brisket.
Fin Amour vin de pays Côtes des Catalanes (Grenache/Carignan) 2007
Gorgeous black cherry nose. "The sweetness of the wine comes out best with the ribs’ fat and meat," said Ken. "Genius with the ribs," said Greg, a sentiment echoed by Nat whereas I thought its mineral intensity lent it a powerful undertone perhaps not in keeping with the relative lushness and smoke in the meats.
Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge 2010 (80% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir and Syrah)
Tight, really young. Solid with the pulled pork, better with the rib. Its youth didn't help it, perhaps a few hours decanting would've improved its reception.
McPherson Tre Colore (Mourvedre, Carignan, Viognier) Texas 2010
Soft, light and easy-to-drink, supple with the turkey if the pepper is avoided. Pleasant with the pulled pork and a bit less so with the rib. Ken found the raspberry note pleasant, I thought it an easy quaff with the brisket.
Mendel Malbec Mendoza 09
Dense prune and earth too much for the turkey. Good with the brisket with some deep black fruit coming out. "All mixed up with the earth and deep fruit notes," said Greg of the pairing with the pulled pork.
Chateau Musar 2004
Accentuates the turkey's pepper too much though weight of each is good. Balance is great though the leafiness in the wine comes out.
Neyen Red Blend (80% Carmenère/20% Cabernet Sauvignon) Colchagua Valley. 2008
Spicy with plenty of depth. Not for turkey. OK with the pulled pork. Too concentrated, forced with the rib. Mixed reviews with the brisket, some liked it while others thought it needed sauce to match the wine's rich fruit.
Quinta dos Roques Tinto, Collector's Reserva Douro 2000
From a winery best known for reviving varieties thought forgotten. Greg thought the juicy fruits worked well with the turkey which Nat found problematic. Too austere for the pulled pork and ribs.
Quivira Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley. 2010
Turkey brought out the quaffing quality, the bright fruit of the wine, density worked with the pepper. Balanced beautifully with the pork, favored by a majority of the judges. OK with the ribs. Worked with the brisket but was beat up a bit by the fat. For Nat it either sang as it did with the pulled pork or was able to hold its own, making it his standout wine for the meal of mixed meats.
Robert Sinskey Pinot Noir, Carneros 2009
Overwhelmed by the turkey's pepper. Washes down easily with the brisket without adding contrast, Nat's favorite wine with the brisket.
Seghesio Barolo 2007
Streamlined and restrained which made it surprisingly good with the turkey. The fruit comes out more with the pulled pork and the rib. Too tannic and restrained in its oak for the brisket.
Cantina Taburno 'Fidelis' Aglianico del Taburno 2008
Young, just coming around, blending its red fruit very well with the turkey and pulled pork for Greg. Brought a leafy quality for Nat. A bit too bitter for the rib, good with the brisket.
Torbreck Shiraz 'The Struie' (Barossa/Eden) 2008
Rich red fruit character which doused the turkey, OK with pulled pork, a bit too much fruit for the rib and especially the brisket. A disappointment in that some at first thought the wine, delicious as it was, would be a favorite with the food.
Woodward Canyon Merlot 'Nelms Road,' Washington State 2008
Soft, easy Merlot with a good crisp squeeze at its end. Doesn't blend well with the turkey, suits all others well especially the brisket.
Conclusion: Without doubt the Aalto Ribera del Duero drew the most favorable comments for its suitability with the full range of meats along with it just being so damned good to drink. Both the Janasse and the Quivira came second for suitability both with the turkey and pulled pork, ranked well on their own followed closely by the Seghesio. Fin Amour topped out with the ribs though its mineral-driven character makes it a better candidate for cellaring than a wine for drinking on its own. It seems that no one wine set itself up for primacy with what's surely Texas' and Franklin's manifest meat, brisket.
Runners-up were Alpha, Barboursville, Caduceus, Fall Creek, and Woodward Canyon.
David Furer is a wine writer, educator and consultant, based in Austin, Texas and is on the editorial board of Sommelier Journal.
Food pairings for Apothic and other sweet red wines
Heavily promoted Apothic is just one of a range of sweeter red wines that have been launched on the market recently. Not having much of a sweet tooth, I must confess it’s not particularly to my taste but I can see that it would greatly appeal to wine drinkers who find drier reds unappealing.
It also, I think, has interesting food pairing possibilities. You could treat it much like a port, say, and match it with chocolate or blue cheese. IF you like blue cheese that is. Food and wine pairings are all about combining things you enjoy.
So let’s look at possible food matches depending whether you like sweet reds or not.
If you like ‘em
You’ll probably want to match it with your favourite foods. It could handle a level of sweetness in a sauce or marinade that might make drier reds taste thin and weedy. So barbequed ribs or chicken wings in a sweet sticky marinade should be bang on. As should hamburgers, steak, lamb and meat-topped pizzas. No reason why you shouldn’t pair them with the Thanksgiving turkey and I reckon they would go well with Chinese meat dishes such as Peking duck.
You might also want to drink them with chocolate cake - one similar red was referred to as Cupcake Red - or chocolate desserts. And they should work well with a cheeseboard.
If you generally like drier reds
Try Apothic with blue cheeses like Stilton and a plum compote or roast figs or with dark chocolate desserts, cakes or brownies.
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