12 wines you probably wouldn’t expect to find in Marks & Spencer

If you’re an adventurous drinker who likes to try new wines it’s well worth heading for your local branch of Marks & Spencer especially right now (August 2015) when they have 25% off if you buy six bottles.

Just as they’re pushing the boundaries when it comes to their food range they stock some really unusual wines - at a very good price. Here are 12 that took my fancy - but take note, some are only available in a limited number of branches and some seem to be out of stock (hopefully temporarily) online. You also need to buy two 6 bottle cases to get the 25% discount online

Lambrusco Secco Reggiano 11% 235 stores £9.00 down to £6.75
Forget the sweet, pissy lambrusco you drank as a student: this is dark, red and frothy, the real deal. There’s also a less common still version, the 2014 Reggiano Rosso (12% in 437 stores £6 down to £4.50) I recommend in the Guardian today. Both would be great with Italian salumi and cheeses.

Penedes Xarel.lo 2014 12.5% 145 stores £10 down to £7.50
Basically this is a still Cava - a light fresh summery Spanish white that would make great summer party drinking. (OK Cava is cheaper but it’s worth trying something new! You should also try the Fresquito dry Pedro Ximenez I made my wine of the week the other day)

Tikves Smederevka Rkaciteli, Macedonia 14/15 12% 173 stores £7 down to £5.25
One of the advantages of buying wines in a supermarket is that you can just pull them off the shelves rather than have ask for them. I certainly have no idea how to pronounce this but it's a lovely light fragrant white that would be great with mezze.

Atlantis Santorini 2013 13% 217 stores £10.50 down to £7.88
The Greek island of Santorini produces some show-stopping white wines from the local assyrtiko grape. This is a great example - perfect for grilled fish

Tbilvino Qvevris 2012 11.5% 191 stores £9 down to £6.75
If you’ve heard people talk about ‘orange’ wines here’s a chance to try one at an affordable price. They’re made like red wines so they’re quite strong-tasting and tannic - despite the low alcohol. Drink with middle eastern or Moroccan food such as a tagine or with alpine-style cheeses like Comté

Savoie Blanc ‘Coeur Terroir’ 2014 11% 216 stores £9 down to £6.75
Another unusual wine, this time from the Savoie region of France. Really light, really crisp, deliciously fragrant. M & S suggests cheese and herb tarts as a food match which would be a great pairing. Otherwise think shellfish and salads.

Dominio del Plata by Susana Balbo Terroir Series Torrontes 2014 14% 189 stores £9.50 down to £7.13
Torrontes is Argentina’s main white wine variety - a highly aromatic white that you’l love if you’re a gewurztraminer fan. Susana Balbo is one of the best producers and Salta the best region. Delicious with ceviche and other bright citrus-spiked salads.

Mesta Organic Old Vine Tempranillo 2014 14% 252 stores £8 down to £6
A bright modern juicy Spanish red I recommended for barbecues in the Guardian last weekend. Delicious.

Red on Black 2013, Nemea, Greece 13.5% 206 stores £9 down to £6.75 N/A online.
An exciting dark, spicy red from the local agiorgitiko grape. Perfect for grilled lamb and exotic middle-eastern stews.

Recanati Carignan Petite Sirah 2013, Israel 13.5% 158 stories £10 down to £7.50
In a similar vein to the above but a touch riper and juicier so it might appeal more if you’re more of a new world wine fan. Again perfect for grilled meats and bright Ottolenghi-ish salads.

Pisano Cisplatino Tannat 2014 13% 200 stores £9 down to £6.75
If you’re a Malbec aficionado you should definitely try this lush full-bodied red from Uruguay. Looks - and tastes - far more expensive than it is, especially at this price.

Hush Heath Manor Pinot Noir 2014 12% 20 stores and online £18 down to £13.50
I hesitated whether to include this as it’s more expensive and only available in 20 branches but it’s thrilling to find that England can produce such a fine, silky elegant pinot. A must-try if you can get hold of a bottle (it is fortunately also available online) Make your friends taste it blind and guess where it comes from!

What are the best wine glasses to buy?

Much play has been made over the last few years of having different shaped glasses for different wines but for those of us with limited storage space (and a limited budget) that’s simply not practical. So what are the best type of glasses to buy and what should you expect to pay for them?

The conventional wisdom is that glasses should be clear (so you can appreciate the colour of the wine), tapered towards the rim (so you can swirl it safely) and with a long stem so you can hold the glass easily without your hand warming up the contents. They should also have a fine rim so you’re not conscious of the edge of the glass as you drink (which can be the case with cheaper wine glasses).

The problem is that many glass manufacturers have taken this to extremes creating beautiful glasses but ones that are difficult to fit in a dishwasher and tragically easy to break if you wash them by hand or knock them over.

So so far as type of glasses is concerned I would go for practicality over style. A modestly priced glass that is easy to replace. This Vino wine glass from John Lewis at £20 a set of 4 would be a good all-rounder or Ben de Lisi's wine glasses at Debenhams at £8 for four are really good value. (Remember sales are a good time to buy glasses or stemware as it’s called in the US).

How many? It depends how keen you are on wine and what type you enjoy most. If you’re starting from scratch setting up home or planning a wedding list I’d probably go for two - a slightly smaller glass for crisp dry wines like Sauvignon Blanc, aromatic white wines such as Riesling and rosés and a larger glass for oak-aged chardonnays and red wines. (The point about having a smaller glass is that you have less wine in your glass and that retains the temperature of cold wines better. Remember glasses should only be poured half full not filled to the brim)

If you’re a lover of sweet or fortified wines like sherry you might want a set of smaller glasses too - the classic sherry ‘copita’ would probably be the most flexible choice.

Do you need a separate glass for champagne? Ah, that’s the big question. Until recently the answer has been a firm yes - a tall flute being held to preserve the fizz better than the shallow coupe that was popular at the beginning of the last century. But now many experts reckon that a more generous bowl expresses the flavour of champagne better. So you could use your regular white wine glasses.

A new type of glass you might want to consider are ones like SON.hyx and Sparkx that claim to be dishwasher proof. You’d have to use them over a period of time to verify that but they might be worth a try if you don't want to wash your glasses by hand (as, let's be honest, most of us don't)

If you’re keen on a particular style of wine - say Burgundy - or buying a gift for someone who is. it might be worth buying a couple of glasses for when you’re enjoying a bottle on your own or with a partner or friend. Riedel, Schott Zweisel, Spiegelau and Zalto are well-known names to look out for though there are lower cost options around.

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

Here's to Clean Monday!

The start of Lent is cause for gloom for many people faced with the prospect of giving up something pleasurable like wine or chocolate Not for the Greeks however who kick off their fasting with a splendid celebration called Kathara Defter or ‘Clean Monday’.

According to Greek friends and contacts it involves a slap-up lunch - usually out of doors - and the flying of kites - the day is a national holiday. “Clean Monday is a time for friends and family to get together, especially out of Athens if possible” says my friend Marianna Cosmetatos of Gentilini Wines in Cephalonia. “Kids fly kites that they make themselves and then the big lunch follows (it is always lunch).”

But it is the food that is particularly fascinating. As part of the cleansing process that accompanies lent nothing that contains or is derived from an animal that contains blood can be served - so no meat, fish, dairy or eggs - and that includes sweets and pastries with eggs in them. But shellfish, octopus and squid are fine and there are many special vegetable dishes which are served during lent. There is also a special unleavened bread called lagana which is baked only for Clean Monday.

Typical dishes that would be served today are taramasalata, melitzanosalata (aubergine or eggplant purée). fried squid, marinated grilled octopus, lobster, gigantes beans (large butter beans) cooked with tomatoes. black eye peas mixed with fresh onion and parsley and boiled greens. “There are also vegetables like cornichons, roasted red peppers, hot green peppers, pickled cauliflower and carrots" adds Mary Irene Triantafillou of Emery Wines of Rhodes.

"For dessert, people traditionally eat halva, which is made from tahini." Marianna told me. "The best is thought to come from Macedonia. The texture is similar to Spanish turron, but less greasy. It sometimes has nuts or cocoa in it, and can be coated in dark chocolate. Homemade halva can also be served, but this is a different sweet, made from semolina. Other desserts can be made from fruit, nuts, plain chocolate or jelly. Pastry can also be used as long as it is not made with butter."

I wondered if this feast must all be washed down with water but apparently not - far from it. "Wine is freely consumed and in vast quantities!" says Nikos Panidis, the sommelier at one of Athens' top restaurants Milos. "Retsina would be the traditional wine to drink but nowadays many Greeks would drink modern Greek whites such as Assyrtiko, Roditis or the more floral Moschofilero. A Fume Blanc, Pinot Gris or a European Chardonnay are also good alternative." Ouzo and tsipouro (the Greek version of grappa) are also served. (The meal is generally followed by a nap or a walk!)

"I remember discussing with my Uncle Theordore how ironic it is that all these amazing dishes - some of the best fare in Greek cooking - were born out of a need to be abstemious." writes Theodore Kyriakou in The Real Greek at Home, which includes some nice recipes for lent. “If this is ‘spiritual and physical cleansing’ we should all do more of it."

If you’re interested in knowing more about these fascinating traditions Mary also recommends "The Festive Fast" by Marigoula Kokkinou and Georgia Kofinas, "an excellent source of information on how Greeks are supposed to fast and the foods and recipes for the Lenten period."

And if you’d like to try your hand at an authentic recipe here is one from Marianna’s mother-in law Irini, who, she tells me, is a very good cook. “It’s time-consuming and somewhat fiddly, until you get the hang of wrapping, but well worth it.”

Irini’s Lahanodolmades (cabbage rolls)

Makes 35-40 dolmades

1 large white cabbage
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, grated
5-6 spring onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 bunch parsley, chopped,
1 little dill, chopped
2 cups short grain rice
2 lemons
Olive oil, salt and pepper

With a sharp knife remove the base and heart of the cabbage, creating a cone shaped hole on the underside. Place in a large pan, hole up and add cold water to come about half way up the cabbage (without floating). Put on the stove over med-high heat. As the water approaches a simmer, the leaves will start coming away easily. Remove them one by one with your fingers as they come away and place carefully on a tray or baking sheet. They should be soft but not soggy. Remove the hard base of the larger leaves and cut in half. If very large, they can be cut in three.

Place some of the leftover inner leaves that are too small and trimmings in a large pan (you can use the same one you boiled the cabbage in) to cover the base. This will prevent the parcels from sticking, and give a better result (they are also delicious for the cook to eat at the end!).

Mix all the ingredients from the garlic to the rice together. Season with salt and pepper. Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of a cabbage leaf. Fold over the bottom, then the sides and roll into a parcel. Pack the parcels tightly in the pan, on top of the bits of cabbage. If you have any leftover bits of cabbage, use them to divide the layers. Pour over 2 cups of water, drizzle over some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a large, flat plate on the parcels, cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 20-25 mins until the rice is cooked-sacrifice one parcel to make sure (you deserve it anyway!), then add water and cook a little longer if necessary.

Remove the plate and pour over the juice of 2-3 lemons. Remove parcels carefully to a plate. These can be eaten warm, but are just as delicious at room temperature.

Variations: You can add some cooked baby shrimp to the mix if you wish, but this is not traditional.