Food and Drink

How to pair your wine with chocolate!

It’s shocking how easy it is to take two such delicious things and end up going ‘Yuck!’ - so here’s a guide to which wines to enjoy with your chocolate, be it pudding, brownie or left over Easter egg! Texture is important. Most chocolate is silky smooth, so soft, velvety wines are your friends! Also, there’s a ‘rule’ that wines should be sweeter than desserts, and so it is (mostly!) with chocolate. Ripe, full and fruity wine often gets described as sweet even when it’s not - we just perceive it that way. Real or perceived, sweetness offsets natural bitterness in chocolate. Chocolate and wine need to be equal in terms of intensity. If you were doing a tasting with just chocolates and wines, you would start with light (white) chocolate, before milk chocolate and finally dark, bitter, high-cocoa-content stuff. White chocolate is usually not ‘real’ chocolate as it doesn’t normally contain cocoa. Matches here are wines that are light in body and sweet - sweet Riesling for example. Slightly sweet Rose d’Anjou will work, as would White Zinfandel (it’s pink!) and notably sweeter. Fizz lovers will enjoy sparkling Moscato d’Asti. These work because sweet wines are balanced with acidity, which keeps your mouth fresh, cleaning away the sticky chocolate (as do bubbles). Milk chocolate is creamier, with more mellow flavours. Proportionately, chocolate and cream are roughly 50/50, so a medium bodied wine with some ripe fruit character will balance this out. Ruby port is a favourite, but some Pinot Noir and lighter Merlot can be great. The adventurous amongst you might try a Gewurztraminer from Alsace or Chile! Dark chocolate merits flavoursome, fullbodied wine - big Zinfandels (Primitivo in Italian), fruity Cabernet Sauvignon and the weightier Merlots. Choose wines with plenty of fruit though - very tannic wine will emphasise the bitterness in the cocoa and feel ‘hard’ in the mouth. Intensely sweet ‘PX’ (Pedro Ximinez), and Rutherglen Muscat - from Spain and Australia respectively - are some of the sweetest wines in the world, and bring nuttiness, rich fruit, caramel and coffee notes that complement the chocolate’s dark notes and offset the bitterness beautifully. These are wines for sipping! Two last thoughts. If you’re a real fan of white chocolate, try it with a good Pinot Noir. It’s such an unexpected match it’ll make you look confused for a moment - but it’s worth it! The fat in the ‘chocolate’ does what the fat in rich meats does, releasing the wine’s intense fruitiness. Finally no, I can’t really help you with After Eights - you’re on your own! Happy Easter from all of us at SW Bottleshop!

Dave Anning

History Tour & Garden Tour Saturday 4th June Take a step back into the Jacobean and Victorian era and explore the fascinating history of the Manor with proprietor Sue Murray including an informative tour of the gardens and grounds with our gardener Martin Ashley . 10.30am: Arrival, 1pm: 2 Course Lunch £35.00 per person

Welcome to The New Inn in Sampford Courtenay

The New Inn is situated on the edge of Dartmoor, in the picturesque village of Sampford Courtenay near Okehampton. Chef, Richard Timmins, uses only the freshest ingredients from local suppliers and farms, lovingly created into mouthwatering dishes and served alongside the finest real ales from the South West and selected wines from around the world. Since Debbie and Jason Manton arrived at The New Inn in June 2021, they have given this beautiful, thatched pub a new lease of life, offering freshly prepared simple food cooked to perfection, real ales and fine wines. Being in the hospitality industry, working in hotels and pubs for over 30 years each, Debbie and Jason know how to show their visitors a good time! From quiz nights in aid of local charities to live music and themed menu evenings, the pub is always busy with new and returning customers. Being a dog friendly pub, The New Inn welcomes you and your dog(s) to visit in

Blade of Beef Recipe

Makes 6 portions

Ingredients

I feather blade of beef 560mls of good quality beef stock 560mls of red wine 4 onions Serve with buttered mash & tender stem broccoli

Method

Place in a deep baking tray with a pint of good beef stock and a pint of red wine. Add 4 sliced onions, cover and cook on 120 degrees for 6 hours. Remove the beef blade from the oven and cool slightly. Remove all the liquid and onions and liquidise then pass this mixture through a sieve. Place the liquid in a saucepan and bring it to the boil to reduce down and enhance the flavour, add a small amount of cornflour to thicken the sauce. Take the cooled beef blade and wrap in clingfilm to create a large sausage shape and then chill this in the fridge for 24 hours. After chilling, cut the beef blade into portions removing the clingfilm. the bar or in the beer garden. Cosy up next to one of the log fires and have a quiet drink or head out into the sunshine and enjoy your food alfresco!

Heat the beef blade portions in the reduced sauce and serve with tender stem broccoli or your favourite vegetables and buttery mash. Top with parsnip crisps as a garnish. This meal is currently on the menu created by Head Chef, Richard Timmins. Your local butcher can supply you with a feather blade of beef.

The New Inn

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