Food and Drink

To chill or not to chill?

Dave Anning has the answers . . .

There’s very little that’s more enticing than a delicious glass of chilled wine. But cooling wine can seriously mute aromas and flavours. We could have a science lesson here with formulas and everything, but I think you want to know WHICH wines chill well, not why, so here goes!

Serving wine at the right temperature can be important, but when the weather is actually hot, the temperature of your wine changes as soon as you pour, so keep it simple. Part-fill a container of water and ice, put it on the table and use it as required. To chill a bottle quickly, add plenty of cooking salt - this will chill a bottle from room temperature in about 15 minutes. You can buy a simple wrap-around temperature band or other similar devices for a few pounds if you wish.

Lighter wines chill best, and low alcohol wines like Riesling do especially well. But don’t write off reds! Wines made from Gamay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc are delicious lightly chilled - a great solution if you’re planning a meaty barbeque on a hot day. Sicillian Frappato is even light enough to drink with fish! Aromas are usually first to suffer when wine is chilled. Luckily there are ‘aromatic’ white wines worth looking out for. Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Muscat and Viognier you may well have heard of, but there are others such as Torrontes and Gewurztraminer. Good quality examples of these will normally remain enticing on the nose when chilled, and open up as you hold them.

Treat rosé as you would white. Examples range from dry (eg Provence) through off-dry (a touch of sweetness) to sweet (eg American ‘white’ Zinfandel). The only way to find out which you like most is to knuckle down and try a selection!

The ultimate treat is sparkling wine. High temperatures provide a great opportunity to try some lesser-known sparklers, as Champagne is always expensive! Cava from Spain is usually significantly cheaper than Champagne; Prosecco is widely available (but buying the cheapest bottle can be disappointing); the French make ‘Cremant’ outside the Champagne region (Loire, Alsace, Bourgogne, Bordeaux), and Australia, South Africa and Argentina aren’t obvious choices but make some truly brilliant fizz! In hot weather, lighter, fruitier sparklers come into their own. Asti, with its distinctive aromas of grapes (oddly not a common aroma in wine!), is also low in alcohol and distinctly sweet. It is perhaps the most ‘lemonadey’ of wines and very refreshing - good job the alcohol is low!

In summary the ‘rules’ are different when it’s hot - keep ice and water to hand and if the wine isn’t cool enough pop it back in!

Dave Anning

History Tour Tuesday 5th October Take a step back into the Jacobean and Victorian era and explore the fascinating history of the Manor with proprietor Sue Murray followed by a two course lunch. 10.30am: Arrival with Tea & Coffee

£35.00 per person

Welcome to the Seven Stars!

Colin and Natasha bought the Seven Stars in South Tawton at the end of May 2019 - the first time the Victorian pub had been in private ownership for many years. They have two letting bedrooms, although the arrival of the pandemic and enforced closures has meant intended renovation work has been affected seriously. They were finally able to open the bar and restaurant area in May. They are still working elsewhere to provide the finances to build up the businesses, but a small and delicious range of proper home cooked food is now available and their single letting room has been fully booked since then. Natasha, who previously worked in a five star hotel in the Cotswolds, has recently added delicious home-cooked curries to their take-away menu, adapting her love of fresh spices to individual taste. Colin, as much a perfectionist in the kitchen as he is when involved in construction and renovation, is responsible for the traditional English pub fare. Natasha said: ‘We are looking forward to welcoming you to the Seven Stars - come along and help us make our pub home the heart of the village we have always dreamed of!’ This recipe for an authentic lamb curry comes from Natasha’s kitchen and has received some great reviews - why not try it yourself?

Lamb Curry

1 kilogram of diced lamb 3 onions, finely chopped 3 tbsp of oil 4 cardamom pods 4 cinnamon sticks 3 tbsp of finely chopped garlic 1 tbsp of finely grated ginger 1tsp turmeric 3 tbsp Masala paste Salt Fresh coriander

Heat the oil on a medium heat and add the onions, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks and fry until golden brown. Add the meat, garlic, ginger and braise for five to ten minutes. Add one cup of hot water and cook for 30-40 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Next add all the spices and braise and stir for ten minutes, adding only a tablespoon of water at a time to loosen the sauce. Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve with boiled basmati rice - add some poppadum and naan bread if desired.