19 minute read
bright ideas
brig ht ideas
27: left-field wine & food pairing
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Rebecca Palmer Corney & Barrow, London
In a nutshell: Don’t shy away from the notoriously difficult wine and chocolate pairing. You may even discover more about your own palate in the process.
Tell us more …
“A friend of mine set up Cocoa Runners about seven years ago, doing what we do for wine but for chocolate. He goes around the world seeking out artisan producers who produce bean-to-bar chocolate and we started, for fun, trying to pair chocolate and wine. We tried to look for subtle pairings between really fantastic flavourful chocolate and both red and white wines, so not just the standard port or Pedro Ximenez wines.
“Over time we started to develop a bit of an understanding of certain grape varieties that work and the styles or winemaking techniques that formed an accord with particular chocolate beans.”
Would you say there is a natural synergy between wine and chocolate?
“Yes! Just as in the wine world we have the thing of swirling the glass and allowing the aromas to come up and then holding the wine in your mouth – it’s like holding the chocolate in your mouth and letting it melt and understanding it’s not just about the percentage of cocoa, but about how it’s been made; the techniques or the variety of bean. The way we might extract tannins or let the wine rest in oak and have batonnage and things like that to make something more creamy, it compares to the way they
Chocolate: the ultimate wine pairing problem
might conche the chocolate, stir it and so forth. It’s absolutely fascinating and it’s really good fun. I think in pairing these parallel worlds of wine and chocolate you discover a bit more about yourself in how you taste and what your preferences are.”
The tastings are in November. Is this the best time of year for them?
“I think Spencer at Cocoa Runners can generally find the summer months quite difficult, maybe because people are thinking of their bikinis! But it gets to about this time of year and people really want good chocolate. For example, there was a chocolate fair last weekend at Kings Cross and they had 5,000 people pop in.
“People behind the products were showing their wares, and again, just like with wine, consumers want to learn about the provenance and the authenticity of a product. The chocolate tastes wonderful and the packaging is absolutely amazing so of course it’s great for gifting.”
Will you continue with the tastings in the Zoom format?
“Definitely. I think virtual tastings are here to stay. They are convenient in that you don’t have to factor in the expense of a babysitter or a taxi. Cocoa Runners were already doing a lot of consumer events before lockdown and then they were very up-and-at-them with their Zooms during lockdown so they had an established format. We drew on some of the pairings we’d made already and rolled them out into tastings. We can open a window onto a new experience and get people to taste along with us. It’s a really fun experience. “Also, I find one of the most difficult things about making wine accessible and fun for people is that tastings can be intimidating. We use an online tool called Menti. You can input things anonymously and they all come up on screen at once. “Virtual tastings offer so many benefits and learning opportunities that I hadn’t anticipated before lockdown.”
So chocolate and wine is a good thing?
“I do think craft chocolate is a really good add-on for wine merchants and it is an area that will develop. Chocolate made this way is better for you and for the planet.”
Rebecca wins a WBC gift box containing some premium drinks and (appropriately) a box of chocolates.
Tell us about a bright idea that’s worked for you and you too could win a prize.
Spotlight on Hungary
The specialist food and drink importer Best of Hungary ships 75 wines from 24 Hungarian wineries to the UK, with a plethora of indigenous grapes ensuring plenty of points of difference.
Sommelier Zsófi Kiss took readers of the Wine Merchant on a tour of some of the portfolio’s key styles
Bull’s Blood
The tasting showcased an array of wines from arguably Hungary’s best known red blend, Bull’s Blood, or Bikavér in Hungarian. The wine’s name is said to derive from invading Ottoman soldiers becoming alarmed at believing that Hungarian troops who had red wine dripping from their beards had really been drinking bull’s blood.
Generally, there must be a blend of at least three grapes, including Kékfrankos. Two layers of classification were added in 2009, Superior and Grand Superior. The yields are less in the higher grades, producing more full-bodied, richer styles.
In the tasting, a range of wines including Szent Gaál Bikavér 2018 from Szekszárd and St Andrea Bikavér Superior Bull 2018 from Eger demonstrated the nuances around blending across different regions.
Vesztergombi St László Bikavér
2017 from Szekszárd is a blend of lowyield Kékfrankos, Kadarka, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. On the nose, there are dark berries, dark chocolate and red peppercorn; this is a big, bold red with round acidity and a long finish.
St Andrea, Egri Bikavér Grand
Superior Nagy Eged Cru 2017, which also featured, was recently selected as one of the Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards, becoming the first Hungarian red wine ever to achieve this. An energetic and vibrant wine, it has exceptional ageing potential. Kékfrankos, aka Blaufränkisch, usually gives the body to Bull’s Blood so it was interesting to taste a 100% Kékfrankos from Vesztergombi winery, the Kétvölgy Kékfrankos 2018.
One variety that is sometimes used in very small proportions in Bikavér is the intriguing traditional grape Turán, and Best of Hungary also ships a single varietal, Attila Pince Turán 2016. “It has red skin and flesh, which makes wine with a very deep colour, with a taste something like a Shiraz. It’s quite spicy, with rose petals and a kind of gaminess,” says Kiss.
Tokaj vineyards Tokaj berries with botrytis
Lighter reds
Hungarian red is about so much more than just Bull’s Blood. Szent Gaál Kadarka 2019 comes from Szekszárd in southern Hungary. Kiss says: “It’s quite warm but they produce such elegant, lifted wines and focus on preserving the freshness without too much oak influence on the wines. “Kadarka is hard to cultivate because it’s thin-skinned and prone to rot, but if it wasn’t difficult they wouldn’t be able to make fantastic wines; that’s where the identity comes from. The variety has great potential and it is Hungary’s answer to Pinot Noir.”
Lantos Mr Frank 2018 was especially designed for the UK market, with an attractive, stylish label. “In the nose, a black pepper spiciness is coming through, almost like Syrah, with lifted florality and some red and blue fruit notes,” says Kiss.
Dry whites
Lantos Harlequin Kövidinka 2020
comes from Kunság, the largest wine region in Hungary. “Lantos is family-owned and focuses on local grape varieties, including Kövidinka. It’s a bright, easy drinking soft wine which can open up to be enjoyed on its own or with fish.”
Furmint is a little more familiar in the UK. “Most wineries started to make dry white Furmint wines in the 2000s,” Kiss says. Balassa Tokaji Furmint 2019 is “really bright, quite toasty, and has an element of chamomile florality”.
She adds: “People can be a little reserved about Furmint at first because they might not know it, but the more you try it the more you’ll love it. It also makes a great pairing for seafood.”
Kerékhegy
Attila Pince Egri Leányka 2013 comes from the cool-climate Eger region in northern Hungary and is made from an old Hungarian variety, Leányka. “It’s an orange wine but the winemaker doesn’t really like it to be called that,” says Kiss. “He believes white wines are better if left on the skins as they are less prone to oxidation in the bottle. The skin carries more of the flavours of the wine. It’s a great grape, with super-interesting aromatics.”
Sweet Tokaji wines
“You need crazy amounts of fresh grapes,” says Kiss of Hungary’s famous dessert wines. “It’s very hard labour for the winemaker.”
Three wines were included in the tasting, showing subtle variations in style.
Tokajicum Tokaji Muscat Lunel Late
Harvest 2019 is, says Kiss, “an elevated, floral and fruit forward style of wine”. She adds: “They’ve managed to balance great acidity but still make a sweet style of wine.” That poise was also shining through in the Tokajicum Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2017, which has a freshness despite spending 30 months in oak barrels.
Balassa Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2010
is from “a very complex vintage”, says Kiss. “It was a challenging year with lower yields and fewer botrytised berries. However, the quality of the ensuing wines was great, characterised by a rich minerality reflective of the volcanic terroir.
“If I want to explain Tokaji to customers, I say it has a higher sugar level than Sauternes but lower alcohol and with fresher acidity.” █
Feature sponsored by Best of Hungary.
For more information and to find out more about their range of award-winning fine food, perfect for your next wine tasting, visit bestofhungary.co.uk Or call 0780 571 7576 Email info@ bestofhungary.co.uk
Favourite Things
Gabor Juhasz
Shepherd Market Wine House London
Favourite wine on my list I’m in love with our heavyweight Chilean Purple Angel, from the Montes family. It’s great value with a fascinating story behind it regarding Mr Montes, who created the first premium Chilean winery. The wines listen to Gregorian music for their first two years of maturation time!
Favourite wine and food match One of my favourite food matching moments is a very classic one. A medium-rare fillet steak with garlic spinach on the side, accompanied by 1998 Chateau Musar. It felt like a gastronomical wedding.
Favourite wine trip I have been on a few trips, however so far not enough to pick the one favourite. If I could just daydream for a second, I would go for a Chilean south to north trip, reaching out for the big names and discovering the hidden gems.
Favourite wine trade person It is hard to pick a favourite person because everyone in this industry is so passionate about their work. However, I would shout out for Thierry from Champagnes & Châteaux. He is great at helping and organising.
Favourite wine shop I’d like to say a word for the Rosemary Organic Hungarian restaurant at New Cross Gate in London; a great little selection of Hungarian wines, especially organic, biodynamic and natural wines.
Aldi goes upmarket with wine launches
Aldi has shaken up its wine list with the addition of a range of classic premium wines under the Winemaster’s Lot label, as well as adding more premium and esoteric wines from interesting regions for Christmas.
Winemaster’s Lot sits above Aldi’s Specially Selected range, and comprises 10 classic wines from key areas. These include an English sparkling wine (£19.99), Barbaresco 2018 (£17.99), Pouilly Fumé 2020 (£10.99), Vacqueyras Blanc 2020 (£9.99), Sancerre 2019 (£12.99), Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, and a Côtes de Provence Rosé (£7.99).
The Drinks Business, October 26
Mayfair bar will be open until February
Magpie
the cork on some of the most sought-after bubbles from Krug to Dom Perignon, Egly Ouriet to Bérêche and Veuve Fourny.
The outlet will be open from November 2 until the end of January 2022.
Decanter, October 13
Byzantine winery unearthed in Israel
A 1,500-year-old wine factory has been discovered in Israel.
The factory, which includes five wine presses, ageing and bottling warehouses as well as kilns for firing amphorae, has been uncovered by archaeologists according to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The site dates back to the Byzantine era around the 4th-5th century CE, making the winery the largest known to exist from the period.
The Drinks Business, October 12
Villa Maria is sold to Indevin NZ
Coravin opens bar in centre of London
Wine technology company Coravin is gearing up to open the doors to its first pop-up wine bar.
Situated in London’s Mayfair, Coravin’s Wine & Bubbles Bar will feature what the business claims to be the longest list of sparkling wine by the glass in the UK.
Putting its latest innovation to the test – Coravin’s preservation system for sparkling wine launched in June — the team will pop
Indevin New Zealand has acquired 100% of the shares of Villa Maria Estate, for an undisclosed sum.
The sale includes Villa Maria’s Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay and Auckland wineries, vineyards, supplier agreements, the flagship brand Villa Maria as well as Esk Valley, Vidal, Leftfield and Thornbury.
Indevin makes wines for producers and retailers all over the world, has three wineries and controls supply from more than 3,000ha of vineyards in Marlborough, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay.
Decanter, October 4
Pomerol takes the lead on weedkillers
Pomerol has become the first French appellation to ban all chemical weedkillers in its vineyards, with the proposed changes to the region’s winegrowing regulations (the “Cahier des Charges”) passed into law.
Until now, weedkillers could be used if it could be guaranteed they were applied with precision, and leaving more than 60% vegetation in the vineyard rows.
The only other major change of note is that irrigation will be allowed in cases of prolonged drought – a clause becoming all too common in many French appellations.
Wine-searcher, October 24
Bottle shortage means oak surplus
The supply-chain issues snaring container ships in traffic jams and emptying store shelves are also threatening one of California’s most famous products – wine.
A dire shortage in glass bottles is forcing some winemakers to let wine age in wooden barrels for too long, which can lead to the drink tasting “like a sawmill”, Phil Long, the owner of Longevity Wines in Livermore, California, said. With prices of nearly every good needed to bottle wine soaring, Long said vineyards may eventually be compelled to raise the price of wine as well. The cost of glass has skyrocketed by 45% compared to 2019.
Business Insider, October 19
?THE BURNING QUESTION
What’s your reaction to the Chancellor’s proposed duty changes?
�A tax on bubbles, which are full of air so therefore a tax on nothing, always seemed unfair! As sparkling wines are arguably the best wines we produce as a nation, the drop in duty can only be positive for growers, sellers and consumers. The hike on higher-alcohol wines is an odd one. I know we are encouraged to drink less alcohol and appreciate the health benefits this has. However, grapes that are grown in hotter climates are naturally higher in alcohol so it seems a bit unbalanced to punish them.” Jonathan Cocker H Champagne winner H
Martinez Wines, West Yorkshire
�I’m glad the Chancellor left duty alone. Sparkling wine duty being in line with still wine makes perfect sense. But equating stronger red wines to high alcohol ciders is a bit wrong. We will wait to see how much he increases the stronger and fortified wines. I would have thought a minimum price on units of alcohol was more sensible. However most of this is not happening until spring 2023… so let’s not hold our breath!”
Noel Young NY Wines, Cambridge
�Changes to wine duties will make pricing a lot more difficult. What happens when abv changes from vintage to vintage? This strikes me as a measure thought up by someone who really doesn’t understand how the trade operates. No longer can we do the mental arithmetic required to add duty to an ex-cellar price. It might play well with certain parts of the electorate but it looks as though we’re going to have to factor in the abv of every product whilst calculating selling prices.”
Chris Connolly Connolly’s, Birmingham
�As independents with strong trading with the on-trade sector, the business rate relief to the hospitality and retail sectors must be a good thing, although the cap at £110,000 per business will mean that there are too many of our customers who will be unable to benefit. The duty freeze will certainly help stabilise things and is ultimately a decrease, given that inflation is running over 5% in our sector. ”
Chris Piper Christopher Piper Wines, Ottery St Mary, Devon
Champagne Gosset The oldest wine house in Champagne: Äy 1584
Roussillon
Too often overshadowed by its larger neighbour, France’s sunniest wine region has every reason to feel confident about its credentials as a source of wines that can really fly in the independent trade
Roussillon wines deserve more recognition for its “hidden story” wines, says Eric Aracil, co-director in charge of exports at the Roussillon Wine Council (CIVR).
It’s a hidden story that’s rich in diverse micro-terroirs, old vines and low yields. “The UK represents about 5% of our volume and 4% of the value of our exports and we’ve increased by 41% in volume since 2019,” Aracil tells a group of Wine Merchant readers during a recent round-
Rancio Domaine du Rombeau @ Michel Castillo
table Zoom session.
“Consumers are searching for wines with good personality at decent prices that are really expressing something,” he adds.
Surrounded by mountains to the north, south and west, and the Mediterranean on the east, the diversity of soils and climate in the valleys around Roussillon’s three rivers means its wines actually express many different somethings.
It has 24 principal grape varieties, and deploys over 80 in all, with the highest average annual sunshine hours of any wine region in France. “We have one of the biggest ranges of wines in the world,” says Aracil, as he presents a snapshot of what the region has to offer, kicking off with the white
Domaine Lafage Blanc Centenaire
2020, IGP Côtes Catalanes (RRP £11.60, Bibendum).
“This is from an area with maritime climate and stony soils,” he says. “The vines are more than 100 years old. It is 80% Grenache Blanc and 20% Roussanne, planted in nursery vineyards dedicated to white wines.
“People talk a lot about Chardonnay, but Grenache Blanc is taking its own place with its structure, freshness, mineral expression and length.” Becka Leigh of Oxford Wine Co thinks it
has “lovely freshness and a beautiful mineral seam underpinning a concentrated palate”.
Cazes Clos des Paulilles 2020, AOP Collioure (RRP £18, Enotria&Coe) is a blend of 80% Grenache Blanc and 20% Grenache Gris, grown on coastal Cambrian schist terraces which, Aracil says, delivers “great minerality from the schist and salinity from the sea”. Rob Freddi from Albertine Wine in London describes the wine as “very evocative … sea spray, wild herbs and great salinity on the finish”.
Domaine Gauby, Les Calcinaires 2019, IGP Côtes Catalanes (RRP £16.50, Liberty Wines) is mainly Grenache Blanc, with a balance of Chardonnay, Macabeo and Vermentino.
“It is a blend from young and old vines,” says Aracil. “It has a herbal character –
Aspres ®CIVR
some thyme, rosemary and white fennel. The Chardonnay is from new vines, bringing freshness.” The first of two reds was M Chapoutier, Occultum Lapidum 2017 AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France (RRP £20, Hatch Mansfield).
“This is from Chapoutier’s Domaine BilaHaut property and is 50% Black Grenache with the rest made up of Syrah and Black Carignan,” says Aracil. “There is finesse in the wine; we have big potential in Roussillon for this because we are not using over-extraction or overmaturation. When you have wonderful terroir you have to respect it.
“These days people want to have a wine to drink right now, and with Roussillon it’s possible to do this – but if you have a good cellar you can lay it down and you will be happy too.” Becka Leigh at Oxford Wine Co adds: “I love the powerful fruit character in this wine – [and the] very food-friendly tannin structure”.
Dom Brial, Château Les Pins 2014, AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages, was the only wine tasted yet to find a UK agent.
“Château les Pins is on stony terraces with clay and some grey schist,” says Aracil. “This is 60% Syrah with Black Grenache and Mourvèdre, aged in oak, and released after three years. The Black Grenache adds a little more acidity from the skin, and there is some spice from the Mourvèdre.”
The round table also presented the chance to sample Vin Doux Naturel, the fortified sweet style made by adding 96% neutral grape alcohol to a small proportion of the grape must.
The wine has to be aged for at least 24 months, and some go to over 20 years, with different ages sometimes blended in the same bottle. Becka Leigh at Oxford Wine Co thought the Mas Amiel Maury Vintage Blanc 2018, AOP Maury (RRP £26.70, Les Caves de Pyrene) was “so juicy, but still with a nice, chalky minerality”.
Aracil adds: “Vins Doux Naturels are amazing with Indian or Arabic dishes. You can keep it in the fridge after opening it for a few months. It is a wonderful ingredient for your cooking.”
Château de Jau Chez Jau 2007, AOP Rivesaltes Ambré (RRP £16.60, Les Caves de Pyrene) is a blend of 80% White Grenache and 20% Macabeo, aged for four years in 600-litre barrels. “The result is a wonderful expression of gingerbread, complexity of spices, preserved peaches and quince, with a little touch of roasted almonds,” says Aracil.
McDiarmid at Luvians in Cupar describes
Vineyards in Collioure ® CIVR
it as a “stunning example of an ambré. This is fantastic with pumpkin pie if you are celebrating Thanksgiving, but very good with bread-and-butter pudding if you are being more British about it”. With UK consumers more open to the idea of fortified wines than they have been for some time, and wine merchants increasingly trusted by a new wave of customers, the conditions seem perfect to convert Roussillon from a hand-sell to a region that people ask for by name. █
Feature sponsored by Roussillon.
Web: uk.winesofroussillon.com Insta: roussillonwines
