BudBurst

I was asked by the lovely people at Market Kitchen if I would do a piece for them on matching fish and chips with wine. Now after the rather dubious horror, I mean honour, of representing India in the 'World Wine Cup', I mean how convincing can I be that I would rather be drinking Chardonnay from the Nasik Valley than Riesling from the Mosel?, I was a little concerned about their motive.

For you see far from thinking this is a comedy subject, I think it pertinent as well as fun. After all why shouldn't a food that gives so much pleasure be treated with some respect when it comes to the drink that goes with it?

And though it may be humble in cost, it can definitely be noble in execution - as a student I lived not far from Anstruther Fish Bar in Fife, an education in the art that can be Fish & Chips. There are good examples here in London, and I particularly love Faulkners on the Kingsland Road, my local and traditional to a tee. Ah yes.. tea.

There are those who would swear that the only valid accompaniment is a cuppa char and while I would not dispute its charm (although I would cock my little finger and say Earl Grey is a finer and more delicate match for the white flesh of the fish than Builders) it is an entirely different experience to fine wine as foil. No less valid, but no more either.

There is a time for whelks out of a polystyrene cup as your hair is being whipped into a frenzy by a howling gale on Brighton beach in February and there is a time for the sumptuous finery of Scott's of Mayfair with the most courteous waiters I have ever encountered and a plateau of fruits de mer that must have been caught by angels, riding on harps, straight out of the icy waters beyond the palm beaches of Heaven.

So what were my matches?

First up an old favourite of mine. Tio Pepe Fino Sherry, one of the finest drinks known to me. A salty, savoury, nutty character with the cleanest driest sea air palate. It is the perfect match in my opinion and replaces entirely the salt and vinegar component, perfectly blending the rich and savoury whole.

Next up was Ken Forresters Chenin Blanc from South Africa. The vibrant, juicy fruit giving more crowd pleasing flavour but still that acidity cutting through the fried richness while at the same time really accentuating the creamy and bold texture of the fish.

And finally...

A treat! Krug Grand Cuvée. What can I say, this is a magnificent wine and all of the tasters stopped for a moment just to savour it by itself because really even in a room full of people who love to talk, it silenced everyone and made us all smile at each other in a goofy I-should-be-more-professional-about-this kind of way, because it really is that good.

And this, my friends, was all about the batter. It was serious, rich, savoury, mealy, masculine, bold and batter-like. It is predominantly Pinot Noir based and that characteristic really comes through and yet... and yet it retains a finesse that elicits something between a sigh and a moan after almost every sip. It was a glorious match.

And there is something noble about the combination of Krug and Fish & Chips, especially if you're eating on your own with a half bottle next to you. It just feels like something really special happened to you.

But whatever you choose to drink remember, this is not just fast food, this could be the most romantic night of your life...!

I have been spending time at the coal face of the wine trade over the past couple of years and the months have just flown past. I see though that y'all are still here so here we go again. To kick us off gently here is a picture of my local on Broadway Market in Hackney. Friendly place with exotic youths. Spent a happy afternoon there with an old friend and an unspecified quantity of Pinot Blanc. Really lovely, floral but restrained aromatics, great weight in the mouth without sacrificing any freshness. It did make me phone my boyfriend SEVERAL times over the next few hours, as he reminded me the next day, but then he had gone to Paris without me so what did he expect?

Why are people so desperate to project/partake in a gambolling through olive groves in a see through Alice Temperley kaftan, Tuscan-villa ownership fantasy, that they are willing to drink the Pinot Grigio Piss Du Jour instead of all the wonderful alternatives there are out there? I know you know, just please tell everyone else you know to stop drinking it.

My folks came down to London and took me to a fantastic South Indian restaurant in the non-salubrious, but authentic, district of East Ham for Sunday lunch. Notes in TasteBudBurst on the right.

Well it has been a few weeks since my last entry and although I could tell you all about   the Rhône and Burgundy en primeur campaigns, the New Wave Spanish wines I've    been trying, or the South African Reds to match the last entry of South African Whites that my father has been religiously clicking on to, only to discover nothing of what his daughter has been up to in the Big Smoke, I won't.

I am very tempted to tell you about having to pay an Australian, let's say friend, in wine for a lost - no, thoroughly thrashed - bet over the Ashes (this was his first return to England since that sorry episode). A fairly painful experience for both wallet and liver BUT let's move on to the future.

Wine Relief is upon us www.rednoseday.com/partners/wine-relief/ and there are several different bottles widely available to buy from which retailers are donating some of the profit to      Comic Relief. How easy is it to open a bottle of wine and make a difference?

For my part I have been enthusiastically working my way through the offerings and on March 3rd, this Saturday in fact, I will be a guest panellist on the Virtual Wine online tasting of the 6 best on offer. The team at Virtual Wine have also studiously tasted and deliberated to come up with the finalists which will be tasted by a select (!) panel live from 7.30 pm.

The idea is that you at home can order the taster packs of 6 wines from Virtual Wine (10% still going to Comic Relief) or buy them from the various retailers, and taste the wines at the same time. You can then send belligerent, loving or simply drunken messages to us via email and your concerns will be addressed immediately. What a laugh...

So get some friends round, you must have some, put on some nibbles and sharpen your tongues. Take a look here www.virtualwine.co.uk to download instructions and tasting notes.

These people like wine and have a laugh with it, their contribution to the cork vs screwcap debate was to race bottles down river to see which was fastest, the loser then wrestled the winner to the ground in an unscripted, but thrilling, finale.

   

At a recent tasting of South African Great Whites I was really excited by the wines I tried.

In the past I have sometimes been disappointed that in general the wines could seem out of balance, either too acidic or flabby, the fruit almost a cariacature of itself and even in the worst cases just dirty.

These wines however showed exuberant fruit, great balance of refreshing acidity with richness and depth and really distinctive character. I thought they showed very well and certainly will lead me to the South African shelves when I want good value white.

My favourites from each section as follows, full tasting notes seem to a bit of a dream at the moment but one day I hope to get them all up!

Jan Daneel Chenin Blanc 2005 Napier: Very simple but stylish label would have great shelf presence. Pretty, sunny apricot nose. The broad oak at the front palate is a touch too heavy but underneath is gorgeous fruit. Well-rounded, almost heavy, weight in the middle with enough crisp acidity to take you back for another sip. The fruit pushes right through to the end and lingers for ages. Lovely. 17  Stockist -Jeroboams £15

Tokara Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Stellenbosch: Fresh, flower petals delicacy on nose followed by vibrant, exciting fruit on the palate. Well-handled oak comes pouring through on its tail but is integrated and adds complexity. Balanced and fine with a crisp, juicy finish. 18 Stockist - Wimbledon Wine Cellars £17.99

Other very good Sauvignon Blancs - Quoin Rock 2005 Stellenbosch £9.49 Andrew Chapman Wines; Cape Point Vineyards 2005 Cape Point £14 Jeroboams; Neil Ellis Groenekloof 2005 Stellenbosch £9.99 Christopher Piper Wines,  Villeneuve Wines, SA Wines Online

Jordan Nine Yards Chardonnay 2005 Stellenbosch: Up front fruit balanced with a sure and light touch. Fine and nutty with integrated oak tannins backing it up. Silky mouth feel kept frech with tangy acidity. 17 Stockist Laytons; SA Wines Online £17.25

Other recommended chardonnays - Glen Carlou Quartz Stone Chardonnay 2005 Paarl £11.99-12.49 Oddbins, Christopher Piper, SA Wines Online, Genesis Wines; Quoin Rock Chardonnay 2002 sent by mistake but very high scoring, see previous info for stockist leads.

Fairview Viognier 2006 Paarl :Very aromatic nose but avoids parody. Crystallised fruit, nice levels of acidity. Not just floral but lively and fresh. 17 Stockists Harrods; Noel Young Wines; Valvona & Crolla £9.95

Also very good was the Bellingham Maverick Viognier 2005 Wellington £8.49 Majestic, SA Wines Online.

I recommend the Villiera Inspiration 2006 Stellenbosch £9.99 Tesco This desert wine has an unctuous, lovely texture, a nose of marmalade ice cream, very fresh and fine. Rich and great value.

At the Decanter event last weekend, it was great to see so many people  enjoying fine wine. Such a joy to have so many truly outstanding wines under the same roof laid out for the consumer.

At this particular Encounter Bordeaux epecially had a strong presence and the exhibitors read like a roll-call of the great and the good - though by no means exhaustive it certainly gave a very good schooling in what the fuss is all about. It proves that the UK is not all about Blossom Hill sugar water despite all the depressing statistics.

Not only were there members of the public that you would expect - I had some lovely older gentlemen coming up to me at the Jancis Robinson stand, just to tell me with a conspiratorial wink that they were already "purple pagers" - but lots and lots of young people. The majority in fact.  I hope this means that the next generation of wine drinkers/collectors/enthusiasts are trading up as they experience these wines first hand and making relationships with producers that may last a lifetime.

As well as the wines on offer there were also Masterclasses, the two most popular being the Margaux vertical and Jancis. Both of these will be available as podcasts - once the technology has been tamed- on the Decanter website and Jancis will put hers up on www.JancisRobinson.com

As well as all that, authors - Andrew Jefford and John Radford to name just two - were there for book signings and a very nice team from Riedel explaining all the subtle nuances of the various glasses and exactly why you need at least 10 different sets (I wish).