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English wine has increased in popularity over the years and with an ever-growing number of vineyards across the UK (there are currently over 500 vineyards and 160 wineries) we are becoming spoilt for choice. A large majority of the vineyards within the UK are located in Southern England and with the soil quality being close to that of the Champagne region you can see why. It is Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey which has the largest single-estate vineyard in the UK with over 256 acres and to celebrate English Wine Week we’ve got our top wine pairing tips:
1. Flavour matching
When choosing a wine to compliment the food it’s important to think about the flavours. A chicken and vegetable dish would be best paired with a light-flavoured white wine, whereas a dish which has had a longer cooking time and richer flavours, like a beef stew, would require a strong flavoured red wine to match.
2. Source locally
As the saying goes “What grows together, goes together”. With so many spectacular wines produced in the UK, (did you know the top two grape varieties produced in the UK are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir?) there’s a lot of choice for your next meal. Locally sourced produce is often served best with locally sourced wine.
3. Don’t forget about the sauce
The sauce of any dish will contain the most dominant flavour, so whilst the choice of meat and cooking time are important things to consider when choosing the correct wine, so is the ingredients of the sauce.
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4. Sweetness
A general rule of thumb when pairing wines is the sweeter the food, the sweeter the wine. Dessert wines shouldn’t always be the first choice when selecting a wine to accompany pudding; sweet and full-bodied Muscat-based wines can also be perfect for desserts.
5. Match acidity
High acidic wines work well with high acidic foods. Tomatoes are high in acidity, and as tomatoes usually take centre stage in Italian dishes it will be best paired with a high acidic Italian white wine.
