It’s somewhat surprising that in 2017 people still worry about how the wine they choose will be perceived by their friends. Shouldn’t it simply be a matter of choosing a grape, style or region you really like and enjoying it? Introduce food into the equation and it can get even more complicated.

On the continent the default choice of wine without food would generally be a white; perhaps from the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling grape, or if red perhaps a lightly chilled Beaujolais. In the UK however we have developed a taste for drinking bigger bodied red wine as an aperitif which in turn has encouraged wine makers to favour slightly sweeter “fruit gum” style reds. However as the day’s get longer and the weather (hopefully) better, many customers come to our wine auctions looking to stock up for their summer barbecues and picnics.

As a general rule fattier food needs tannin. So that matured sirloin steak could probably be much more delicious with a bottle of the traditional red you may once have tasted, disapprovingly deciding it was too austere or had the same effect on your teeth as strong tea. Try it again with some sausages and you may be amazed! Salt can clash with tannin so a more mature red may compliment a saltier dish better than a younger wine; reds generally becoming less tannic with age. In a similar vein oily fish hates tannin, a Manzanilla would be a much better choice and olives are a great match with sherry.

Wine both transforms and is transformed by food. There is a world of variety out there so experiment and have fun, always remembering that a sip on its own may be a very different experience to a bottle with the Summer barbecue!

Please contact us for more information on 0121 455 8042

Rob