The history of Carménère in Chile seems taken from a novel and has left us many teachings as a country. This variety probably arrived in our country in the massive imports that were made of Bordeaux varieties in the 19th century (1840 to...
Read moreWhich foods pair best with Merlot?
Merlot has one of the widest ranges of styles of any red wine from the light, quaffable merlots of the Veneto to the grandest of Bordeaux. Obviously one type of food doesn’t go with them all but merlot is your flexible friend when it comes to...
Read moreWhen to match red wine with fish
Few people now throw up their hands in horror at the idea of matching red wine with fish. But how many realise just how often you can pair the two? Here are six occasions when I think you can: When the fish is ‘meaty’ If that doesn’t sound a...
Read moreWhen and how to decant wine
There’s still a general idea that red wines – especially traditional red wines like Bordeaux – need to be decanted but that’s rarely the case these days. Most wines are made to be drunk straightaway. It’s only when one of the...
Read moreThe best food pairings for Rosé
While some rosé styles are quite distinct there are others where I find it helpful to think of the nearest parallel in terms of white or red wine for a pairing. Here’s a round-up of the matches that I think work best 1) Light dry rosés –...
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