Hopping back on the writing horse has been a thrill, much missed but a little nerve wracking. I’ve realised that I had oodles more time on my hands to really flesh through content and going by the trends in the consumer wine world, things have moved on.

Expect snappier, zippier posts going forth. Still aiming for long form content, but still keeping in check with dwindling attention spans, after all.

What’s goin’ down in Vin Jaune… region?

The most Easterly region that you can grab a vino in France before you hit the Swiss mountains is the Jura. Close to Burgundy, they’re both known for their exquisite cheeses, but the wines are worlds apart.

The local Jura speciality is vin jaune, or yellow wine as a literal translation. It’s made in a similar style to sherry where the wine is left to oxidise in big open barrels which will make a white wine turn to more of a brown hue, and aged for at least six years before it can be named as such. All the rage in Jerez and a big contender in the organic wineries of the noughties, a white (or yellow, in this case) will be giving nuts, bruised apple and can seem all that bit more indulgent.

Vin jaune itself is an acquired taste, and comes in smaller than standard wine bottles - at 620 mL, which are traditionally sealed with a yellow wax. Generally hefty in price, this one isn’t going to be everyone’s bag - and if so, more than a glass akin to a sherry can border on nauseating.

What’s more compelling for the more basic wine drinkers like you and I is the new wave of Jura winemaking that’s been coming through over the last few decades. Like the Languedoc, it’s where the more rebellious of winemakers go. Free of all of the faff that goes into the rules in what makes a Bordeaux a Bordeaux, the land is much cheaper as it’s less on the lips of what a hot drink is.

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Reader, let me reel you in with a secret.

It’s pretty hot. And a steal, if you ask me.

Outside of the vin jaune traditionalists, there’s some banging sparklings, reds and whites coming out of the Jura. They’re often made in a more natural, wild style to what you’d find in other regions. It’s also not quite on the map yet but word is getting around, so it’s worth jumping on the bandwagon now while it’s still something you can impress your friends about.

Lemme recommend a few bottles.

Starting with crémant. Who doesn’t love a bloody crémant. All the classy, but camp appeal of champagne for a fraction of the price? While I love my champs and it is the unequivocal, I love the variety that a crémant brings with the difference in grape varieties it brings in. I’ve given the Wine Society’s Crémant du Jura a go which was a 100% chardonnay and boy, it went down smoothly. Being neighbours to Alsace, Champagne and Burgundy can give you a sense of the nestling luxe of this patch.

With whites, traditionally you have the option to go for the traditional savagnin grape which is then formed into vin jaune, but you fill find it in some “normal” wine making. There’s typically a bit of oxidation to make this style nutty akin to the traditions of the region, but overall it’s a light, fresh wine to drink. Being the tart for chardonnay that I am however, my vote is to focus on a more noble grape and see where it’s made in a more inventive way. I’ve had a few Jura chardonnays at the one and only Noble Rot that’s got the joy and charm of a Burgundy white with a smoky, salty undertone.

Reds are new territory for me in the Jura, and here’s where it gets interesting. Trousseau is the grape that goes into most reds, which is a light and fruity number, which isn’t too heavy on the acidity or tannins. But ages stunningly, surprising for a wine so light - and for so long. I managed to pick up a 1996 (!) edition at Bottle Apostle for 30 beans, which I’m still not quite over. This came from the oldest wine cooperative in France, where I was warned that this one was veering on its tertial notes. Tertial meaning that all of the fruit flavours that you typically get from a wine that’s young start to gradually mellow into caramel, leather and mushroomy goodness in a red that’s WORTH ageing. It’s very much an if you know, you know situation which I can ramble on about for an eon.

What goes with a Jura wine?

I started this humble blog with the intent of making food and wine pairing something to dispel and make sexy. It’s still an area dear to my heart, but I’m aware that far wittier and more intelligent sources are onto where a wine should be placed, depending on the situ (Corker by Hannah Crosbie, is in fact, a Corker to read on this very topic).

So let me combine the foods and situation of dreams that I had on all things Jura last week with a lazy(ish) dinner party. It was my turn to host my WSET Level 3 comrades for our biannual dinners, and I went with an Alpine theme. Inspired by a recent trip to The Sparrows in Manchester, I had the best meal that I had for a LONG time and needed to recreate it at home. They specialise in spätzle, the Germanic noodles that are made in lickedy split time in lieu of pasta, with a hearty warmth when melted with red onion, butter and cheese.

Worshipping the culinary gods that are Felicity Cloake and Ottolenghi, they struck it again. Cloake had done the heavily lifting to give me the perfect recipe for käsespätzle which I served with a sharp green salad to cut through the heft, followed by an Ottolenghi cheat take on a mont blanc.

It’s an easy combination to prep before, and then lollop into the kitchen for a few minutes to mix together once everyone has arrived and they’re a tipple in. It’s so so easy to fall trap to intricate recipes ahead of the pressure of hosting, so I typically aim to go for things that are less choppy, more chuck together in 5 minutes. A few other tips from me cited in a previous post below the signoff.

Enjoyed it?

Thanks for joining to the end! If there’s any topics, thoughts or suggestions that you had, feel free to let me know or pop a comment. And as much as I hate to sound like a podcaster, all subscription and word of mouth referrals are greatly appreciated if it’s something you think is worth sharing!

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Over 18 months, in fact. And it’s taken a few days of twixtmas this year to shuffle through my various social media personas to see a sad, dusty shop front that was once the biweekly commitment to post!

The motivations for Dosage changed, as most things do. I finished my WSET Certificate, had a career pivot and life came in to have me on other projects. While I still enjoyed a glass or two here and there, learning more and reflecting sans blogger hat on. I’m itching if not a little nervous jumping back in to write more, but I know it’s going to be a more leisurely affair to start off and see where the wind takes me.

To get the ball rolling and without much further ado, a little 2024 low-down of my wine infused travels to share. And really, to make sure I don’t go a calendar year WITHOUT writing.

Sardinia.

For sun holidays and me, going back to the same place year on year rarely has an appeal. Except if that place is Barcelona (twice this year, but both business, little opportunity for pleasure) and now, Sardinia. The less pronounced island in pop culture since the White Lotus imploded on Sicily, this is the island that Italy chooses to jet to when the summer months hit.

I went at the end of April on a solo excursion and I’ve never been more enchanted by a place. The water is exquisitely turquoise, food fresh and simple, and the best of all is going at shoulder season means that all of the beaches and towns are practically yours alone.

Wine wise, Sardinia gets little traction in comparison to other Italian wine regions. Probably as it’s incredibly straight forward - but may I say, impressive. For red, there’s cannonau, which is also better known as garnacha or grenache by the Spanish or French. Regardless of what you call it, Sardinia and cannonau are said to be the OG of the cluster and as oldest sibling, the most genuine. Grenache is a wine that’s HEAVY on alcohol content due to it being a warm climate lover, plus global warming. Chateauneuf du Pape which is a grenache dominant blend in most cases, are starting to reach 15.5 - 16% abv as the norm every year.

While the climate can get into the 50 plus mark of degrees celsius for June and July in Sardinia, it’s coastal vineyards and mediterranean gusts can come in to provide some sweet relief. What you get from cannonau is a fruiter, fresher yet still full bodied and complex wine, compared to French and Spanish counterparts.

The big clincher was the whites, as Sardinia is vermentino dominant. A pretty stack ‘em high, sell em cheap table wine that I went into the trip thinking. I was quickly corrected and mistaken. Vermentino is an aromatic variety, so should be more toward the “tutti frutti” side of floral, herby and fruity notes that you’d expect out of a savvy b, but not quite at that level. It’s said to be best grown by the coast and where it’s in its prime and enchanted me is when it has the name Vermentino di Gallura on the bottle, relating to a specific region on the Northern coast. I’m not one for super fruity whites, much more of a chardonnay hun until I tried this properly. A good vermentino is the perfect summer apero for me - there’s a bit of sea salt and mineralty to it with the fruits there, but not quite so in your face. It’s giving Piqpoul, but not the bottle of vinegar in the pub that’s quickly becoming a horror as it trends.

Sardinia is a tricky one to pick up anywhere if you want to dabble, so I’d recommend truffling around a good wine shop or Italian deli to see if they have any. Those in London, Passione Vino in Shoreditch is as-ever a delight or Svinando has an excellent choice for every region in Italy that you may ever need a wine from.

Sussex.

Summer was out of London for the most part, and by the East Sussex coast for what I thought would be quite the brat summer. Being beside Hastings, jumping into the sea or driving up to the farm shop on my lunch hour was something I was incredibly grateful for but soon became a lockdown-esque monotony. Can take the boy out of the city, etcetera etcetera.

Before I came back up to the big smoke, however, there was a bucket list box to tick while I found myself in English Wine Country. And that was to learn how to make wine.

Plumpton College, just outside Lewes, is mainly focused on agriculture but has been running winemaking and viticulture courses for the last 20 years. When I came over to London with the bright eyed and bushy tailed dreams of doing journalism full time, I covered the launch of part time courses from the school of winery when English Sparkling Wine was something still to be quaffed at.

Fast forward a good chunk of time, a boom in the industry and my curious brain into a week long course to run you through the Principles of Winemaking, just as harvest season was about to begin.

Half theory, half practical in basis, this was geared more toward the winemaker that’s already in motion or in the industry. Luckily for the learning curve that brought on theory, the analytical chemistry and calculations element were heavily overlapped in my early analytical chemistry practicals from my undergrad: so easy to pick up, bizarre to re-use the knowledge in another lens and mildly anxiety inducing to think back on some lab procedures and the insecure brain used to run through them a good decade on.

I’ve kept the notes and am grateful that I have the hands-on experience of making a batch of wine with my comrades (although it was a bunch of Thomson seedless grapes from Aldi, no fine vintage) should I need to scale and whip up a batch in the years to come.

Although I’ve missed the boat on what was a crap 2024 harvest in the UK, you never know if Dosage is going to become a product in 2025 and beyond…

Et fin.

Not all experiences made the list, but I hope you enjoyed them. Until the next time and as always, it’s really good to hear feedback on what you liked or what you’d like to see for next time!

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It’s been a while, I know. A new job, not having to study wine formally and a new puppy in tow has made the last month a lot of life changes, all positive and bright.

With a little less time than I’d like to fulfil my many side interests, Dosage is going to wind down to a little more infrequently for the next while to help me build out other channels and, well, relax too. I promise more new issues ideas are on post its around my desk. And with a bit of time to reflect and energise, I’m buzzed about a few changes in gear that are coming.

Now, back in the room. Sustainability it is! 🌱 This has been sitting in drafts for a while and has grown and grown in content. Which is probably about two months of writing in one issue, anyhoo…

What’s the carbon footprint of wine looking like?

Surprisingly (and thankfully), not bad - all things considered. Looking to Our World in Data, there’s an estimated 2kg CO2 produced for every 1kg finished wine product (expressed as a carbon dioxide equivalent, or CO2eq for short).

It’s a rough rule of thumb, and this is going to vary a lot by supplier and where you’re drinking said wine. With chocolate at a 47 kg CO2eq per kg produced and coffee at 29kg CO2eq per kg, as vices go, we ain’t doing bad. Not a direct or justifiable extrapolation, but it’s just below tofu and tomatoes in terms of CO2eq. It’s only time before that becomes a terrible pun on a B+M mug akin to “I lOvE cOoKiNG wItH wInE sOmEtImEs i pUt It In ThE fOoD”.

But if you’re looking to get more specific, there’s a lot of variables and unknowns ahead of you. The transport from origin to decanting is the obvious one. But the year of the harvest also has a large impact based on how much manual labour, pesticides or grapes were yielded by the climate, as studies have shown. In other nerdy news that I’ve dug out, an organic Chianti is looking like one of the most eco-friendly options to drink post bottling. Like with all academia, we’re limited to what has been studied and published to date. But does give hope to try out a fabulous Italian number, no? A Chianti Classico is generally the way to go for good quality, since you’re asking.

What does standout with wine though, is how much can still be improved.

If you scroll back up to the carbon equivalent chart packaging’s a big clincher here. Almost half of the CO2 is down to the glass that’s been the most favoured option historically in the industry. While glass is recyclable, it’s a huge resource to produce - and we know not all of that ends up recycled fully, despite waves toward a circular economy.

Glass bottles are excellent vessels to mature a wine worth maturing in. The cork will gradually leach oxygen to help wines develop, and smoothen out some bitter notes. But it ain’t going to do much for your day to day wines, let alone ones to glug ASAP. 70% of the wine consumed in the world is destined for near immediate consumption, and there’s no advantage to keeping it in your cellar, as that’s probably as good as it gets when you buy it. A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for example will lose those juicy fresh tropical notes in most cases, and simmer down to a hazy boiled cabbage flavour.

Cartons, cans and boxes of wines are growing in the market as sustainable alternatives. A rant for another article, as they’re by no means a tacky or cheap substitute.

Waste not, want not as we produce

Zero waste food and drinks are on the rise (fermentation pun not intended), and wine comes with its own byproducts. After you press the grapes and extract the juice, there’s the pulp left to contend with - which leaves a huge bulk, particularly when a small vineyard is producing well into the tens of thousands of bottles. Unlike one of those super duper juicers of the mid noughties that give a flavourless pulp at the end, the grape skins still have a bit going on with them, and the yeasts are still active.

There’s some options that have been used to get creative and make sure the most of the product is kept up:

• In Italy, it’s traditional to distill the grape skins into a spirit known as Grappa. Traditionally served after a meal, anyone who’s had the experience of tasting it will know that it’s strong, three espresso martini strong in punchiness.

• Flushing the pomace (as the remaining grape skins are called) with water and allow it to ferment again is known as piquette. Not quite beer but not quite wine in texture, this makes a sparkling drink that is lower in alcohol, and a nice thirst quencher which allows for the grape pulp to have a second use. While I had my hopes up as a way to create a new alcoholic drink category, making any wine by-product that is not Grappa (and within Italy as it’s a protected term) is illegal to trade or sell in the EU. In Australia, California and South Africa, piquette has started to grow in popularity as an alternative to beer, but sadly none for us unless you’re working in the vineyard or offered a dash on its own. More on why later.

• Some beer makers have been experimenting with the use of wine grapes as well to provide a hybrid product. This is few and far between outside of the States, so watch this space. (I have spent a little time getting to understand the processes behind craft beers but, it never quite catches me in the same romance - so don’t expect this to be discussed down the line.

Other elements that remaining grape skins and seeds can be used for include skincare, biofuel, cooking oil, compost, extracts…. Which generally require a good bit of intervention from people with white coats to get it back in tangible form.

How will wine change in line with climate change?

Many people have asked me how climate change will affect wines in the future, and it’s not all bad news. But, it is going to change.

For the more established regions that have become household names in the wine world (Napa, Champagne, Burgundy), the rising temperatures absolutely pose a threat. The fruit has been getting increasingly riper and riper by the year as the temperatures rise, meaning that harvest season comes earlier when its good, and also starts to build toward a boozier wine since there’s more sugar to convert. This has also changed the palette of the wine gradually, which means that the winemaker has to make adaptions to keep a similar style going if the preference is to maintain the norm. Within the EU, this can be tricky if the grape varieties or amount of sugars in grapes have to be regulated (as they usually do). It could mean that there’s a new way to celebrate these wines in the future and look back at the flavour palettes of the past with nostalgia (and a heftier vintage price). However, in some cases the terroir is failing as it normally does, and more intensive (and generally expensive) measures to make sure that the soil stays fertile and is irrigated have to take place.

It also means that new wine regions are going to crop up. The South Coast of England is truly on the map for fine prestige with their production of English Sparkling Wine in the same style of Champagne, which has seen many a Champagne house buy some property in the home countries a little like Burgundians and the Bordelaise did in California in the 90s. The climate in Kent, Sussex and Hampshire is in its prime to produce wines of excellent quality that give the North of France a run for its money.

However, more rounded reds and whites could be increasingly grown and gain prestige at the rate things are going. Pinot Noir from the UK has been getting a name for good quality in the past, but for scorchers of years like 2022, it means that there has been sufficient warmth to ripen some of the sun worshipping grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon which generally need long growing seasons to get there. Some parts in Scotland and Ireland have already been pinpointed as excellent points to harvest grapes in the future the way things continue.

It can be seen as a way to widen the wine economy, but it will also shrink some elements quite strongly, too. Some regions such as Central Spain and Southern Italy are eroding soil hugely and combined with high temperatures, are providing arid conditions even for vines which generally don’t need a lot of TLC to produce beautiful fruits. Not every cloud has a silver lining here.

The case for Wonky Wine

Lest I leave you with an unsure future for the world of wine, there’s another threat that’s more ominous and obvious. The market and future drinkers themselves. Gen Z are a funny bunch. In between opting for early noughties text speak and no capitalisation in sentences, they make a mere 30 year old feel ancient with their explorations into ketamine and MDMA if we believe what we see as each season goes in Euphoria. But there is some truth to the Skins-on-steroids scripture: they ain’t drinking. Alcohol consumption is falling per capita, and in an already shrinking market, it’s not all going to a boom of new generation wine drinkers.

More for us, ha ha, you may think, but it tells a sad tale if you’re an enthusiast like me. There’s razor thin margins that both plonk and prestige labels are running on in the winemaking biz and let me tell you, it’s a romantic - not a pretty vocation by any means. Wild fires in Chile have ripped up some of the oldest vines just this summer on that side of the world, and to get a vintage that good again it’s going to take decades to get the soils and vines mature enough to make the good stuff. Most evocatively, there’s been protests in Bordeaux as wine has been poured literally down the sink. Bordeaux has fallen out of fashion for lighter reds and saline whites, but it’s an area of immense quality. Which is now being converted into industrial alcohol for the likes of hand san, and grants to keep the farmers going.

Without support, the wine industry is fragile at the best of times, and it’s very hard to keep a product on the shelf, let alone to enter the market as vineyards have soared in price. Wine byproducts within Europe at least are tight commodities, as the market does not sell every bottle that it produces in itself. Hard to believe, but there’s decent wine that will never be drunk. It’s either destined to become industrial alcohol (like methylated spirits or hand sanitiser). Or, quite simply, down the drain. Like most physical stock, this is heartbreaking, but particularly when the grape growing and wine making industry are not ones that are making a healthy (or sometimes, not even) a profit.

While we look to tweak the wine production capabilities and use the entire part of the grape, some wine is being literally poured down the sink, or made into industrial alcohol if it’s not used. And it’s not a small quantity, either. Wonky wine IS going to become a thing, although its roots still haven’t quite hit out quite yet.

One spot that I’ve heard on the grapevine in London is the Wasted Wine Club, dedicated to providing winemakers that are finding hard-to-shift stock and bringing it to a fashionable light.

Watch this space, and more content hopefully to come in the near future!

The Wine 🍷

We’re going to the New World here, although Riesling is typically grown in its native Germany. Tall slopes and resistance tto spring frosts bring this wine a lot of character even in the coolest of climates. It can be sweet, it can be dry, it can be sparkling and it can vary in flavour to boot. Riesling might give anyone familiar with the 80s and 90s blends a little PTSD, which is not a reason to avoid it - yes, sickly sweet wines had their moment but we’ve moved to much more elegant styles since.

When we move down to Australia, Riesling is most likely in a dry style, but still quite aromatic. Australian wine is somewhat new in the market in terms of being taken seriously as a fine wine producer, but regions outside of the mass produced South East Australia region on a label will generally be worth the investment. Riesling is renown in the Clare or Eden Valley which is still South East, close to Adelaide. You’ll get an amazing burst of lime here. With a bit of ageing, the scent starts to get a little waxy or petrol-ish. For anyone that scoffs that note as a bit snobby, all I can say is when you know, you know. This doesn’t fare well on forums or product reviews and not to everyone’s taste, but it’s something that might need a bit of an acquired taste to get there.

My pick: Mount Horrocks Cordon Cut, Virgin Wines, £15. Supermarkets (particularly Aldi or Lidl) will get some good Australian Riesling in chunks that is generally at knockdown prices. Grab some while you can, but this is a good benchmark to start with otherwise.

The Grub 🍟

I’ve mashed up a quick fish recipe that I did with sea bass, but it will work well with basically any fish that you can get your hands on.

Caramel trout is a doddle of a recipe from my most beloved BBC Good Food, and I’ve used it with different types of fish nicely. It’s amazing how much flavour and restaurant quality food that you can get out of melting a bit of water and sugar together in a pan. You could add butter if you want to be a bit more decadent about it and make it nice and crisp too.

Inspired by Eric Yu’s Gochujang Caramel Cookies that were something of a storm on the New York Times a few months ago, I decided to merge these two recipes together. And it was a hit! For those not familiar with gochujang, it’s a spicy red chili paste that’s a staple in Korean cooking. It’s fermented so it has a little more umami and depth than you’d expect from the likes of sriracha or fresh chillies, and gives the smokiness that delicious Korean fried chicken has enchanted us with.

I tried to make Eric’s cookies which were delish, but the presentation wasn’t as pretty as I didn’t have the patience to do the swirls and they all mushed into one big clump. But they were relatively easy to make, tasted something like a hipster Ginger Nut and made an excellent companion to some vanilla ice cream.

Why they pair well together 🧪

The fish has a mix of sweetness and spice, which can be tricky to get a wine pairing to match with. Generally if you go too dry of a white, it might end up making the dish feel a little dull - so I wouldn’t put this together with a Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc. Similarly, high alcohol is also a tricky one with spice as if it’s too high, it will add to the spiciness and make it all that little bit overbearing. Even though this Riesling is dry, they’re super fruity and around the 12.5% mark which will hold up to plenty of the flavours that will come out with this dish nicely.

A good quality German Riesling that’s off-dry would also go nicely here if you want something a teeny bit sweeter. You’re looking for the words Spatlese or Auslese on the label, which means there’s been a little but not a huge amount of sugar. Riesling’s are generally a good shout if you’re looking for something to go with spicy Asian food - they’ve enough flavour to hold up, as well as cut through some of those richer flavours that can be drowned or overpowered by the wrong mix.

The recipe 🧑‍🍳

This serves one if you’re hungry, or two if it’s with enough little sides that can be done on one pan. You can up the quantities accordingly but might be a bit chaotic for a dinner party beyond 6, as you’ll have to cook in fresh batches to get the best flavours. I served this with some rice and spinach, but a cold noodle salad (vermicelli would be yum) would work really well here.

What you need

• 2 salmon fillets (white fish will also do here), skins on

• 30g dark sugar (I used muscovado, but cane sugar will work just as well if that’s what you have in the cupboard

• One level teaspoon of gochujang paste (you’ll get this in an Asian supermarket or online) - or ramp it up a tiny bit if you like a kick

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• Fresh red chillies and coriander for garnish (if you want to get fancy/add a little more spice)

What you gotta do:

1. Add the sugar to the pan, and add just enough water to cover the base. On a low to medium heat, gently let the sugar start to dissolve into the water, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon.

2. Once you’re getting the sugar to dissolve, add the gochujang paste to the pan. It’s not going to fully disperse, but try your best to mix it in and distribute it so it will coat the fish nicely.

3. Once you’re starting to see the mix reduce down on the pan with slowly forming, sticky bubbles, you’re at the right spot to add the fish. Pop the garlic in and stir until you get a waft of flavours, before adding the fish fillets skin side down.

4. Pop a lid over the pan, and keep the fish on a medium heat for 5 minutes. The skin should be getting a little bit crispy while it’s being poached.

5. Flip the fish over. If the caramel seems to be getting a little too sticky or there isn’t enough liquid to the consistency to keep it going for 3 minutes, turn the heat down slightly and don’t be afraid to add a little bit of water.

6. The fish will have cooked beautifully after about 10 minutes at the right heat, but might take a little longer if you’ve done it gradually. You should have a nice crispy skin on the fish, and it should start to flake a little bit when you gently prod it with a fork.

7. And that’s it! Serve with whatever tickles your fancy, with chopped chili and coriander on top.

IMPORTANT TIP: Add some boiling water to the pan, or some water to return it with a gentle heat for a few minutes afterwards. As you’ve made caramel, that’s gonna get sticky on the pan and a dishwasher or scrubbing brush won’t do it. A slight pain to do when you’re ready to serve, but you’ll thank yourself later on for not having to bin a pan.

If you want to be ruthless, you can call when your guests need to vacate or what they should bring with them. You can call the shots on what everyone’s drinking, what activities you get up to, what everyone eats. Feeding a troupe with the finest of ingredients can be a pinch of the price compared to eating out, even if you still end up out for a bop after and covering the Maccy’s hangover breakfast the next day.

Like all fine things in life, there are catches. And when it comes to hosting people, ambitions can run very high to come crashing down with a traumatic bang. “Never again” is often sighed after a nightmare of cooking for 20 where guests have been instructed to bring absolutely nothing with them, or when they forgot they’re going to have to poach eggs and make Hollandaise sauce to order after three mimosas. Reader, I’ve been that person. But I’ve given group catering another go, and can go as far as to call it entertaining now. A few tips and tricks from wine to recipes that have helped me, if I may.

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Tip 1: Stay in your lane.

There’s a lot said about goals in your personal life needing to be moving out of the comfort zone, into the stretch zone. But it’s very easy to jump forward 5 steps, and end up in a blind panic zone.

Cooking for friends and loved ones should be a time of celebration, intimacy, joy. Not getting in a flap or realising that halfway through reading a recipe that you have absolutely no instinct for a step, or it takes an hour to do. If an experience hasn’t hit home to relate to this, may I introduce Exhibit A, and shouldn’t be a spoiler:

If you want to try out a recipe for a group, make a small batch at least once, or take something you’ve worked on before. If you’re sourcing recipes or in the ideation phase, a few tips:

• Anything from Nigella, Delia, Nigel Slater or BBC Good Food are typically good, replicable, reliable and easy to follow. And encourage that you don’t have to make EVERYTHING from scratch. Hurrah!

• If you’re feeling a little more risqué or adventurous, give it a try first would be my best advice to you. Ottolenghi deserves an alter to be prayed upon, but depending on the book, you’re playing with Russian roulette if it’s your first time trying it out.

Tip 2: Time plan

So many people don’t think of the actual cooking, and you don’t want to be running in and out of the kitchen for long periods while your guests are there, unless you’re a sadist of sorts. There’s a few common traps that people fall into here:

• Picking things that are more effort. This can take a huge amount of time out, and particularly if each dish has a lot going on. Keep shucking oysters, charred steak with triple cooked chips and a chocolate fondant for a restaurant, and pick something that you can get ready or finish off in a flash.

• Ditto for veggie dishes, or menus. Not to misadvocate animal welfare, but it’s not spoken enough how much of a royal pain in the arse some plant based recipes are to make. Particularly the more colourful and instagrammable which require heaps and heaps of chopping that can put even the most dedicated cook off. If there is a showstopper dish that needs a lot or refined chopping, drop the other things around it and make it more simple.

• Making everything in sequential order. You don’t want to fall into the trap of starting a main course after the starter has been served, otherwise no one is going to eat for another two hours. Ideally, desserts should be predone or ready to bung in the oven, starters are a quick thing to squizz up and mains are bubbling and 90% ready as you’re getting your guests to arrive.

• The need to make EVERYTHING from scratch, or substitute on things you really need specialist equipment for. Focus on what you want to do well, and take some shortcuts by buying from good quality suppliers to fill in for where time is better invested. You’re cooking for friends, not the Michelin guide - so why try and make pitas for the first time from scratch?

The only true way that I prescribe to prevent such maladies is a boring work of order that is hammered into all home economics and culinary arts student. By no means rocket science, but the torture of thinking this out and when you need to start in the kitchen and gets you into the professional kitchen mindset of prepping first, and assembly at service.

This is only an exercise for you, so it doesn’t have to be fancy. Pop down what you’re going to do to prep and when people get there with a match up to the recipe, and a generous estimate of time for each step or where you need to be. You’ve an idea of when you need to get cracking in the kitchen and also prevented forgetting to add in a cardamom pod or a teaspoon of baking powder in some crucial steps.

Tip 3: Remember, it’s a process.

Cooking like a sport, language or creative outlet takes time. And the better you get at it isn’t always linear - but you will learn what you could improve for next time swiftly, or start to diagnose at least where you’re sticky points are.

Whether you like to wing it with ingredients or processes that you have done before, or stick directly to a recipe, if one step goes wrong - it’s not the end of the world. And you never know - Newton’s apple, Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, your younger sibling etcetera - sometimes mistakes are the best thing that could have happened. Two Substack articles that really resonated with me on this topic are ones I’ve shared below by far more experienced cooks, but inspirational to keep chugging.

The Action Cookbook Newsletter

The simple joy of f***ing up in the kitchen

I had a notion the other day. This happens from time to time — I get something into my head, and I just have to see it through, whether it’s a good idea or not. I had a notion about making soup dumplings. Xiaolongbao, as they’re properly known, are a steamed bun that originated around Shanghai — thin wheat-flour wrappers, typically filled with a mixture of pork and shrimp and a gelled broth aspic and pinched into a coin purse-like shape, open only on the top. As they’re steamed, the aspic melts but stays contained within the wrapper, a hot soup ready to be released when someone (foolishly) bites into them or (wisely) punctures them with chopsticks first…

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7 years ago · 42 likes · Scott Hines

soft leaves

Fuck Up January

Let’s start 2023 by acknowledging that everybody fucks up their food all the time. Cookbooks and Instagram and even newsletters like mine, to some extent, reinforce this idea that “good” cooks are always buying some perfect seasonal produce or really nice ingredient and then cooking it just the right way to make just what they wanted, and it’s always de…

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4 years ago · 5 likes · 2 comments · Kate Ray

Tip 4: Apply the same rules to wine choices

Don’t overthink it.

Don’t overcomplicate it.

Don’t try and run a 7 course menu with matching wines if you’ve never cooked for more than 4.

Speak to your off license, or favourite Substacker on wine (ahem) for tips on what pairs well with what.

Enjoy how it goes, and reflect for the next time!

But I know you came here for wine.

And of course, I’m very happy to offer my services for that. A few tips on what can be a good mix for something a little off piste, without breaking the bank or creating too much of a split down the middle on thoughts:

• Fizz: A Cremant de Limoux is a great alternative to Champagne that’s a little bit fruiter, made the same way and a hella lot cheaper. It should be under £15 a bottle, like this one from Waitrose.

• Red: Aglianico in the South is said to be what Nebbiolo is to the North of Italy, which makes the amazingly complex Barolo. Aglianico is still building a name for itself over here, but gives a beautiful fruity and complex red that’s full in body, but still a smooth operator. Grab from Svinando, which are importing Italian wines at a fraction of what you’d pay in an offy - this one’s only £12!

• White: A Chenin Blanc is a good shout if you’ve got a divide between Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay drinkers, as it’s somewhat in the middle. A fresh South African one has never failed to win over a crowd, and an old vine one (implying better quality) is only £13 from the Great Wine Company.

As always, if this helps a pal, spread the word - or drop me a comment below if you want to get a little more custom advice which I am happy to dish out!

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Let’s jump into Austrian wine, shall we? It is a thing, and it’s bloody divine, let me tell you. This one is a request from a reader, wondering what would go well with an Austrian white wine. Any wines you want me to try out a recipe for? DMs are open folks, or pop a comment on what you find tricky to get right.

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Gruner Veltliner is one of my favourite whites and to go with it, my favourite food staple - pasta. I’m really happy to (finally) match these two in my kitchen, and I hope it warms many a home as we wait for the brighter weather to come.

The Wine 🍷

Gruner Veltliner is a native grape to Austria, and has been crawling up the ranks with wine critics and boutique restaurants slowly but surely. The Wachau region north of Vienna is where this grape really does its best, where there is a cooler climate compared to many of the European wine regions.

Gruner isn’t necessarily counted as an aromatic grape like Riesling, but it comes with bundles of flavour. It’s typically citrusy, a little salty in some cases and has white pepper on the nose for good quality. A little like Pinot Grigio’s arty, more interesting yet reliable sibling. Deliciously zingy, an older wine (let’s say about 4 years old plus) will start to get a little more marmaladesque as it builds character.

My pick: Smetana, Newcomer Wine, £23. Newcomer is a great wine bar in Dalston that specialises in Central European wine with a particularly good selection from Austria. While GV is generally crisp, this one has been allowed to mellow out using a process called malolactic fermentation. Put simply as that’s a big word: while it stays fruity, it’s got a little butter/yoghurty feel to it which mellows it out slightly. Unusual for this style, this is a good way to get into this grape.

The Grub 🍟

I’ve made an earthy, homely filling here for tortellini from some mushrooms and Jerusalem artichoke that I managed to grab at Borough Market. Jerusalem artichoke has such a delicious earthy flavour in small quantities I find it hard to resist on a menu - and with mushrooms, it further deepens the umami.

I’ve made tortellini with my trusty pasta machine (notions, I know) but you can still get really good results from homemade pasta by rolling it out thinly with plenty of semolina to dust and make sure it doesn’t stick to the surface. If you’re looking to cut the faff of needing to roll each individual tortellino, you can also be artsy and serve sheets of pasta as an open ravioli. It may seem more Masterchef or Michelin Star, but actually requires a lot less time to be impressive.

Any natives from Emilia-Romagna may shoot me for saying so, but I always find it difficult to know what to make stuffed pasta with if you’re feeling adventurous. But considering its your kitchen, you can get really creative with what goes in! Typically adding combinations that you like for foods are going to go well as well, it’s fairly hard to go wrong with pasta.

Why they go well together 🧪

Gruner gives a crisp, fresh wine that will go well to cut through the richer, earthier flavours of this combination. You don’t want to pair a richer stuffed pasta with anything too oily or flabby like you’d get in some aromatic or Italian wine grape varieties, as it might just make the whole thing seem a bit duller than it really is.

GV will be sure to add zing, hug the bigger flavours and really make these work well together. As I deluded before, it’s giving what you’d hope for in a Pinot Grigio, the latter of which can be tricky to ensure you’re getting at a good quality point. Austria’s wines are generally of decent quality based on how young the market is, and the demand that’s impending for their off the cuff wines.

The recipe 🧑‍🍳

This is going to serve two to three nicely as a main, or you could get a starter out of it with an extra box of leftovers. Feel free to tweak the recipe to make more - tortellini freezes really well and just needs a teeny bit more cooking time than fresh, so it’s a great option if you’re looking for batch cooking options that feel a real treat! You’ll need two pots, and ideally a pasta machine - but a rolling pin is all you need really if that’s not available.

What you need:

For the pasta:

300g pasta flour (Dove’s farm do one that’s 00 + semolina in one, or plain white flour will do if you’re stuck) with some additional semolina or flour for dusting

3 good quality eggs

Half teaspoon of salt

For the filling:

100g mushrooms, finely chopped

50g Jerusalem artichoke, finely chopped

25g hazelnuts, lightly toasted and finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

A handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

100g ricotta cheese

15g good quality parmesan cheese, freshly grated (and more to serve with)

For the butter to garnish:

About 30g stick butter

A few sage, oregano or basil leaves

What you gotta do:

PASTA PREP 🍝 (ETA 15 min, with 25 min cool time)

1. In a food processor or on a clean counter, combine the flour and salt. Add two eggs and mix together until you have a hard clump of dough. The egg can take a while to integrate into the mixture, so give it time before adding the third - but if it’s starting to feel too dusty to combine, add the other egg and mix well.

2. If you’ve done it right, you should have a hard, non-sticky lump of dough that should be quite tough to try and stretch, but not sticking to the surface or your fingers at all. If you’ve still got some things to incorporate in, you can add in a little cold water here. If it’s too sticky or moist (sorry for making those averse to that word cringe), pop in a little more flour.

3. Once you’ve got that down, unfortunately you’re going to have to knead, quite a bit. You’ll need to knead for about 5-10 minutes, pushing the palm of your wrist to stretch the other part of the dough before folding over and repeating. Don’t feel too soft on the stuff - you should be showing that dough who is boss, and you should start to feel the dough stretch without bouncing back. There also should be far less creases in the dough ball itself - and don’t worry if it’s not perfectly smooth. The rolling step will stretch everything out that needs to be.

4. Divide up the mixture into four balls, pop into a bowl and cover with cling film. Pop it back in the fridge, and leave it to rest for between 20 minutes and 2 hours. The cling film or at least a moist tea towel is the most important step here, as otherwise it will dry the mix out.

FILLING PREP 🍝 (ETA 15 min)

1. Toast the nuts in a dry pan on a medium heat, and stir with a wooden spoon until they’re starting to become fragrant and get a nice golden glow. Pop in a bowl and allow the pan to cool a little, before you add the oil to the pan and bring it up to a high heat.

2. Add the mushroom and artichoke when the oil has heated, and allow them to sauté gently for about 10-15 minutes until the pieces are soft. Ensure that they’re seasoned well. Take off the heat, move to a mixing bowl where you can add in the hazelnuts, parsley, garlic, Parmesan and ricotta. Season to taste and allow to cool.

SHAPING ▲ (Give yourself at least an hour here, particularly if it’s your first go or don’t have a sous chef!)

1. Once you’ve got the pasta out of the fridge, start to massage it down gently to get ready for rolling or running through the pasta machine. Make sure the ball you’re working with is smooth but dry to touch, and add a pinch of semolina if needed to dust it. Start rolling the pasta through the machine at the widest setting, running it through two to three times before bringing it down a notch each time until you’ve gone down about 6 settings (or whatever thinness your pasta machine advises). If you’re on a rolling pin, keep rolling out, rotating and dusting like you would a pastry until you have the thinnest dough you can work with without breaking or sticking - it’s generally 4-6 mm if you have that eye.

2. Repeat until all of your pasta has been brought down to size. Make sure you’ve gently dusted it with a bit of semolina/flour to stop it from sticking, and that it’s not stacked in anyway. Might need to get creative and draw some out on countertops, coffee tables or clothes horses at this stage.

3. Time to fill the pasta - which is so much more simple than it seems. Make sure you’ve got a little cup or ramekin of water close by for this step. Divide the pasta into roughly 5 cm x 5 cm squares with a dinner knife or pastry cutter. Dollop about a teaspoon of the filling into the middle, and fold diagonally opposite corners together to make a triangle or samosa shape. Press to make sure that the newly formed edges are totally sealed.

4. Pop one index finger over the centre of the filling of your new samosa shape, and curl the bottom corner towards you to make a loop shape. Press the corners together, and you have your tortellini shape! (There’s a few theories on how to seal or shape tortellino, but this is the one that I was taught and find the handiest).

5. You’re ready to go to cook them: dust the stuffed pasta with a bit of semolina, and allow any leftover pasta to dry on a wire rack or clothes horse. It will keep for about a week if you want to make anything else with it!

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER ✨

1. To cook the pasta, bring a large saucepan to boil with salted water (it should taste like the sea, to give you an idea of how much to chuck in). When you have a rolling boil, bob some of the tortellini in slowly using a slotted spoon and leave to cook for 2-3 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready to go when they float to the top, even if they look a teeny bit anaemic.

2. Take out with a slotted spoon, and pop into a colander to allow to further drain. To get the butter to serve ready to go, melt on a medium heat pan and allow to slowly heat until the small brown particles start to form on the butter. Add the herb leaves to the butter, and allow to infuse on a low heat while they infuse and crisp up.

3. To serve, pop the tortellini in a pasta bowl or plate and top with the butter, some herbs to garnish and parmesan. Buon appetito!

Natural wine memes have started to gain traction in the last two weeks. A moment I hadn’t quite been able to articulate, but knew was BOUND to be called out. The Real Housewives of Clapton and Socks House Meeting pages are alight with the irony of supposedly creatives evangelising particular brands, that have now blended into the ordinary. And natural wine has been at the very helm of the discussions.

Top Cuvée merch is Abercrombie and Fitch in Sheeps’ clothing for us millenials as an aspirational brand that’s putting us in a chokehold. Craft beer has reached peak, but now it’s only time before (or already, probably) someone gets a Chin Chin or Gran Cerdo tattoo.

Zeitgeist rant aside, there’s method to my madness. Natural wine is successfully targeting a lot of people who don’t have a clue about wine, nor - actually really enjoy the natural taste. We’ve moved from Campo Viejo, Echo Falls and Castillo del Diablo practically overnight. Etiquette demands pet nat or £40 quid on a bottle of skin contact wine in the pub on a Wednesday.

Being frank, natural wine doesn’t always set me alight. It can come as a shock to those jumping on the bandwagon. Not all, but some natural reds taste like Ribena that’s been open for a week. Whites can quite literally have the cloudiness, colour and nose to a urine infection. Orange wine can be a delicacy, but when it’s overpowering - it’s hard to neck more than a few sips without twitching.

There’s a subcategory between your cheap supermarket bottle of plonk, and this hyper natural hippie dippie natural movement that’s coming out in its droves without much meaning or substance. A well produced, good quality wine that probably costs somewhere in the middle, and a much more authentic expression of the wine.

I have made my case via FAQs below, but I’m always open to the debate or other questions that you may have.

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So, what’s natural wine anyway?

As with a lot of industry specific terms, this one’s a little grey and open to interpretation. However, as the name implies, it’s a wine that’s been made in a natural way.

Wine, by its nature, is made… naturally, but the natural wine movement moves away from any process of innovation or speeding processes up. These wines are going to be generally in the rawest form that they can be, which generally mean, but by no means exclusive:

• Antioxidants and additives to keep the flavour locked into wine, such as sulfur dioxide are at a bare minimum, or not added for purists. Spraying and pesticide use is also going to be kept to a minimum, or alternative more biodegradable components will be used.

• The wine won’t be filtered or clarified before it’s bottled and marketed, so it’s going to have sediment or be notably cloudier.

• The yeasts that are used are going to be the ones that live on the grape skins, so no additions or alternative strains are going to be used. This might be a hit or miss game on whether the yeast can process this properly, but it’s said to bring more depth or terroir to the finished product.

• You’ll typically have an adjustment for the wine based on acidity or sugar to make the flavours that little bit more balanced. However, this is also stripped out of a natural wine.

For the same grape that you might have been buying from a supermarket, a natural alternative can be VASTLY different in taste and depth. Sometimes this is a good thing, other times this can be quite an acquired taste that isn’t for all.

A good quality wine doesn’t always HAVE to be made in a natural way. Most producers worth their salt and care about the final product will add processes just and when needed, which brings me onto my next topic.

How about low intervention wine?

Low intervention gives a little more flexibility to adapt the wine if things are starting to go South, or it needs a little seasoning. Think of natural wine as a bit like a die hard vegan, while low intervention is going to be a veggie that dips in and out of eating cheese and eggs. There’s nothing wrong with either, you might just not quite always have the most adaptability to make some wines that really aren’t giving you the best depth if you’re on the purely natural spectrum. Natural wine buffs (who actually know what they’re talking about) will enjoy the insipid displeasure but in these cases, a low intervention wine is a better route to go down.

Is organic or biodynamic always better?

Is anything in life guaranteed?

Organic can give a better expression of the fruit, or so it is said. There’s a lot of restrictions on the pesticides and additives that you can use that might hinder the natural expression of the wine. That’s something that you can get away with in warm, hot and dry climates like the South of France or Spain, where there’s little that can get in the way of destroying the crop - so there’s no need to have it in the first place. However, if you get to cooler places like the South of England or the Loire Valley, you might actually need to have a touch of additional backup to ensure that the fruit doesn’t get damaged by mould for instance.

Biodynamic isn’t organic - but follows similar, although more strict principles. I won’t go into the ins and outs of it, but there’s a lot of making up homeopathic potions for the soil, and certain rituals that need to happen according to the lunar cycle or the flight of a bird near the vineyard. It’s pagan kooky, and not the most clear cut in terms of improving a wine, but it’s had a lot of additional TLC in its lifecycle.

Will any of the aforementioned prevent a hangover?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but natural wines too can cause hangovers. Bad ones too, in my experience, so don’t expect them to be watered down.

Debates in the natural wine world can be united by the detest of sulfur, and often cited as the source of a hangover with wine. Sulfur dioxide is the gaseous form that’s used to help prevent bacterial growth and oxygen in the wine making process, to try and lock in a fresher, fruitier flavour if that’s the destined style. It may be sprayed on the grapes before they start to ferment, or might also be added during the fermentation as well.

It may sound artificial and evil, but sulfur dioxide is made naturally by grapes during fermentation, and a few dried apricots often contain more than what a bottle of wine would have. Levels of sulfur are also monitored to make sure they don’t go over a limit that may lead to side effects. Hangovers are caused by the alcohol itself, which isn’t something that’s dampened in natural wine and so, it’s still important to drink in moderation.

So, can cheap wine be good?

It can indeed! There will be some commercially produced super-brand or supermarket wine that will be made in a flash, and taste somewhat like wine, or with lots of sugar to ensure that alcohol is fermented to a particular level. However, there are some really good quality wines out there that you can find on the supermarket shelf that have excellent quality. A few pointers on what will generally give you an idea of what might be a little bit more of a gem, or unique:

• You’re not buying from a Tesco Express, Sainsbury’s Local or a cornershop with the brands that you know… are not great. Support a local offy or specialist business who will be more than happy to advise! A larger supermarket gives you a little bit more choice, plus some brands like Aldi and Waitrose really invest in getting the best wines that they can at excellent prices.

• Generally, if the wine has more specificity to it than the country it’s been made in. South East Australia or Wine of Argentina can be a bit of a dodgy territory to go with, as the vagueness can hide a multitude of sins. Barossa Valley or Mendoza give a better indication that a wine is from a region of good quality, but there’s always going to be some bad examples there too.

• There’s some countries that you’re able to bag a much better bargain for based on the demand and prestige of others. Champagne for example will be sky high in price compared to a Crémant that’s been made in a very similar style, that you can often pick up for a tenner as it can be made by much more regions. South African wines are still building a market so are typically cheap compared to the same quality that you’d find in France, while Romania is banging out some beautiful Pinot Noir at a fraction of the price that you’d typically expect.

Where can I read more about natural wine?

I’ve tried to give a lowdown on natural wine and while I might not seem the most convinced, it certainly has a place in changing the styles and pushing for a higher quality wine when done correctly. I’m hoping that it becomes less of a trend-fad, and people start to just enjoy wine more where they are looking for quality rather than pure status chasing.

Aaron Ayscough on NOT DRINKING POISON is a wealth of knowledge in the natural wine world, and I had the pleasure of attending a tasting he hosted in London around the launch of his new book. It sits happily beside my WSET books and Oxford Companion to wine, and provides an excellent deep dive into the world from wine making, to the suppliers who are changing the industry bit by bit. Link below to an article if you’re interested in learning more!

NOT DRINKING POISON

Winter 2023 Natural Wine Salons

Happy 2023, folks! Following several years of pandemic discombobulation, this winter heralds a return to natural wine calendar normalcy, which is to say an unmanageable pile-up of overlapping tastings in early February. There appear to be even more events than usual this year, as the c…

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4 years ago · 10 likes · 2 comments · Aaron Ayscough

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I thought I’d cover a little on what dosage means, and where I got the name for this lovely space that brings me joy!

A little more on this guide further on…

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Champagne, champagne!

Dosage is the traditional term for the tweak of sugar that’s added before a cork is popped on a bottle of champagne, but also for other wines made in the same style.

While this sounds weird, it’s pretty common in the wine trade. What’s left in the what’s in the bottle is bone dry and for most tastes, you want a little seasoning to help make it a beaut. Brut means a pinch of sugar has been added, sec is more like a few pinches - but it’s always dry to the palette.

Champagne is up there in the wine world as an affordable luxury (depending on the house in question) and a universal symbol of celebration in alcohol-drinking cultures. You may have heard of its discovery as a Newton-esque apple on head ‘aha!’ moment of a monk. It’s always the monks inventing booze.

In reality, Champagne was the collective ignorance of communes growing some grapes entirely unsuited to its relatively chilly climate. If you were to drink a still wine made before the bubbles, it would, quite frankly, be inspid pish. But the French being the French found a way to bring elegance, body and sophistication to make this chic. Exclusive. Divine.

Comment ça fait?

Champagne is a laborious process to make. Once you’ve got your base wine, it ain’t a case of adding a SodaStream attachment to the oak casket and bobs your uncle. The wine is popped into more bottles with a top up of yeast and sugar before they’re covered in a crown cap bottle tap - like you’ll get on a beer.

Over the mandatory 12 months that the champagne needs to be with this extra lees, two things happen:

1. The yeast produce more alcohol and carbon dioxide, and also bring the acidic sharpness down a notch. As that’s got nowhere to go, it dissolves back into the wine generating the fizz.

2. What’s also happening is that the yeast die into a smush known as lees. The more contact you give a white wine with yeast, the more it starts to add this bready, toasty vibe that can help round it and add a little of body.

3. Old champagne used to be popped and drank full of this sediment, while now we have a process that the yeasts are frozen, popped out of the bottle and a little bit of additional liquid (some extra wine in case any is lost, and a splash of sugar, ahem - dosage) before it’s corked. Ta da! Champagne.

Other sparkling wines that are made in this way vary hugely around the world. In France, we’ve got Crémant, Franciacorta in Italy and Cava in Spain. Some English sparkling wines go through this too, but not all. But in countries such as the US, NZ, SA and Australia these will have “traditional method” or “methode cap classique” somewhere on the label.

What about Dosage in Prosecco?

So, Prosecco is made in a different way where the wine sticks in a vat, and the bubbles come from the increase of pressure rather than keeping the lees on the wine. It’s more of a stack ‘em high sell em’ cheap style - where it doesn’t need to be aged in the bottle or get those toasty notes. Besides, Glera (the grape that’s used to produce it) is quite floral, which adding in lees will just break down. Generally, this style of making sparkling wine is favoured for more aromatic grape varieties, mainly Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc for those that are fans.

Unsure what style of sparkling is a bit. of you?

I’ve covered some aspects on sparkling wine pairings in a previous that I’ve linked below. This gives a rough guide and where they come in for pairings with food:

Dosage

#7: Wine with Food | 💕 🥂 ROSÉ AND FIZZ

Greetings! Sorry this week is a little late across, COVID 3.0 dropped in Dosage HQ. Thankfully taste and smell have only been dented slightly! This is the third instalment of four that I’m planning on different styles of wines, for now at least. This is probably the most fun, and camp. While there’s a bit of a rep for cheap n’ nasty in this category, th…

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4 years ago · 2 likes · Dan Scott

However, as with most things, I like to pop in an easier way to guide you to what you like. Enter to the ring, my Cosmo-quiz inspired spectrum on how to interpret your way to the best sparkling wine for you.

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Thank you for reading Dosage. This post and guide are public, so feel free to pass on to any fizz lovers!

Want to learn more about fizz?

I came across a fellow Substacker that’s covering Champagnes and other fizz in a lot more depth than I probably will ever, but is a charming read for anyone planning on delving in more.

Six Atmospheres

Pragmysticism in Champagne

Welcome, bubbleheads. Artisan Bakery or Vineyard Store? At Champagne Marguet in Ambonnay Grapes have a habit of dishing out quantities of juice that don’t fit neatly into barrels and tanks (hence the ‘floating lid’ tanks you see in wineries). Well, the same is true of interviews and visits. Following on from…

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3 years ago · Tom Hewson

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Red wines, like white are poorly understood. Anecdotally, I always find that people aren’t quite as traumatised from a red they didn’t like rather than a red. My theory is that it’s harder to plough on with a red that’s really giving you the ick. You can dilute it with Coke to make it bearable, but such a wasted opportunity for enjoying something that you’d actually love to gulp down.

So, what are tannins?

Tannins are generally the culprit that people will automatically blame as a characteristic that they don’t like in a red wine. And there’s some truth to it.

Tannins are the antioxidant compounds that you find in a grape skin, that transfer over to a red or orange wine. As these wines are made with some level of the skins involved in converting the grape juice to sugar, the tannins come along for the ride. You know when a wine is tannic as it will lead to a dryness in your gums. This can be lovely for some, horrendous for others - but generally goes well when you’re having a big flavour of food, such as a steak.

Tannins can be minimal in a red wine, or can be full whack depending on the grape used, and how the wine has been made. If it’s a younger wine, they’re generally going to be more prominent or on show, while they start to dull if the wine has been matured in oak or with time in the bottle.

Tannins are bitter, and don’t always fly within wines depending on your preferences. BUT they come in different styles and change over time, where I challenge you to open up your mind if you’ve been shunning them for a while. They can be smooth and while strong, not the first thing that you notice when you take a sip - or grippy if they’re super sharp. The theory goes over my head a little here, but what I have realised is that my pickiness for red wines ISN’T to do with tannins.

What else is counting?

Oh so much, BUT I’m going to make it simple - as I’ve deduced a rough formula to work out what else to factor in if you’re trying out some new red wines.

Up first, my very non specific “branchy” term. This is where the wine has a lot more herbal notes, compared to something a little fruitier. I always thought that this was more that the wine was oaky which would put me off, but it’s actually that herbal or leafy flavour that comes up in some red wines that make me feel a little nauseous. A herbal or branchy (if you’ll delight me) wine generally has some flavours of eucalyptus, tobacco, blackcurrant leaf, tomato leaf or mint in some cases. This might seem a bit unusual to hear about, but honestly - give your whine a whiff next time it’s in the glass. If it’s been well made, you should be able to get some different fruits, spices and herbs in the glass. If it’s a more cheap n’ nasty - you might get a feint scent of some generic fruit in there… somewhere.

Then there’s acidity. I hope you’ve retained a little from the dry white wine lesson, as we’re back here again! All wines have a certain level of acidity, and the same goes for reds. Again, you’re looking for how much your mouth is drooling after taking a glug rather than waiting to see how much antacid you need to neck later on. Wines that are generally high in acidity are Pinot Noirs which are lighter on the tannins, but there’s also the more punchy, gum-hoovery blends such as Nebbiolo or Cabernet Sauvignon which are just pretty high on, well, everything.

I’m still no wiser on what I’m after.

Hence I have put together some handy infographics! Reds are a little trickier to tack down, so I’ve tried to give you a bit of theory before we jump into practice. Or at least, I hope they are. I’ve made three very subjective scales that will help you to actually work out what you like, with the same grape varieties on each side to the scales. I’m, hoping you’ll get an idea of what you want to try next, and what you really want to dodge.

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For me, Cabernet Franc is something that can jump in a very deep sea as I’ve tried a lot, tried to get on the trend… and it’s just really not for me. I know that is branchy AF, and linking that to Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere - these really aren’t my wines, so I know to steer clear. These are all pretty tannic, but I know that a good Malbec and Nebbiolo go down a treat. So with acidity and tannins, I’m a little more open minded.

Others will be different, and like anything with palates - there is a huge amount down to subjectivity. Not sure what you like still? Pop some thoughts in the comments and I’ll try guide you from there, or else jot down a few names and run to your nearest wine bar or offy to grab a few samples with pals. I’d love to see how this works for peeps.

And any recommendations if I’m totally lost and existential on what I like now?

YES.

I’ve popped together a few wines that might help you to work out what might be more of a bit of you, for under 15 quid. And a little bit funky.

If you like the branchy sound of things, go for a Carmenere. Chilean wine is a bit of a steal when it’s done well as the market is still growing, and one that’s a few years old should have some tobacco and blackcurrant leaf coming through on the palette as well. Here’s one to try from the Wine Society.

In between, or not that fussed about herbs? North Italian reds are generally where you should go here, as some of the punchiest have a little bit of a floral note, or some dried herbs. A Chianti Classico will give you a good overview here. Naked Wines to the rescue here!

Want to test how much you like fruity and tannins together? I’d go for a Priorat from Spain, or a Minervois from the South of France. These are fairly close together in terms of geography (a hundred kilometres mind, but you get the gist) and typically these have a bit of Carignan in them. Carignan is a full on, tannic wine but with a splash of Syrah and Grenache in the mix, this makes for a punchy but warm wine. Majestic have a good selection, a Corbieres is also likely up your alley.

Want to run from the hills on tannins? A Pinot Noir is generally going to be the best option here. Romanian or New Zealand Pinot Noirs in particular have been punching out some fabulous fruity, easy-drinking reds compared to French or American ones which can be a little bit more on oak and ageing, so should be a good call to run to here. Slurp have a killer deal one that I may just grab myself.

Want to know my new find? Aglianico. It’s a full bodied, fruity and tannic red wine that’s coined as the Barolo of the South of Italy. Boy, does it pack a punch - but is smooth and so much cheaper than a Barolo or Barbaresco which are generally for a special occasion! Taurasi or Aglianico del Vulture are the best regions to look out for these ones. Svinando have a few bargains here.

Pop in any questions or thoughts you have on finding the right red wine below ⬇️

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Also - now that I’ve discovered there is a polling option on Substack, I’d love a little bit of quick feedback that will help me make sure the next few weeks have been planned out to what you’d like to see best!

Here was my actual first crack at getting inspired by a particular grape variety, and what recipe I tailored to it. Hope you enjoy it!

I’ve tried to keep these simple, not too expensive but appearing to be fairly fancy schmancy at the same time. Most portions are for 2-3, but you can double up for a dinner party. Oh, and tasting notes for the wines that you’re going to have to dazzle your loved ones, NATURALLY.

Without further ado, I bring you - Fiano with Jhinga Kari (a prawn curry, madras style) If this isn’t ringing any bells, all will be revealed soon. A little infographic on what you’ll need to get this one sorted and on your merry way:

The wine 🍷

I’ve gone for a Fiano here, a Southern Italian grape variety. It’s grown just North of Naples in a hilly patch most classically (known as Fiano di Avellino), but also in other parts such as Sicily.

Fiano makes a white that has more flavour than a Pinot Grigio, but not quite so much as a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. If you like a Sancerre, Viognier or an Albarino, I’d hedge fairly good money that you’ll like the vibe of this one. It’s zesty with a spritz of lemon and an apricot (pineapple if you’re lucky). It won’t be oaky or toasty for anyone panicked by the thought of a Chardonnay. Although it can have a bit of nuttiness to it.

It’s something you’ll find in a good Italian restaurant, but it might be tricky to catch in a supermarket. A bottle or two might be bobbing around, depending on the store and season.

Dosage Pick: Palaleo Fiano del Salento, Waitrose, £7.99. Grown in Italy’s heel, this is a steal for a Fiano - typically, it’s one of the pricier whites comparatively in Italy.

The grub 🍟

I’ve matched up the Fiano to a Madras style curry with prawns. Anyone new to Madras or South Indian style this is a mild, coconutty curry that’s far more about the aromatic flavours rather than any heat so to speak. It’s a lovely base for seafood, a doddle to make and gives rich flavours with low effort. I chucked half a bag of frozen prawns in as A) love prawns me and B) they save on having to precook the fish, or needing to prep it. Simples!

I’ve adapted this recipe from a great little book I grabbed second hand by Charmaine Solomon. A Sri Lankan-Australian cook, one of her first books ‘The Complete Asian Cookbook’ is one from the seventies originally. While the cultural appropriation of some dishes have not aged well, she’s made some Asian recipes dead simple that would seem otherwise complex, and made some styles of cooking really accessible to get into. I admit, I’m much more of a continental cook than one for exotic flavours so it’s been a great aid to learning more.

Why they go well together 🧪

I don’t have a magic formula for any of my recommendations, other than where I feel they’re going to go well together. All Sommeliers and Chefs basically work in the same way too, and it’s always a suggestion - never the this-or-nothing pairing. So feel free to tweak these to your liking!

Fiano is a nice vibrant and fruity white, that will go well with the warmth of this curry which isn’t quite as hefty on the spices. As a rough rule of thumb, with more aromatic or spicy dishes, it’s generally a good idea to try and heighten that up with a little bit of sweetness and aromas in the wine itself - otherwise either will seem a bit too flabby together as they call it in the trade. You could go for a lovely zingy white like Picpoul or a Chablis here as it will cut through the prawns nicely, but it might start to interfere with the gentle spices that are working in the background here too. So this is my attempt to bring you into something a little more exotic.

The Recipe 👨‍🍳

This serves two to three, and you can whip this one up in about 40 minutes max depending on how zippy or chilled you want to take it. Not too much chopping here, it’s a pretty quick jump into the pan - and a food processor will really help out here too!

What you’ll need:

200g (ish) fresh or frozen prawns defrosted, dealer’s choice

1 tablespoon of desiccated coconut or coconut chips

1 tablespoon rice to set aside

1 can of coconut milk (light if you’re that way inclined)

1 tablespoon ghee or butter

10-12 curry leaves

1 white onion, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1.5 inches of ginger, peeled and grated on the finest setting you can

2 tablespoons of a good curry powder/garam masala

2 teaspoons of paprika (I used a sweet Hungarian one that was lovely)

A good handful of spinach leaves or two

2 wedges fresh lemon to squeeze in

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder, if you want more of a kick

Rice - to serve. Follow the packet or if you have a Crock Pot, even better!

What you’ve gotta do:

1. Start by gently toasting the coconut in a dry pan with constant stirring. This should be about a medium heat and the coconut should start to get fragrant and go an orange-brown. Take out of the pan, change for the tablespoon of rice and toast it very gently.

2. Pop the toasted rice and coconut into a food processor or blender, and blitz as a pulse about 10 times until you’ve broken it down into a powder. Chuck in half the coconut milk and let them blitz together, and make sure to get everything out that’s sticking at the sides.

3. In the pan, gently heat up the ghee or butter and once it’s warm, fry off the curry leaves for 1 minute. They should be gently sizzling and crisping up a tiny bit, but it shouldn’t be guzzling like a deep fat frier.

4. Bring the onions, garlic and ginger to the party, and turn down the heat until you have a nice gentle sizzle, and keep going until the onions are starting to go a little clear. This is the part you want to be most careful with, as overdoing it here will completely cock up the flavours and spice later on.

5. Add in the dried spices, bringing the temperature down a cinch while allowing them to fry off for about 30 seconds. Then, add in the mix you have in the blender, the rest of the coconut milk and a good bit of salt to season.

6. Bring the mixture up to a gradual simmer on a medium heat, and let it keep going for about 5 minutes until the mixture is just about starting to reduce - it’s important not to use a cover here.

7. Add the prawns, stir and allow them to cook without the cover for another 10-15 minutes. Make sure that the prawns are cooked through when they’ve changed colour if you’re using raw prawns. Toward the last five minutes, you can chuck in Spinach if you want as, well, health.

8. The sauce should be starting to thicken up a little like a gravy, and that’s when you should be in the sweet spot. Stir in the squeeze of lemon juice that should give it a lovely lift, and give it a taste. If you’re not getting much, add salt until it’s you’ve a very subtle, warm and hearty curry on your paws.

9. Serve this on top of rice, and grab the Fiano from the fridge to enjoy. Also goes lovely with poppadoms and mango chutney if you felt like having some snacks on the way!

Tried this recipe, or have a proposal for a future post?

Be my guest! Pop a comment in the thread, and let’s start chatting.

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This week I’m starting a new branch of content that I’m hoping is informative, and by no means insulting. There’s a lot of misnomers and old wives’ tales out there, and someone has to put a mirror up to some horrors that are keeping you from lovely new wines to try.

I understand the trauma of enduring a wine that is really not doing hitting the spot, and why you might not want to try the same of a similar grape. But hear me out: pub wines have come a far way since dive bars have become trendy again, and time can be a healing process in terms of style.

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We’re seeing better quality as more people actually give a 💩 about what’s going in their glass, and the heavy red, sweet white movements of the 80s and 90s is very much over. Personally though, this Cabernet Franc trend can do one - but after multiple attempts, I just know that isn’t ever going to be the one for me.

Yes, I still get nauseous flashbacks to a dodgy few glasses of Chardonnay in Soho more suited to over ray and chips. And some of the red wine we diluted with 7up at college to get to drink on campus. If you know, you know. But here I am, back on the horse and going to stop my meandering there.

So, what’s the dealio with a dry white wine?

Often, a dry white wine (or rosé) is a badge of honour and signpost for the Sauvignon Blanc drinker. But it doesn’t really give any descriptor that’s unique for a white wine - considering over 95% produced are in fact, dry. In most cases, ‘dry’ can signal safe to someone in the service industry if someone’s looking for a recommendation. I can bet money you’ll probably get a fairly reliable, overpriced and uninspiring Pinot Grigio or Sauvy Bee under your nose. It’s also probably about a fifth of the price in an offy at least as well. I still remember noticing a Pinot Grigio being floated in a pub for €15 in Dublin (those were the days) that I’ve also seen on Bib Gourmand wine lists for €50. The convenience and assurance is going to cost you, darling.

But how do I describe that dry mouthfeel when I’m drinking my prized Oyster Bay?

I had a feeling that was coming next. Sweetness should be, well, sweet. If you’ve ever drank a dessert wine a little too quickly and squirmed like you’ve done a shot of maple syrup, you should be feeling that on your palette.

That dryness is actually your mouth’s response to the acidity of the wine, at my best guess. If you’re drinking an acidic wine, your mouth should be salivating heavily in response. If you tilt your head forward slightly after swallowing a swirl of wine you might find that you are, quite literally, frothing at the mouth. A little like dog in an 80s cartoon that has caught a whiff of some cooked meat down the street.

White wines that are high in acidity include Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay that are fairly much household names. The notes and flavours are generally something of green fruits such as apples or pears, citrus fruits or if you’re in the New World (Australia, The Americas , New Zealand, South Africa) you might get a splash of tropical fruits if you’re lucky.

What if I don’t like the acidic part?

Fret not - not all white wines are acidic. And if you’re in a good offy or restaurant, don’t be afraid to tell them of your past traumas with wines. Good wine should come with apt emotional support and handholding to get you to the right pick, so feel free to unbox everything you can. And if it’s available by the glass, don’t be afraid to ask for a taste! The service industry is working for tips, and they can spare a splash or two from an open bottle to try before you buy.

Whites little lower on acidity won’t make you salivate, and they’ll often have what’s described as more of an oily or ‘flabby’ feel. Not to put you off these (read on a little bit for more guidance) as they can still be delectable.

Is there such a thing as an acidic red?

Why of course! Much like in a red, an acidic red wine should really start to make your mouth water quite substantially when you take a sip. More on that in another week, as I have so much to say about misnomers with red wine.

WAIT! How do I avoid Chardonnay at all costs?

So, if you’re a fan of Sauvignon Blanc, this is what we call an aromatic wine, while Chardonnay isn’t (usually you’re one or the other, very Blair v Serena in the Gossip Girl bubble). Aromatic as a quality in a wine generally means that there’s more than just fruits in the notes that you’re picking up. So for Sauvignon Blanc, it can be quite grassy, stone-y, strong on cat’s wee in cases, and you generally want that wine to be fresh, so you want it to be drank quickly and you’re not going to fanny about with maturing it in oak.

Chardonnay on the other hand is all about the fruit, and oak or other ways to mature and tweak its maturity (I could go on for days about this, and I need to be concise here) can give it a huge amount of depth. Think toast, bread dough, baking spices and a lovely creaminess. However, some people HATE this kind of wine - although a cheap n’nasty job on getting this type of wine out the door is generally enough to put someone off for a while.

OK, so where does that leave me?

I’ve put together what I see as the best way to think about acidity and whether a wine is aromatic or not in this graph. Not to scale and completely subjective, but I recommend saving this image and zooming around. I’ve put acidity from highest left getting less acidic toward the right.

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Agree, totally disagree with some of these or have any other suggestions of what you’d like to see? Let me know in the comments!

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Welcome to Dosage! A weekly breakdown that’s dedicated to the art of pairing wine first, and followed by food.

If you’re new to this page and unsure where to begin, you’re in the right place. I’ll keep this post updated with previous issues and themes that I cover, so you know where to look.

Did you know Dosage is also on socials now? Go ahead and follow on Youtube, Instagram and Tiktok - all can be found @winedosage by platform. Handy that!

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Past issue catalogue 📕

Wine with food.

In these issues, I’ve put together some thoughts on different types of wine and where foods go best.

Dosage

#5: Wine with Food | REDS 🔴

A late good morning! I’m really excited to get into the bones of why I started this project in the first place. I want this post to be a handy toolkit that you’ve hopefully landed on, or can pin for another time. If you have any questions, drop me a comment or pop something in the chat…

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4 years ago · 7 likes · Dan Scott

Dosage

#6: Wine with Food | ⚪️ WHITES

Hello Again, Deep into Christmas and Winter we go. Which makes it red wine season! Wrong, on so many levels in my book. I’m more of a white drinker these days to red, I much prefer the slurriness to the sleepiness you get with one too many glasses (not that it happens all that much). I find it a lot more drinkable on its own, but can really sharpen or bri…

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4 years ago · 2 likes · 2 comments · Dan Scott

Dosage

#7: Wine with Food | 💕 🥂 ROSÉ AND FIZZ

Greetings! Sorry this week is a little late across, COVID 3.0 dropped in Dosage HQ. Thankfully taste and smell have only been dented slightly! This is the third instalment of four that I’m planning on different styles of wines, for now at least. This is probably the most fun, and camp. While there’s a bit of a rep for cheap n’ nasty in this category, th…

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4 years ago · 2 likes · Dan Scott

Dosage

#8: Wine with Food | 🌕 🟢 🟠 🫧 YELLOW, GREEN, ORANGE... AND THE REST

Hello Again! Back on track to bring you the last installation slash whistlestop tour of the different wines of the world. It’s hard to make this THE most encompassing wine pairing source just yet, but I will certainly be updating these with more options, palettes and flavours as we go…

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4 years ago · 1 like · Dan Scott

Wine pairing recipes | VINSPO

Here, I take a different grape and wine style to pair with a particular recipe I’ve come up with. I’ve tried to categorise them by grape style for ease.

REDS

Dosage

#12: Vinspo | GARNACHA X BEEF + GUINNESS STEW 🍲

This week, I’ve gone a little off the beaten track with the wine and the pairing - and it’s DEFINITELY knocking any dry January plans off your radar. Chances are, they’re off the cards anyway.Thanks for reading Dosage! Subscribe to get a weekly suggestion on how wine goes well with food…

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4 years ago · 1 like · Dan Scott

Dosage

#10: Vinspo | XINOMAVRO X UMAMILICIOUS LEFTOVER TURKEY RISOTTO 🍚

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas! I’ve been busy building this new branch to Dosage, which I hope you like. This was meant to go live in the new year, but I HAD to bring it up first since we’re in the festive season. If you’ve had any roast poultry over the holidays and are done with curries, pies or sandwiches - I bring you this little number th…

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4 years ago · 4 likes · Dan Scott

[More coming soon to try and keep this as blended as possible!]

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

More focused on wine itself, here’s my place I write about wineries, vineyards and all of the fun stuff before we move to what’s in the bottle.

Dosage

#2: Where the Magic Happens | KENT VINEYARDS 🥾

Hello Again! Bit later than I was hoping on issue 2, and hoping a Saturday afternoon is an appropriate (ish) time for this to land in your inbox and quench your thirst before the Sunday scaries. This time, I’m telling you about a misty Saturday morning out of my usual lie in to pick some grapes, and I thought I’d share the experience here. Also, what I’v…

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4 years ago · 1 like · Dan Scott

Dosage

#3: Where the Magic Happens | URBAN WINERIES 🌆

Hello Again! London Wine? It’s becoming quite the trend, I’ll have you know. I journeyed out to Renegade Winery, just under a 10 minute trot from Blackhorse Road. While the Bermondsey Beer Mile is now something of a rite of passage for any South East Londoner or Stag/Hen that’s held in London (fun, chaotic and essential), the Walthamstow Beer Mile is now …

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4 years ago · 1 like · Dan Scott

OFF-PISS*D

I haven’t really got a home for these just yet. Stories of travels, food and miscellaneous bits that I want to blab about, but only once in a blue moon!

Dosage

#4: Off-Piss*d | MEXICO 🌵 🍹 🍷 🌮

Greetings! A little late on this post, jet lag is a nightmare. I’ve just been in Mexico for a glorious 10 days, so I thought I’d give a little segue for this edition of Dosage into what’s happening around wines and spirits there. Highly recommended holiday if you haven’t been already, which I will try to get through concisely. For food, it’s probably th…

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4 years ago · 2 likes · Dan Scott

Dosage

#9: LAST MIN XMAS WINES 🌲

We’re writing our work out of offices around now, but not quite peeling potatoes and jumping on bins to compress used wrapping paper. In panic mode about Christmas? About now is just the time to panic, and beef up for the dreaded village/supermarket/shopping centre run before Sunday hits…

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4 years ago · 3 likes · Dan Scott

Dosage

#11: Takeaway Twinning | NYE 🥂

As New Year looms, the heat is on to have that PERFECT party or night out. It can be a fabulous evening, but also one that totally oversells and under delivers. Why do we torture ourselves for the most chaotic night of the year, risking no way of a taxi back or even being able to breathe in such a cramped space? You might sense some PTSD from previous n…

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4 years ago · 2 likes · 1 comment · Dan Scott

Any ideas or suggestions for future content?

I would LOVE to hear from you! Leave me a comment below, or feel free to reach out by email: dosage@substack.com.

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This is one of my favourite reds, going with a deliciously hearty stew that has very little chopping to it. Even less of a faff with a slow cooker. Enjoy it!

The wine 🍷

Garnacha is the Spanish equivalent of Grenache which you might have had in a French or Aussie red. Still not ringing a bell? No problem.

Garnacha is a black grape that only does well in very hot climates, and is bold in a totally different way to some Bordeauxs or Shiraz that you might find a little overpowering. It’s not very acidic and it’s generally pretty high in alcohol, so it’s a lovely, warm drink red that’s full of black fruit without being too sharp. In France, Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the most commonly known Grenache grape which can be lovely and treacley, while in Spain it’s a little more on the nose and punchy with its fruit.

There’s a few places that Garnacha can be grown in Spain, and it’s generally best when it’s blended with another grape - such as Syrah or Cariñena - which are a little bolder and help to mellow it out nicely. On the lookout for quality, a Priorat wine (named after the region) is a strong, fruity and bold expression of a Garnacha in a blend, while other parts of Catalunya or outside Madrid do an excellent quality too.

While it’s fairly high in tannins, I challenge even the pickiest of red drinkers to dislike a good Garnacha - it’s a nice warm balance that’s even better on a winter’s day.

My pick: Alfredo Maestro, Natty Boy Wines, £20. A very fresh 2021 vintage with a groovy alien themed label, this wine should be a good fruity but firm way to enjoy quite the bold red.

The grub 🍟

I’ve matched the warming effects of a garnacha to a hearty spin on the Irish stew, which you’ll need a bottle (and a bottle only, please) of Guinness. Guinness is something I love when I’m back at home as the exported stuff is never quite the same, but it’s a dream to cook with. It brings umami and sweetness when it’s in a bread, cake or - in this case, a stew.

Popping your oven on for three hours might seem like a faff with this one, but it’s super low maintenance and doesn’t really need a stir. Ideal to make during a work from home day and to get it ready for dinner - or to pop it in a slow cooker before you nip out for work.

The longer you let the beef slow cook, the less you’ll need a knife to munch through this which is perfect in front of the telly. I’ve gone for a mash slightly off the main convention by adding in some parsley or chervil root instead of spring onion to give it a bit of earthiness, and a sprinkle of parmesan which works WONDERS on its own with mash - provided you have a good parmesan from a deli to incorporate into it.

Why they go well together 🧪

Slow cooked beef in an already rich sauce is quite the intensity of flavours, and the Guinness will only add to that zing of umami that makes this so satisfying. While the potato can make things a little stodgy, I want the flavours and texture to linger in the mouth and be hugged by the wine, rather than popping in something really zingy to try and cut through it. Beef also needs a fairly tannic wine to cut through, which you have here - not that you will really feel it being that grippy, though.

The Recipe 👨‍🍳

This recipe serves two to three and a leftover for lunch, with some discipline. End to end, it’s going to take three hours to let it cook and get the beef tender, but you could short cut it to an hour and a half ish. Trust me, it’s not slaving away over a pot for that long and the increase tenderness is well worth the prep beforehand! Ooh, and you’ll need a Le Creuset style casserole dish for this one too.

What you’ll need:

THE STEW:

500 - 600 g of stewing beef, chopped roughly

2 carrots, roughly chopped

2 parsnips, roughly chopped

1 white onion, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

A few sprigs of thyme (if you’re not growing it at home, grab a pack)

500 mL Guinness bottle

Beef stock pots/cubes to make up about 500 mL total

One tablespoon of flour

Two tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

THE MASH:

500 - 600 g potatoes (ideally floury for mashing)

1 tablespoon butter

25 g of chervil or parsley roots, finely chopped like garlic (spring onion or garlic in place is fine and you can’t get a hold of them)

25 g REALLY good parmesan, grated (hunt down your closest Italian deli for it, it will make a huge difference)

Some cream or full fat milk on the side, to soften

What you’ve gotta do:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 ° C (or 350 ° F), alternatively if it’s a fan oven, 160 ° C (320 ° F).

2. Start by popping your casserole dish on a high heat with the oil added to the base. Brown off the beef for a few minutes, stirring continuously and until it looks like it’s well sealed. Pop on a plate ready to be added in another few minutes.

3. Add the onions into the dish, and turn the heat down until they are nicely sizzling and starting to go a little transparent. Add the carrot and parsnip in until they gently soften (add a drizzle more oil if you feel it’s sticking to the pan a little bit too much). - PS, this is also a great time to chuck in any root or savoury veg you’re trying to use up here, like mushrooms - beetroot might even go well here too!

4. Once the veg have softened, bring the beef back into the dish and add the garlic, flour and the leaves off the sprigs of thyme and stir well. Turn down the heat a tad to make sure nothing burns and give everything a good season with salt and pepper.

5. Chuck in the Guinness slowly (so it doesn’t froth too much) and enough stock to cover everything nicely. Don’t chuck the remainder out yet. Bring the temperature up, allow it to come to a gentle simmer for a few minutes before placing popping the lid on the dish and bunging in the oven.

6. Allow the stew to cook for 2 to 2.5 hours, checking on it every 45 minutes or so to give it a stir and make sure the beef is becoming tender. Add a dribble of stock if it’s starting to go a little dry too.

7. While the stew is in the oven, get the mash ready to go. Peel and roughly chop the potatoes while you’re boiling a large pot of salty water up, and plop them in gently. Let them simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until they feel soft and are breaking up with a fork.

8. Drain the potatoes and pop them back in the pot. Fry the butter gently, and gently let the roots fry for a few minutes until they start to get golden.

9. Transfer the roots and butter to the potatoes, and add the parmesan in, giving everything a good stir before mashing. If the potato is starting to puree in a velvety, pillowy fashion - amazing! If they’re a little dry, add in cream or milk until they’re starting to fluff up. Season with salt and pepper.

10. Once the beef is starting to break with a fork, you know that it’s ready to serve! Let it rest for a few minutes while you get plates ready, and make sure to season before serving. Ooh and you could chop a bit of fresh parsley on top or a few sprigs of thyme, if you want to be fancy.

And that’s it!

Tried this recipe, or have a proposal for a future post?

Be my guest! Pop a comment in the thread, and let’s start chatting.

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Why do we torture ourselves for the most chaotic night of the year, risking no way of a taxi back or even being able to breathe in such a cramped space? You might sense some PTSD from previous new years by my tone, with which you would be very correct to assume. Call me biased, but I much prefer an NYE in or at a house party to toast the year than overpriced and packed muck.

We’ve had a few days of gorging to escape, but there’s also so much booze that still needs to be drunk from the festivities. So let me pop together a few slap-dash reccs on how to dwindle that before dry January, if you’re brave.

I could give you a recipe ahead of time but, if you’re not that way inclined - why not pop to the local takeaway to grab things? I’ve kept everything cornershop friendly again if anything isn’t quite to hand, or you’re trying to limit time outside the door and cosy times.

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Champers to the hills? 🍾

So many people get Champagne as a present, and keep it for far distant celebrations before they crack it open. Others will grab it at the drop of a hat. For those of you with bottles of fizz starting to fill up the wine rack, NYE is the perfect time to pop them open. Particularly with a chippy.

It might sound a bit rogue, but fish and chips in its finest batter and oily paper goes beautifully with a Champagne. Champagne is a sharp, zingy drink that isn’t to all tastes, but it goes very well with more fatty dishes to really cut through and bring them some more body. You don’t need to go to the trouble or A&E visits for home shucking oysters, just ring your local for a dozen skate to get a low effort, high comfort feast in place.

Stacked up on reds?🍷

Whether you’ve been gifted reds or got a truckload in heaven forbid you ran low on the 25th, I’ve got you.

If you’ve got some Shiraz or Syrah in your back catalogue, may I recommend a salt or sweet chili beef from the Chinese to go well with that, as it will have the right body and spice to handle it. Merlots and Bordeauxs are a little better with a pork vindaloo or a Pad Thai, IMO. If you’ve got a bottle of Italian at hand, I’d stick to Italian and pair it up with a pizza or lasagne if you can get it - like for like generally works well with wines and climate.

Overwhelmed on whites? 🥂

Chicken chow mein will go nicely with a Chardonnay. Sauvignon Blanc will just about go with anything, but a thai curry would really go well for me here. Keep the Pinot Grigio for Jools Holland, as it’s a decent wine to drink on its own without too much of an adventure to it (generally). A Riesling will generally hold up well to Asian flavours in general if you’re feeling that as an option. If you’re going Italian or Turkish, a Chenin Blanc or something not too aromatic, but well bodied will do the trick nicely here.

And that’s me over and out for 2022!

I hope you have a fantastic New Year and thanks so much for being early on what I hope is a prosperous journey for Dosage. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it so far! Let me know in the comments what you’ve been drinking and pairing - I’m always curious to hear what is up other people’s sleeve!

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I’ve been busy building this new branch to Dosage, which I hope you like. This was meant to go live in the new year, but I HAD to bring it up first since we’re in the festive season. If you’ve had any roast poultry over the holidays and are done with curries, pies or sandwiches - I bring you this little number that’s not too much of a faff to whip up, but will impress!

The wine 🍷

I’ve gone a little off the beaten track to introduce you to something new over these lazy few months. We’re going to Greece, where if you’ve been lucky enough to holiday you’ve had the joy of their exotic, vibrant wines. I’ve only dabbled in a few over the last year, but all of them have been jazzy, fun and memorable.

Xinomavro is an indigenous grape to Greece, that’s generally grown in the Macedonia region of Greece (not to be mixed up with the country). North of the country, it’s toasty and by the mediterranean here so you’ll expect to get some very ripe, vibrant fruits without it being too tannic.

Greece is getting more of a reputation for high quality, unique wines for a steal of the price that you’d expect in a French or Italian equivalent. You’re welcome for the cost savings!

My pick: Thymiopolous Xinomavro, Majestic Wines, £12.

The grub 🍟

As I’m back in Dublin for Christmas, this came born out of wanting to use up everything in the fridge and not wanting to put my nose outside the door on a frightfully cold day. It’s a basic mushroom risotto with a few twists and turns, which turned out to be really comforting, rich and tasty. Cooked mushrooms are oozing with those savoury umami flavours, but really ramp up with a splash of miso and soy sauce in as well. I was using up leftover chicken for this recipe, but it’s perfect to use up anything pre-roast from Christmas if you’re looking for newer ideas!

Risotto is one of those foods that appears to be so overcomplicated and left for a restaurant to be eaten. But once you’ve learnt how to cook it properly, like for me - I was enchanted by how logical and foolproof it can be. Also, risotto does have some basic rules - but feel free to break them to try out different flavours and ingredients. I’ve written up what I’ve done which is by NO MEANS how they like it served above Milan, but trust your creativity!

Why they go well together 🧪

Wine pairings are by no means definitive or scientific, which makes them a challenge to combine with the right food. I personally love the challenge, and love flicking through recipe books thinking of what white or red will go with which. But a few pointers on why I’ve gone for this combination in particular.

Risotto leads to a creamy, silky texture when it’s cooked correctly which needs something not too heavy to mask over that flavour. This particular dish is quite rich in umami and saltiness, so it’s going to need a wine that isn’t too sharp to make sure that it balances things well. With poultry, you haven’t got a huge amount of fat to try and soften with a wine as well - so something like a Cabernet Sauvignon would be quite a lot (not to judge that this is something that CAN’T work, everyone’s taste buds and preferences are different!)

Risotto comes from North Italy, where the likes of a Barolo would go beautifully and fit in with the local combos. But Barolo is generally quite expensive and can be fiery, so I’ve tried to jump to something with a similar complexity - but at a lower price point, and a little more youthful and fruity. I hope you enjoy!

This recipe does call for white wine, which you can of course enjoy this with - a full bodied Chardonnay from the Macon or a Chenin Blanc would go well here, or grab any small bottle/can of wine you can to chuck in and allow to simmer down. Making a risotto without white wine can be quite a sad experience which I don’t particularly recommend - the flavours are never quite the same. The other alternative to cooking with wine comes from Queen Nigella, who recommends putting in a shot or two of vermouth in lieu of a glass of wine. Which has always worked really well when I’ve tried it out myself!

The Recipe 👨‍🍳

Sadly I forgot to take a picture of this recipe, but expect ones for the rest! I know following a recipe without pics isn’t the most enticing, but trust me and suspend disbelief please. This serves about 2 with an extra leftover serving, and should take about an hour end to end without needing to rush it. And only two pots! One that’s fairly large bordering on your biggest, and the second that’s enough to cook pasta in comfortably (not that you are, but to hold stock).

What you’ll need:

250g risotto rice (use whatever you can grab or is in your cubby)

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil, or a 25 g stick of butter (if you’re feeling luxe, add the two!)

Enough stock to make 1.2 litres (Chicken or veg in any form is fine)

150g mushrooms (thereabouts, you can add a few different types in here), chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

250 mL white wine - any you have on the go, or a can/small bottle will do

A few sprigs of thyme (you could also use dried, or oregano instead here) - and keep a bit for garnish.

1 teaspoon of soy sauce

Half a teaspoon of miso paste

Leftover or cooked poultry (I fried up a chicken breast for this recipe, but it can be in any form you need really)

25g good quality parmesan cheese, freshly grated.

What you gotta do:

1. In the larger pan, heat up the butter/oil/hybrid over a medium heat and when it’s up to temperature, add the onion. They should be gently sizzling, and you should be stirring regularly until they become glossy and transparent. While you’re at it, get your stock ready in the other pot on a low simmer.

2. Add in the mushrooms, and allow them to seal in the oil and let them shrink down just a tiny bit - maybe a minute or two, as we don’t want them too overcooked. Then, add in your garlic, herbs, miso and soy sauce. This should be smelling amazing, but make sure that the heat is relatively low so nothing gets zapped up too quickly. Season generously with pepper, and a pinch of salt here - the soy and miso are going to bring the saltiness up, remember.

3. Now, here’s where you need to really pay attention to make an excellent risotto: bring the temperature up on your stock pot until it’s nicely simmering, but not quite boiling on a medium-high heat. To your sauteed veggies, add the rice, and bring the temperature up a little bit. The mixture should be getting dry, which is exactly what you want! Make sure to stir constantly at this stage, and the aim is to get the rice lightly toasting with the ingredients.

4. Once the rice has toasted gently after a few minutes, add in the cooked meat if you’re adding it in, and then the wine. This should be bubbling nicely, and the idea now is to keep the risotto stirring regularly - if not constantly until you’re done at this stage. The wine should be starting to sink into the risotto gradually, and you’ll go from the wine to more of a milk which then starts to become a rich cream, rice pudding consistency.

5. Then, it’s time to start adding your stock, ladle by ladle from your smaller pot into the bigger vat. Stir in each bit of stock that you’re adding until it gets to that creamy texture again - that’s what you want the end game to be, but the rice still has to cook and that’s what you need to be patient and let happen at this stage.

6. Each stock addition should take about 3-4 minutes to reduce down, and it might get a little faster towards the end. Feel free to adjust the temperature to keep it nicely bubbling - we’re not going for a boil here. Once you’ve done about 4 stages of this, start to taste the rice to see if it’s cooked - you want a very slight bite to it at the end, so once you’re about 80% there (it’s quite subjective), slow the temperature down and start adding smaller portions of stock to get it to the right balance, along with that really lovely creaminess.

7. And at this stage, you’re done! Add half of your parmesan to the finished product, and the other half is for garnish and serving.

Bish Bash Bosh!

Thanks for getting to the end of pairing and recipe #1, where there’s many more to come. I love hearing feedback or suggestions, so feel free to pop them in the comments below!

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Online shopping has stalled, and I hope that at least your food has been organised for you - or you’re willing to brave the elements of a supermarket sweep. Wine can stress people on what to have on the table for the day for months, but it can also be a stash and grab number. I’ve popped together a shortlist of some wines that should fit the bill when you need, as there’s a lot of uses. I’ve tried to stay on high street names for suggestions to prevent you going around the bend, or else look out for the grape name in bold if needed.

For impromptu parties and celebrations 🎉

There’s no other time for it to be socially acceptable to knock-and-invite-yourself-in on a neighbour or relative unannounced, so it’s good to have a bottle of fizz or two at the ready, just in case. If you’re not sure of what brand you generally stick to, Prosecco Superiore (emphasis on the Superiore) is basically the Ferero Rocher of the fizz world: reliable, good quality, brings about an elegant waft about you.

An alternative would be a South African Methode Cap Classique will bring you a class above, as it’s made with the same grapes and style as Champagne - for just about a tenner. If you’ve somewhere that’s doing natural or low intervention wines, grab the nearest Pet Nat that you can.

THE Dinner Wine(s): Winter Edition

We have a few layers to this one, depending on your decadence, so bear with me:

Fizz wise, get a Crémant. Loire, Alsace or Bourgogne regardless, each region generally makes a simple, creamy fizz that will go on its own or with basically any food. It’s also an excellent vehicle for Mimosas or Bellinis, and at Prosecco prices.

If you’re going veggie or poultry roast, Pinot Noir is probably the best choice for red. My pick would be a Chilean (ideally Casablanca Valley) or New Zealand (ideally Central Otago) as they’re a bit more full, but not going to overpower anything. A Burgundy or Californian Chardonnay are the ultimate white wine to pair as well here (or if you want something a little more aromatic, Sancerre or Touraine Sauvignon Blanc will do too).

You don’t have to get a desert wine as any of these or something off your drinks trolley can do as a nightcap. If you must, grab a Sauternes - not crazy sweet, it’s the least likely to divide opinion.

THE Dinner Wine(s): Summer Edition

Not all of us have cold Christmases, so in the name of inclusivity!

Making massive assumptions here, but generally Christmas is a little more barbequed and light with richer meats when we’re talking a warm Christmas which I’ve had in mind for these. A Malbec or a Shiraz (Barossa if you can get it) are going to be rich, heavy-yet-silky reds to get your teeth into. For whites, I’d go with a Pinot Gris or a Viognier - ones from the New World are going to be a little more fruity and thick on the palette which can hold up to a lot more flavours.

Fizz and dessert ones could merge into one here, and I’d suggest a Moscato d’Asti for a wild card. It’s an off-sweet, lightly fizzy wine that isn’t to all tastes but cool and fresh compared to the warmth of some desert wines.

Wines to Gift

A bottle of wine can have so much thought behind it, but can be the impersonal gift you don’t know what else to give to someone. These tokens of appreciation can have the pressure of not choosing the right one and God Forbid, you tell the person that you think this is a good bottle of wine. No need to confirm, let the recipient be the judge of that.

Thinking in the 20ish mark of price point, a Rioja or a Barolo generally go down quite a treat. Barolo has a bit more assurance of quality, while Rioja can need a bit more digging to get to the gold. A Gran Reserva will generally let you know that the wine has been aged for quite a bit in oak, so will be more complex to enjoy.

Not sure what whites to grab? An Alsace white or a Gruner Veltliner from Austria are good, unusual wines that people generally find are not too dry, not too fruity and a good overall pick.

Need a more specific recommendation, or found a bargain you’ve been buying by the case? Pop a comment below to tell me and all of Dosage’s fellow readers!

Back on track to bring you the last installation slash whistlestop tour of the different wines of the world. It’s hard to make this THE most encompassing wine pairing source just yet, but I will certainly be updating these with more options, palettes and flavours as we go.

The last post on Rosé and Fizz may have seemed a bit chaotic as, well, there is so much to discuss with them. For the outliers that I’ve got here, they’re a little more niche so we’ll whizz through them a bit quicker. So he says a few words into this article.

Without further ado, I bring you:

🟡 YELLOW

While you might think that this might be tongue in cheek with a white grape, there are in fact yellow wines (vins jaunes) that are most notable from the Jura region in France. But they are in fact, a spin-off of a white wine. This is a region that’s known for a craftier crowd in the wine world where they beat to their own drum, as the appellation laws are relatively relaxed here. It’s tricky to tack down one particular style of Jura, but the traditional vin jaune in a little kitsch oil bottle is its trademark.

A little like a sherry (more on that later), a vin jaune will be matured with a film of yeast on the surface to help protect it from oxidation. Not quite as pungent as a sherry, a vin jaune will be nutty and rich at its best, which is an unusual combo to add to a roast chicken or something that’s fairly predictable (but delicious) in flavour. Nigella’s classic Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic comes to mind here as a good pairing.

My pick: Tissot Savagnin, Shrine to the Vine, £50. Vin Jaune doesn’t come cheap, but this single estate pick of Noble Rot is a safe bet in terms of the best quality as it comes. This isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea before you run out to get it, so maybe try and grab a glass at a bougie wine bar or restaurant near you first of all.

GREEN 🟢

Anyone who’s been to Portugal should be familiar with the slightly fizzy, youthful spritz of Vinho Verde that’s having quite a moment. Much like a Beaujolais, Vinho Verde is celebrated at its freshest often within the same year of bottling from its dedicated appelation in North Portugal. This is the perfect sidekick to calamari and garlic aioli, or else a grilled octopus salad (Galician style).

My pick: It has to be Chin Chin, Shop Cuvée, £12. Going from strength to strength since a boom on social media during the pandemic, this is such a fresh, good value and easy going wine to have as an aperitif - or with just about anything. Also very pleasing to the eye.

ORANGE 🟠

Now, here’s something that’s having a moment a little like natural wine. My theory is that as it sounds off the cuff, everyone is happy to say that they love it when they don’t really know if they like it at all.

Orange wines are also known as skin contact wines, where a white wine is made like a red wine. Rather than pressing the grapes and extracting the juice straight away, the grape skins are kept in contact with the juice for a period of time to bring some tannins into the wine. These can be nice, unusual and fruity, other times I have literally found that they taste like piss.

If you want something a little on the lighter side of orange or are just starting to dabble, Italian or Spanish orange wines are generally quite a safe bet. These are a little lighter on skin contact adding an orange hue without it being all too tannic. These go really well with a spicy thai beef red curry or the likes, as it will help cool the spice and the tannins will be able to protect the texture a little bit more from there.

My pick: Judith Beck Weissburgunder, Juiced Wines, £17. I’m a big fan of Austrian wine, and this one won’t disappoint. It’s a Pinot Blanc grape with a slight hint of skin contact, which is generally light and fruity, with a little bit of extra zing with the orange tint to it. A slight spin off the beaten track, but a great gateway in.

Want a full blown orange? Look no further than Georgian orange wine, which is generally quite hay-like in scent with some stone fruit, and a full body. Not to all tastes, it is one of the oldest styles of wine produced in the world within concrete vessels known as Qvari for maturation. This needs quite strong flavours to pair up to the intensity of the wine, so I’m thinking mutton, goat or venison in sichuan spices as a good comparator to this type of flavour.

My pick: Tbilvino 'Qvevris Rkatsitelli', Majestic Wine, £13.99. A good delve into the home country and full depth of an orange wine without breaking the bank. I’d recommend seeing if you like a lighter style of orange wine before jumping into this, as it’s quite intense.

🫧 THE OUTLIERS

There is so much to say here, but I’ll try and be concise.

Fortified

Fortified wines come in different styles, referring to the additional add of an alcohol in the process of production. I’m going to give you my favourite rather go through lots on Sherry and Port as well, it’s something I’m just not that into.

Vermouth is a spirit that is made from a fortified wine along with certain herbs and spices. While it’s a third of a negroni or a substantial mix in a martini, Vermouth is a beauty of a drink served with a wedge of orange on ice as an aperitif. I love it as a pre-drink to a meal with some black truffle crisps or olives that you can get in a pub that’s fancy enough to have it behind the bar.

My pick: House Vermouth, Shop Cuvée, £25. It’s tricky to get a Vermouth that can be drinkable on its own outside the continent, but this one hits the agenda. Warm, herbal and sharp, this one will certainly kick off or wind down an eventful dinner as an amouse bouche or digestif.

Piquette

Piquette is the cute name for a rinsing through of the old grape skins once they’ve been taken out of the wine production, to make a drink much lighter in alcohol (and flavour). Piquette was traditionally the drink of choice for those grape picking on the farms, and has a beeriness to it. A little like Ribena meets a lager I’d describe it as, and quite punchy at 7% abv. It’s a good barbeque drink to have, and lighter than drinking wine by itself if it’s a long day affair you’re going for.

My pick: Monte Rio California Piquette, Juiced Wines, £25.75. Piquette is tricky to get in Europe since its basis is basically illegal by EU laws, so more expensive exports from California and South Africa are starting to dip their way over here. It’s a good offering to give any beer drinkers if they’re on the fence about wines, as it’s got quite a bit of hoppiness to it.

Non Alcoholic

The non alcoholic drinks market has boomed of late, and there have been more entrants to wine in this regard. Generally non-alcoholic wines are made as a normal wine would be, with the alcohol extracted out at a later stage. This generally leaves you with a sweet grape juice without the body or warmth of alcohol, which isn’t really the same as drinking the vino itself.

Aside from Torres Natureo, there are some new brands that are taking on our perception of non alcoholic wines, such as Wednesday’s Domaine which I’ve heard some excellent things about.

Got anything else I need to add to my mammoth collection of wines and foods to pair? Let me know in the comments or replying to this email, and let’s get it added to the list!

This is the third instalment of four that I’m planning on different styles of wines, for now at least. This is probably the most fun, and camp. While there’s a bit of a rep for cheap n’ nasty in this category, there are some stunning wines in this field to dabble into.

We’re deep into winter coolness and Christmas cheer in my part of the world. If you’re in the same boat, Prosecco and Champagne are more than likely being popped in a pub or office party near you. Happy. Days.

But if you fancy a bottle of Barefoot White Zinfandel or Whispering Angel amongst the chill, do not feel shamed. Rosé is a fabulous go-to that works for all seasons and pairs with a lot of different foods as it’s not quite white, not quite red… As you may have guessed. (Not everyone twigs that, but just to be clear we’re all on the same page).

Let’s dig in, shall we?

💕 Rosé

In the infamous words of Beverly Hills Queen Lisa Vanderpump, “Life isn’t all diamonds and rosé but it should be”. What a sentence! Unlike for reds and whites, rosé can be a bit of a misnomer for some, so let me briefly go into some fun facts behind it for those interested - or feel free to skim onto my thoughts.

Rose is not just a blend of red and white wine that you may have done in your younger times as you mineswept around a wedding. It can be made this way where the red and white wine is mixed as a blend at the end. What’s more common though, is for the skins to be left on the grapes for a little bit before the juice is pressed off of a what would normally be a red wine. There’s also the option of some white grapes that have a pinkish hue to their skins with a little bit more skin contact - Pinot Grigio, I’m looking at you.

Rosé used to have a name for being sweet, cheap n’ nasty - but it’s come a long way in the last decade, even. A Provence Rosé used to be something you’d enjoy on your holidays and never to be drunk outside of the Cote d’Azur. Enter Whispering Angel, which now accounts for over 20% of the US market alone, and has become an icon in itself.

Rosé is often seen as the summer drink of choice in a pub that you can count on with or without food. But it really does go with basically, anything. Even sliced jalapeños in rosé makes it a fabulous lazy cocktail - Gen Z and Dosage tried and tested. Read on for more!

Full bodied Rosés are relatively rare at the moment, but they’re more like a white wine pretending to be a red. I tip that this will change, as we get more into the world of skin contact/orange and natural wine (don’t you worry, both on my list to cover). These will go well with a a red meat or an earthy veggie dish - I’m thinking barbequed lamb or an aubergine parmigiana.

My pick: ‘Araceli’ Pinot Grigio, Renegade Winery, £27. I’ve already covered the genius of Renegade in a previous blog, and this is somewhat of an orange, somewhat of a rosé - but it’s like nothing I’ve ever tasted in a vino before. Lovely on its own, or could hold up to a steak.

On the lighter body side, you’re looking for something a little more fruity, light touch and very pale in colour generally. This would go nicely with a veggie dish or a salad. I’m thinking this would go really well with grilled halloumi, or maybe a tuna niçoise.

My pick: Les Arbousiers Coteaux du Languedoc, Virgin Wines, £11.99. This is a Southern French wine made with what you’d expect in most rosés, a mix of cinsault and grenache blanc. These grapes can make fiery reds, but tend to make a well balanced, fruity and light rosé with a hint of sweetness.

Rosé is becoming a much bigger category as we get a taste for it, and I’d put Whispering Angel in the middle of the road area. It’s a lovely fresh rosé with a lot of character, but there’s others that can be enjoyed a teeny bit cheaper and less pretentious. These Rosés can go with basically anything - but what’s really hankering my craving is to pair this with crispy shredded garlic chicken and fried rice from the local takeaway. And some stir fried veg to get a bit of vitamin C in, naturally.

My pick: Call me nouveau riche, but I’m a big fan of Lady A, The Rosé Collective, £14.99. THE(house) Rosé of Soho House, it’s balanced, dry and has a nice chunk of fruit within it: perfect with food, or to sip and rub shoulders at a fancy do. Plus, the glass bottle with a Damien Hirst illustration is just begging for a candle to be stuck in it.

Rosé is typically fruity by it’s nature, but a fan of something more floral? A note on this: If you like an Italian wines in particular, a white like Soave is meant to give you a scent of chamomile or even the big red, Barolo will give you rose or dried herbs if you’re lucky. With that in mind a splash of pink… An Italian or Greek Rosé are most likely to give you violet or rosiness on the nose, that will go really well with a middle eastern mezze or a tagine - with fish, meat or veggie for that matter.

My pick: Troupis Route Gris Moschofilero 2021, Naked Wines, £13.99. Floral wines can feel a bit radical, so let’s jump out of our comfort zone here. I am loving the vibrancy of indigenous grape varieties that you can experience with Greek wines, and this one shouldn’t let up. Tangy, floral and zingy, this will keep summer going in a glass.

Some people love the syrupy palette to a White Zinfandel from California, which is the highlighter pink Barefoot or Blossom Hill that is either delving up trauma or making your cheeks rosy for the shame of a guilty pleasure. This stuff is quite the ticket in terms of sweetness, and not for all palettes - but it can go down well with some cubes of ice to try and dampen down the flavours a bit during a heatwave. You might need to give your teeth a brush for these sweet styles on their own, but they’ll go well with a very spicy or sour dish. Fish tacos with a habanero salsa, or a caprese salad with plenty of balsamic will go very well here.

My pick: Baron Herzog, Waitrose, £11.99. Californian White Zinfandel is hard to jump from if this is what you’re after, so here’s a slightly drier, more elegant one to try before grabbing the Echo Falls.

🥂 FIZZ

 “I drink Champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it―unless I’m thirsty.”

Lady Bollinger herself, no less gave this quote - the lady behind the explosion of Champagne as a celebratory drink in the US from her own persona as a marketing mogul. Although Champagne is the quintessential and most renown fizz, there’s a lot of competition coming its way. Prosecco has had us in a chokehold for the last two decades, while Pet Nat and Franciacorta are picking up as bougie, yet competitively priced alternatives.

So much to say about how each fizz is made - Dosage is named after one of the steps of making traditional sparkling wines like Champagne, after all. But the quick and dirty explainer to try and keep this as simple as possible:

• Champagne, Cava and Methode Cap Classique fizzes have been made in a double fermentation step: where vats of fermented grape juice are aged in oak, before being aged in the bottle with some of the lees. These are the dead yeast which add toastiness to the mix, before it’s frozen and popped off the top of the bottles by freezing the heads. Labour intensive, but makes a characteristic flavour to help bring down some of the zing from generally very acidic fruit.

• Prosecco and other fizzes like Moscato d’Asti are fermented within a stainless steel tank, where the carbon dioxide isn’t allowed to escape - allowing the bubbles to form from the forced pressure. Depending on whether it’s a dry or a sweet style, this varies based on the temperature and length of fermentation - but ultimately is much quicker and scalable to make than a traditional method sparkling. You’ll need a warmish climate with ripe fruit to get away with this method - if you were to try it in Champagne, it would lead to vinegar production.

Fizzes come in all colours, although white is the most commonly found. Nonetheless, I’ve given a few options for each.

Whites

Let’s start with the obvious and most elegant, shall we? Champagne has the reputation of being the most premium sparkling wine, and for good reason. Champagne is generally a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier that are grown in cool climates, leading to a sharp acidity that’s balanced with some vanilla and toast. It’s not always to everyone’s palette based on its sharpness, but it will do really well to cut through bigger, rounded flavours. Perfect for fish and chips, oysters or lobster.

My pick: Laurent Perrier La Cuvée NV, Laithwaites, £29.99. I’m biased to prefer a more Chardonnay-heavy sparkling, and this one provides a lovely clean palette at a relatively good price point. Non vintages from bigger houses can be a controversial pick as they are formulated to taste the same, but they do make for a reliable pick at the very least.

Fancy something quite spritzy out of your sparkling wine? A Riesling will do quite nicely here. Riesling is often one of the most misunderstood grapes which can make some really deep citrussy flavours. Those conscious of wine snobs, THIS is the grape that can give you notes of petrol. I’d pair a sparkling Riesling in your paw if you’re going to a BYOB Vietnamese. It’ll go fabulously with caramelised fish, summer rolls with a peanut dip or spritz up a pho.

My pick: Weingut Feth Brut NV, Savage Wines, £19.95. German wines have a reputation of being sweet and eye twitching, but this is quite a far cry from it. This organic single estate number should be bone dry with plenty of citrussy notes.

Looking for something a little more smooth? Crémant d’Alsace or Crémant de Loire are really good picks here. Crémant had a bit of a moment a few years ago when Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes raved about it on the High Low podcast, where you’re getting a champagne-style for a knock off the price. An Alsace sparkling will have a slightly sweet tone to it which is lovely mix to a good cheese and charcuterie board. A Loire will generally be citrussy and fresh when typically we have a Chenin Blanc. Dare I say, a chicken shwarma with extra garlicky sauce is going to go fabulously here.

My pick: Bouvet Ladubay Saumur, Majestic Wine, £9.99. This one is practically theft. A little more rounded on the nose and palette than you’d expect from a Champagne in fact, this is the perfect wedding/celebration wine on a shoestring.

Not Prosecco again? No hate, but it’s never my first pick for fizz. I LOVE Cava, or else Franciacorta is one that’s getting a lot of popularity of late. Cava’s made just outside of Barcelona, while Franciacorta is in Northern Italy. Both are made in a Champagne style, but the grapes used plus a warmer climate, you get a bit more of a fruity note along with the biscuity goodness. These will go fabulously with an eggy brunch: shakshuka or frittata is where my mind is at when I think of these.

My pick: Mas Sardana Cava, Naked Wines, £11.99. I’m a big fan of the Xarel-lo and Macabeo grapes that you’ll find in a Cava which give a flinty, ripe lime fruit on their own in a still wine. Shockingly my personal preference to a Champagne, this will be less sharp on the tongue.

Count yourself as a Hipster? Pet Nat has been more than likely on your radar then, I am assuming. Pétillant Naturel (naturally sparkling en Francais) is the oldest method of making a sparkling wine, that generally means that the fermentation is finished within the bottle rather than in a vat, and doesn’t have oak or lees ageing. You’ll get a lighter, jazzier and lower in alcohol drink that has been exploding in popularity of late. Goes well with a gamey terrine, or a buttery fish dish depending on the grapes used.

My pick: Chatzivaritis Estate 'Migma' Pet Nat, Maltby & Greek, £27. This Greek take on Pet Nat is quite something on the palette - plenty of fresh stone fruits with a hint of smokiness. Majority Muscat which is generally a sweet style wine, this one is dry and the perfect alternative toast if you’re looking for something a little different.

It might not be everyone’s cup of tea or privilege to sample, but there are some foamy white fizzes out there. Txakoli, the Basque favourite is a wine that foams on pouring (from high) leaving a feint fizz that is refreshing and sharp. It’s hard not to pair this one with the Pinxtos of San Sebastian or Bilbao from my trip there, so I recommend this one with a slice of Tortilla de Espanola or Basque Cheesecake.

My pick: Ameztoi, Natty Boy Wines, £17. Not quite a Vinho Verde zing, but on the same lines if that’s up your alley from Iberian holidays.

Red

Sparkling reds exist, and Lambrusco is becoming a bit of a hipster irony at the moment. They have a slightly sweet hue to them, which actually would cue quite well to handle some spice - I’d go with this for a vindaloo or jalfrezi if you’re grabbing an Indian takeaway.

My pick: Vigna Rossa, Top Cuvee, £24.99. These folk put natural wine on the East London hipster’s map, and they’ve gone from strength to strength ever since - as HAS Lambrusco.

Rosé

Who doesn’t love a bit of pink fizz? Much like a white compared to a rosé, the latter will hold up beautifully to so many food pairings, sweet or savoury with a little more tannin from the skin contact. A sparkling rosé will do wonders with smoked salmon, mussels or even a spanakopita. If you need a bit of fat to mellow out, this one will do the trick.

My pick: Gusbourne Estate Rosé, £48, Gusbourne Estates. I recently went out to the Gusbourne vineyard in Kent and while this is pricey, boy does this pack a treat. Gusbourne’s making some of the, if not THE best sparkling wine in England at the moment - and one vintage even topped Champagne in the ranks. Their sparkling Rosé is a classic champagne blend with a little added red fruit that is a beauty with almost anything paired.

Deep into Christmas and Winter we go. Which makes it red wine season!

Wrong, on so many levels in my book.

I’m more of a white drinker these days to red, I much prefer the slurriness to the sleepiness you get with one too many glasses (not that it happens all that much). I find it a lot more drinkable on its own, but can really sharpen or bring a good food up rather than mellow which is what you tend to get with a red.

I also enjoy the challenge and hypotheses of trauma that are behind the humble white grape. Chardonnays that are better on a salad over in a glass have made the ABC (anything but chardonnay) club popular, and there’s always that pub wine that left a head in the bowl, only for Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc never to be touched again.

Riesling also can lead to an eye twitch at the mere name, for fear that the only style available is that of Blue Nun from the 80s and 90s. Along with windbreakers, perms, Talkboys and BN biscuits, we have moved on - despite the occasional irony.

Jancis Robinson, one of the top wine writers has a very good way of describing how food should be paired with wine: as you like it. We all have different palates and preferences, so it’s not surprising that we should experience different things and not agree with the perfect match. Same goes for food - an art, not a science always.

Without further ado, let me bring you through my take on different styles of white, and what dishes you could match them up to as a musing. But please tell me your own which I will be happy to hear about!

⚪️ Whites: Finding the food to go with the wine

Technically I should have the green emoji for white since it’s from the green grape but I could also say the same for reds coming from black grapes so… you get the jist.

Full bodied whites have, as you may guess, a lot going on. A good Californian or French chardonnay should give you an idea of this with some acidity, spice and oakiness which is a beaut when done well, and smoothly. I’d pair this up with a grilled red meat and dauphinoise potato which would be quite delectable. Yes, it will hold up to steak.

My pick: Cave de Lugny 'Les Chenaudières' 2020, Majestic Wines, £13.99. Absolute steal from just South of Burgundy, the home of the best whites (arguably) where you’ll generally get a lot more fruitiness and ripeness out. Fabulous with a hunk of cheese, cherished on its own or with richer dishes.

Lighter bodied whites such as Muscadet are generally crisp and will help complement something that needs a spritz up or where there’s quite a few flavours going on. Shellfish and other seafoods are a good shout here, as we don’t want to take that away all too much.

My pick:

Wines that are middle of the road in body are what I generally feel are plump. Balanced as not too crisp, not too tutti fruity which makes for very easy drinking. Chenin Blanc from the Loire in France (Vouvray being the best) or South Africa hits the agenda for me here, which is a dream with some ceviche or a creamy prawn risotto, extra bisque.

My pick: Mullineux, 'Kloof Street' White, Natty Boy Wines, £18.99. Saffa wines are the best way to get the most bang for your buck currently for a high quality wine. This one comes full of the typical flavours you should get from a Chenin - it’s a good wildcard between serving chardonnay or sauvignon.

Buttery wines come with hints of yoghurt, cream or butter as a wine undergoes a bacterial fermentation, which generates a bit of lactic acid in the wine. Hence, the dairy is not far away, but makes for a very smooth operator. Pinot gris (which is a similar style to Pinot Grigio) generally gets this treatment, which can have hints of candied ginger if you’re lucky. This will go really well with a grilled lamb rack or even a carbonara if you fancy it - along with some smoke or spice along the way.

My pick: Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris Alsace, Tanner’s Wine Merchants, £19.80. This is a fabulous quality house in Alcase just on the German border, made biodynamically. Pure flavours and a richness makes this a really lovely mix with spicy food as well.

Floral wines will give you hints of camomile, elderflower or other laundry-fresh Spring notes. Soave is a Northern Italian number that flies under the radar often, but gives a light and fresh palette which would brighten up the fat in a good chicken caesar salad beautifully. Note that not all Italian whites are bland or flabby, as some may say - I personally LOVE a Gavi I haven’t managed to squeeze in here.

My pick: Pieropan Soave Classico, Slurpp, £17.95. Classico as a rough rule generally means that an Italian wine will be of better quality, but not necessarily. This pick should be a good overview of an all-too-drinkable number.

White wines that are fruity typically win hearts and minds easily. Oyster Bay fans, I’m looking at you (without judgment). Spanish whites give a fun break from the mould, such as the limey Verdejo or peachy Albariño which are still fresh and fun. Also, the Southern French Picpoul du Pinet is a firm trend that’s looking to last, and good value. These are good barbeque picks for pescis: I think grilled fish, veg or halloumi is a match made in heaven for any of these.

My pick:

Aromatic whites, I have so much to say about you. These wines are typically very fruity, but have some richer undertones that can be waxy or like diesel. You’ll know these ones once you’ve tried them. Riesling, viognier and torrontés to name a few go really well with a LOT of things - but particularly with spice and umami as the splash of sweetness helps to balance them well. A good all-rounder choice if you’re out for teppenyaki, bimibab or dim sum.

My pick: Kooliburra Clare Valley Riesling, Aldi, £7.49. Aldi have some incredible wines when you veer away from the mass norms, and much like everyone should work in retail, everyone should try a Clare Valley Riesling. This comes from Australia where the wine is dry, not sweet - but tastes of barbequed pineapple with some kerosene notes. Hard to write enticingly, but it really does pack a punch.

Last but not least, sweet wines. These are often subject to further rotting or freezing on the vineyard and while it sounds quite un-glamorous, the remaining nectar is quite something. Hungarian Tojaki and Bordeaux whites generally have the best reputation here, but there’s some excellent muscat and rieslings available in many different levels of sugar, with or without fizz. They go well with, well, dessert as a dessert wine.

My pick: Ilot de Haut Bergeron Sauternes, Naked Wines, £14.99. Sauternes is traditionally drunk in its native Bordeaux with foie gras, but it also goes fabulously with seafood - and basically anything. It’s syrupy and rich in texture but more mellow and mineral in flavour… Basically, give it a bash.

I realised I haven’t added a Sauvignon Blanc in here, which - to my palette, isn’t always my favourite. But in order to not haemorrhage subscribers out of disappointment. It’s fine in my book, ok? For those that love it, give Jumping Juice a go (Juiced Wines, £23.99). It’s a Western Australian Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon blend from just outside Perth, it will keep the aromatic and fruity flavours that you’d expect in a Marlborough. It’s a little grassier, and a little sweeter, just to give it a little pzazz off what you would generally expect. And in a cute bottle!

I’m really excited to get into the bones of why I started this project in the first place. I want this post to be a handy toolkit that you’ve hopefully landed on, or can pin for another time. If you have any questions, drop me a comment or pop something in the chat!

Wine meets food.

As with all new creative ventures and in line with the design process, changes come as you work, write and reflect.

Reflecting on why I want to burn the midnight oil and still stay excited about this, there’s a few reasons:

• The wine list is something of handing someone an aux cable at a party: you might like know the music you want to hear, but you’re terrified at the prospect that not everyone will like it.

• We pair wines with food after we’ve chosen our meal(s) of choice. Which can get awkward when there’s people with very different dishes and one bottle is the end goal.

Wines, much like food, come in different colours, grapes, regions styles and vintages. Not to be the enjoyment police, but we tend to get a lot more adventurous about flavour palettes from different dishes or cuisines food, but hardly ever as much from wine when there is SO MUCH TO ENJOY!

We draw within the lines of certain (old) rules that reigned the 80s and 90s we haven’t shaken off yet with wine, even though the styles have changed so much. You CAN have a white wine with roast lamb. Fancy a red with fish? YES, that’s totally fine!

I’ve tried to dig into the science behind which compounds in a wine might react with a food to make it heavenly, but it doesn’t seem to be there. Also, wouldn’t that strip the joy out of trying to find the ideal pairing, or stop us once we’ve found the most scientifically compatible pair? I think so, at least.

I’ll leave my soul search there, and leave you with some ground rules for what types of wines should infuse some inspiration for food on my own spin. Expect recipes soon, and whites next week!

There is a LOT of general assumptions here as part of some spectrum, by no means definitive. I’ve tried to keep options reasonable here as well, so no bank has been broke.

🔴 Reds: Finding the food to go with the wine

Wines with a lighter body like Pinot Noir are going to go beautifully with fish if you fancy a red, or go well with a Sunday Roast chicken. Nice, mellow and comforting, Sunday-scary ignorant vibes.

My pick: Scott Kelley Oregon Pinot Noir, Naked Wines, £16.99 (if you’re an angel). Oregon is a little cooler than the better known Californian wines, which lends itself to some really good quality pinot noir which will pack a punch, but not crazy on the tannins if you don’t like it grippy.

If you want to go to more of a full body like a Shiraz/Syrah or a Cabernet Sauvignon, you want something richer in flavour to hold up to the leather and coffee flavours you’ll get. Hello, gamey meats!

My pick: The Winery of Good Hope Syrah, JUICED, £12. This Stellenbosch Syrah punches thick on dark fruits (plum, black cherry) and a full body in the style you’d expect from a Southern French wine at a steal of a cost.

There’s also the wines that are delectably middle of the road, which isn’t always a bad thing. Medium bodied they may be, but certainly not in flavour: Rioja or a Tempranillo wine is generally medium to slightly full bodied, but come packed with flavour and complexity. Heavenly with the fatty pork and sharp pineapple that comes with sweet and sour, and egg fried rice - obviously.

My pick: Gran Cerdo Tinto, Sip Wines, £11. Is there a better value wine than Gran Cerdo out there? Big challenge for you. Bombing together a sassy brand, balanced fruit and a keepsake bottle, you MUST try this one if you haven’t already.

You can get some floral or herbal notes in red wines in some cases: Italy is generally a good example of this, from a Chianti to a Barolo where you might pick up some oregano or violet if you’re lucky. Stick to the local cuisine here: a creamy porcini mushroom risotto or polenta will hold up fabulously here.

My pick: Definition Barolo, Majestic Wine, £24.99. Italian wine can climb very high in price very fast, and there’s a lot of dud ones out there. This one should be a good ol’ reliable.

Fruity notes are always present in reds, differ hugely. You’ll get lighter red berries and banana with a Beaujolais that would hold up lovely to a bean cassoulet with a hint of cured meat. Portugese reds (one of my fave) can often be akin to Port in christmas cakey, syrupy fruits which can make it a good choice for cheese or something sweet.

My pick: Aluado Alicantae, Laith Wines, £12.99. This is an inky wildcard to a conventional Portugese red, but it packs a near syrupy punch of dark fruits and spice. An excellent bottle to have on the table at Christmas.

Spice in red wine is generally in the form of black pepper, clove or sometimes a touch of cinnamon. A Grenache (or Garnacha in Spain) will typically be a good shout to experience this, but I wouldn’t necessarily mix this with too much spicy food - otherwise it might get a bit too much altogether. These go well with high quality meats or fished cooked well, and letting those flavours speak for themselves. Or for plant based, maybe something like Ottolenghi’s roast celeriac or a burrata would be divine actually.

My pick: Vina Zorzal Sea of Dreams Garnacha, Natty Boy Wines, £16.50. Spanish reds are coming with me to a desert island, and this peppery little number is packed in my hand luggage (assuming security isn’t a medium to get there of course, otherwise I’ll glug it before I need to go through).

Chilled reds are having something of a moment. These can be lightly chilled by popping into the fridge about a half an hour before serving, or else kept there and left out to warm up a little. While they’re making their way around bougie pubs and can be drank on their own, they can get fairly hefty after a while. Snack wise, this would go well with pork scratchings, nuts or crisps. As a main? Tuna nicoise in the summer could go quite nicely here, IMO.

My pick: Cuvée des Vignerons Beaujolais, Waitrose, £8. One suggestion had to be a Supermarket wine, didn’t it? Light wines such as Beaujolais or some Pinot Noirs are perfect for popping in the fridge to chill them ever so slightly before serving - they don’t need to be ice cold. 30 minutes will do here for this one.