Wine & Beer Recommendations
^ by Dean Pritchard of Gwin Llyn Wines The featured menu of Mini Beef Wellingtons to start, followed by Thai Roasted Salmon sounds like gastro heaven. The Egryn will have diners beating down their door, but if you are unlucky enough not to secure a booking, perhaps you could try cooking them for yourselves and friends at home. You will obviously need to pair this luscious duo with liquid accompaniments which will do them justice. When asked to pair a drink with food, we automatically think wine is the drink of choice; however have you considered beer can also work well? So, as a bit of a turnaround, included alongside the obvious wine choices, there are also selections of beers that can be enjoyed with the featured dishes.
Wine Fact
Oenophobia is an intense fear or hatred of wine.
For the mini beef wellington, the wine choice is a Scotto “Old Vine” Zinfandel (widely available at around £8.50) while the ^ beers are Samuel Smith’s “Oatmeal Stout” and Cwrw Llyn’s “Brenin Enlli”. The Scotto “Old Vine” Zinfandel is a beauty, made in Lodi, California, using grapes from vines which are well over fifty years old. It’s a wine which drinks well over its purchase price and not to be confused with the “white Zinfandel” so called blush wines. If you like gutsy red wines like Malbec, Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignons give this wine a try. It’s a cracking big, rich and smooth drop of red deliciousness full of red currant freshness with a touch of sweet spice on the finish which compliments the earthy flavours of the mushrooms, pate and beef. For the beer lovers Samuel Smith’s “Oatmeal Stout” or Cwrw ^ Llyn’s “Brennin Enlli” would work with the dish. Samuel Smith beers are brewed in Tadcaster, Yorkshire using water from a well which was sunk in 1758; their oatmeal stout has an excellent balance with rich flavours and a very lingering finish. Historically this type of ale was considered nutritional and was prescribed for nursing mothers and athletes. (Ahh, the good old days!)
66
Wine Trivia
The highest price ever paid for a standard size bottle of wine is £146,000.00 paid for an 1869 Chateau Lafite Rothschild at auction in Hong Kong.
For the main course of Thai Roasted Salmon, the wine which immediately jumps of the shelf is Bottega Vinai’s Gewurztraminer from Trentino, Italy. (Widely available £9.99) For lovers of Gewurztraminer (ger-vertz-tramina) and for this dish, it is a definite must try. Probably the most flamboyantly camp member of the white wine family with way too much perfume and very little shame, for Thai inspired dishes, it is a match made in heaven with aromas and flavours of lychee, honey and withered roses. It is so sensual, smooth and silky in the mouth. Try it and see! It is easy to stay within your comfort zone and only drink those wines you are most familiar with. But trust me, this is worth the experience!
Wine Tip
Instead of simply uncorking a bottle of red wine an hour or so before drinking in order to let it breath it’s far better to open the bottle and pour the wine into a jug. Then give it a good swirl around and pour it back into the bottle or if you have one a decanter. By doing this you allow the wine to open up and be at its best. ^ For the beers, Cwrw Llyn’s “Seithenyn” is a golden beer with a dry continental style or Porthmadog’s, Purple Moose “Ysgawen”, their seasonal special pale ale brewed with elderflowers, would match this Thai inspired salmon dish. Each are brewed in a refreshing dry style which would complement the coconut, chilli and ginger in the dish whilst not overwhelming the flavour of the salmon.
The above suggestions are all widely available and, in my opinion, will work with the featured recipes. But as far as I am concerned, if it works for you, go with it and enjoy. As Galileo Galilee said “Wine is sunlight, held together by water”. Cheers - Dean