BRAISING and stewing are fantastic ways to get a richer, more complex flavour into your dish, as well as tenderising the meat.
In wine-matching terms, there are many options available to you. With a peppered steak done under the grill or on the barbecue, you'd have to look at a spicy Shiraz from the Barossa Valley or perhaps a big Chilean Carmenere. With a pot roast or a cassoulet, you can pick a more subtle match.
Which brings us to France. France makes significantly more wine than any other country, and the French are also arguably responsible for producing the best wines in the world. My default region is Burgundy, and you'd certainly find suitable matches for a hearty cassoulet throughout the area.
However, today we're heading to the melting pot of France, the Languedoc. Here you'll find rich, characterful wines made from the classic Rhone varieties such as Grenache and Syrah.
One of the very best that I've come across is the Chateau l'Hospitalet 2012 Grand Vin Gerard Bertrand 2012 (Majestic Wine, normally £25, currently on offer at £16.66). This is a fabulously big, rich wine with bags of character.
It really benefits from decanting, and you should never underestimate how this simple process can improve your wine. A big, tannic red needs to interact with the air to bring it to its peak condition.
You really don't have to open the bottle well in advance of serving, pour it carefully into an expensive decanter while watching the clock for hours before you can enjoy a glass. All you need to do is pop the cork, pour it into a jug, then back into the bottle a few times to "move the air" around the wine. This will soften the tannins, and make the wine much tastier as a result. Enjoy!
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