MY lovely wife Laura makes her own bread at home, and occasionally after a long, hard day of chasing the children and doing our best to keep them alive and happy, we’re too tired to contemplate cooking and enjoying a "proper" meal. So, we’ll grab the bread from the bread bin, add a healthy amount of butter and some really nice cheese (which we always have in the fridge). We then sit in blissful enjoyment of one of life’s simplest pleasures. Home-made bread, with good cheese and (of course) wine, with the latest episode of Scandal on the telly.
The wine could be a classic match such as Sancerre with goat’s cheese, or port and Stilton. Or you could experiment with Alsace Riesling alongside a Bavarian smoked cheese or a Spanish red such as a good Rioja or a luscious Ribera del Duero with a strong Keane’s cheddar. The possibilities are endless.
Here are a few to tempt your taste-buds and complement your cheeseboard this weekend.
Sancerre Hubert Brochard 2016 (Inverarity One to One, £13.99). This is my go-to Sancerre, hailing from the village of Chavignol in the Loire valley in France. Chavignol is famous for producing excellent goat’s cheese which you can buy as Crottin de Chavignol from decent cheese shops such as George Mewes and the occasional supermarket. This really is a match made in heaven with the local wine perfectly partnering the local delicacy. You’d also be hard-pressed to find a better Sauvignon Blanc under 20 quid.
Waitrose currently have a great selection of ports, and any of these three would sit quite nicely with your cheese selection.
Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas Single Estate Port 2002 (Waitrose, £29.99). The single estate (or quinta) ports have long since been the best value fortified buys in my opinion, having many of the characteristics of their more expensive ‘full vintage’ cousins, but at a fraction of the price. The Vargellas is undoubtedly one of the best on the market. If you love port and cheese, this is a must-buy.
Warre’s Bottle-Aged Late Bottled Vintage Port 2004 (Waitrose, £24.59). This is beautifully balanced and very approachable, a great wee port and great value for money.
Waitrose Fine Ruby Port (Waitrose, £7.49). If you’ve already spent the budget on the wines with dinner, this is a great option to round off the evening. It’s very tasty and more than acceptable, and you’ll get change back from a tenner. Enjoy!
Pete Stewart is Glasgow director of Inverarity One to One, 185a Bath Street, Glasgow (0141 221 5121) www.inverarity121.com
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