NORMALLY when matching a wine to beef, I’d head for a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from Haut-Medoc in Bordeaux, or its New World equivalent (possibly from Stellenbosch or the Barossa Valley). When the meat cut is the cheek, I’d suggest going a bit earthier in wine terms with a good Rhone, a big Burgundy or a Rioja Reserva.
Let’s look at all three this weekend.
I am personally quite often disappointed with the wines of the Rhone. The region has arguably the greatest potential in France, but you still have to search to find something good in the supermarkets. Instead, you should go to a proper wine merchant and ask the staff for a recommendation. These unsung heroes of the wine industry tend to know what they’re talking about, and they have a passion for their trade rarely found in today’s society. Befriend a wine merchant this weekend, and you’ll enjoy better wines in the coming months.
Cotes-du-Rhone Saint-Esprit Delas 2016 (Inverarity One to One, £11.49). This spectacular bottle will restore your faith in the region, as it did mine. It’s beautifully balanced and very more-ish. With such a vast appellation, it’s impossible to have one rule for every wine, so you have to seek out the good producers. Delas is one of the best.
In terms of ‘big’ Burgundy you’d be hard pressed to find a better bottle than the A. Gavin Gevrey-Chambertin 2015 (Majestic, £40.00). Some of the best wines in Burgundy come from this region, but again you have to be aware of the producers. The disappointing wines come with the same price-tag as the good ones, so you should be looking for a recommendation rather than basing your selection on price alone.
If you’d rather go Spanish, head to Waitrose and grab a bottle of the Cune Imperial Reserva Rioja 2012 (Waitrosde, £22.99). The brilliant thing about Rioja is that it’s released when the winemaker think it’s ready as opposed to when it’s bottled (which is what happens in Bordeaux). So, it gets time in barrel and then in bottle before it hits our shelves. The Cune is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mazuelo and is very complex as a result. This is a brilliant wine, and very food-friendly. Try it with the beef cheek recipe this week, and it's also lovely with Mexican quesadillas if you're after a bit more spice on your plate.
Pete Stewart is Glasgow director of Inverarity One to One, 185a Bath Street www.inveraritymorton.com
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