Wine for the Moment

The art of food and wine pairing is so mainstream now, that nobody is impressed by these little ‘tid-bits’ that were once the very backbone of dinner party repartee.

Essentially, every Tom, Dick and Harry know that a good Argentinian Malbec compliments a 28 day aged Aberdeen Angus sirloin steak and that a crisp, cool Sancerre is a mighty fine accompaniment to a corn fed chicken salad…. Sorry Dick, you’ll have to try harder than that to excite the masses and teach us something truly new about wine pairing.

Ok, so we have established that food matching, though accurate, is old hat. So, what’s new?

Well, how about wine and environment pairing? That is a jazzy new concept for you and one that we can certainly get on board with. We propose that the very place and time in which you imbibe can have a significant effect on the taste and ultimately can dramatically increase your enjoyment of your wine.

Picture this, if you will. It is a balmy summer’s day, a toasty 20 degrees, you are in our beautiful beer garden overlooking the South Downs, freshly pedicured toes peeking from your new flip flops. Bliss. Which of our vast selection of wines would enhance this fine occasion? How about an enormous, ice cold glass of Minuty Côtes de Provence Rosé to chill your hand and refresh your parched mouth, whilst pleasantly dulling your senses…?

It is a heady mix. Admit it. Would that wine taste half as fine on a drizzly, chillsome October afternoon on the platform at Clapham Junction, waiting indefinitely for your late train to work on the daily commute?

Perhaps not. Alright then, we’ll try another scenario to test the theory.

Let’s take a trip to the other end of the scale.

You are sat beside our open fire in the bar with your chunky knitwear slung casually over the back of your chair, and in your eager mitt is a slightly warm Conde Valdemar Rioja Reserva that is so spicy, so positively plummy and bursting with blackcurrants that your entire experience completely ascends any previous benchmark.

Our pleasure gauge is positively tingling at this point.

We do not deny that you would most certainly enjoy a flute of lively English Nyetimber Blanc de Blanc, on your sofa at home, watching Eastenders in your PJ’s ….however, try it again on a buzzing Friday night at the Bull, whilst wearing your finest ‘out-out’ attire and tell us that it doesn’t feel entirely appropriate and absolutely right.

Go and play. Find your wine – find your moment. The possibilities are endless.

Pick Your Wine