Wine
Chris Losh looks at sherry, sweet wines and matches for seafood.
Sherry
Alas poor Sherry. Never has such a great drink been so criminally misunderstood and underappreciated. The problem is cream sherry - pale, sweet and undemanding - and swilled by the bucket-load by maiden aunts. The Hinge and Bracket association is a powerful one, and has acted as a fantastic turn-off for anyone with even vague pretensions at gastronomic street cred. Yet things really are changing. Wine waiters at some of Britain's best restaurants have started actively to push the drink. They're not doing this for the sake of it.
While they are obviously appreciative of sherry's quality, heritage and value for money, the attraction for these gastros is the drink's unusual flavour profile. With its savoury flavour profile, sherry offers something different and, as a result, it's able to match with modern foods - like fusion food, spicy sausages or curry - that can prove difficult for "standard" wine that has fruit flavours. Sherry can only come from the south-eastern corner of Andalucia, with its production centred around the towns of Jerez, Sanlucar de Barrameda and Puerto de Santa Maria. Most sherries are made from the Palomino grape, though sweeter versions can be made with Moscatel and Pedro Ximenez. Palomino essentially tastes of nothing, and just about all of sherry's flavour comes from the production process.
Once a neutral dry white wine has been made, it is fortified up to around 14% and the liquid goes into a cask where the magic can begin. Here, with luck, a very thin film of yeast will grow to cover the wine in the barrel. This yeast, which looks a bit like talcum powder, is called flor and it imparts a fresh, yeasty flavour to the wine. The other key element of sherry production is the solera system, which essentially involves a yearly process of mixing older wines with younger ones. Thus, while vintage sherry is as rare as a John Kerry gag, it has great consistency. And since, because of the way it's made, any bottle of sherry probably contains a tiny percentage of really old stuff it makes it a terrific bargain.
Sherry styles
The most important thing to know about sherry is that all of it starts its life dry. Sweetness always has to be added.
Fino: The lightest, driest style. Salty and nutty. Manzanilla: Like a fino only lighter. Comes from near the coast. Amontillado: Starts out as a fino but loses its flor. Ageing in barrel gives it the istinctive brown colour. Can be sweet or dry. Oloroso: Never develops flor, but ages for longer. Rich and intense. Can be sweet or dry. Cream Sherry: Made by adding sweet syrups to fino so it looks crisp and elegant but tastes, frankly, boring. Was created for the British market.
Food and wine matching - seafood
Time was when a simple bottle of 'blanc' would do when it came to seafood. But discerning customers expect choices on the wine list that match what is being offered on the menu. And you can afford to be more daring than just Chablis with everything, too.
LES VIEUX GRANITES 2003, CHÂTEAU DU CHATELARD, FLEURIE, BEAUJOLAIS Yes, it's red, but lighter-bodied reds like Beaujolais or Saumur work well with meatier fish dishes like, say, monkfish and can be a good recommendation for tables where some are having meat and another fish. Beaujolais wines from 2003 have real ripeness and character and this chewy redcurrant and strawberry-fruited example has real texture and depth. £95.40/case @ The Halifax Wine company (01422 256333); £7.95/bottle
VIEILLES VIGNES 2001, DOMAINE SAUMAIZE-MICHELINS,ST VERAN, BURGUNDY The Mâconnais area of Burgundy is cheaper than the Côte d'Or, and when it gets it right can offer fantastic value for money. This pears and cream offering provides a lot of wine for the money and will go with richer seafood like lobsters or fish in creamy sauces. £97.20+VAT @ Raeburn Fine Wines (0131 343 1159); £8.10/bottle
RIESLING 2003, SKILLOGALEE, CLARE VALLEY, AUSTRALIA The affable (and spectacularly-bearded) Dave Palmer is a passionate advocate of Riesling. And why not? Clare Valley makes some of the best in the New World. This, from the cool 2002 vintage, is a beautiful, delicate, zesty wine. With its lemon and lime flavours, Dave reckons it'll go with anything you'd put a lemon or lime garnish with". Who am I to argue? £41.64/case of six +VAT @ Enotria Winecellars; £6.94/bottle
DOMAINE DE MONTIGNY 2002, HENRY NATTER, SANCERRETo my mind, when it comes to simple fish dishes (lemon sole, seafood platters laden with langoustines etc) you can't beat the minerally crunch of a Sancerre. This version is flinty and grassy, but there's plenty of fruit there as well. £101.16 +VAT @ Lay & Wheeler (0845 051 0051); £8.43/bottle
This month's recommended wines
Sweet wines are the pariah of the drinks world; their reputation unjustly affected by the zillion gallons of Liebfraumilch that swamp the country every year. Yet good sweet wine is an absolute joy - the sort of affordable luxury that can really round off a meal. Below are a few sweeties - from light to fortified - that I think you'll find easy to sell to your clientele.
Ramos Pinto LBV 1997Sometimes known as the "poor man's vintage", LBV is one of the bargains of the booze world and, unlike vintage, is ready to drink earlier and without decanting. This is a really pretty example, with flowery notes overlaying the inger and black cherry flavours and a silky palate. It'll work with blue cheeses and through into cigars, too. £55/case of six + VAT (approx) @ Frank Stainton (01539 731 886), Villeneuve (01721 722 500), Wineservice (01342 837 333), RS Wines (01275 331 444), John Sarson & Sons (01162 814100); £9.16/bottle.
Domaine des Quarres 2003, Coteaux du Layon, Loire The Layon Valley, running into the Loire, doesn't get a lot of press, which is one of the reasons its sweet wines (made with Chenin Blanc) tend to be well priced. This is surprisingly complex for the price, with a bit of spice and minerality to go with the tropical and grapefruit flavours. £102.48/case (24 bottles of 37.5cl) +VAT @ Berkmann Wine Cellars (020 7609 4711); £4.27/bottle
Noble Pick Botrytis Semillon 2002, Yalumba, South Australia The Eden Valley, in the high hills near the Barossa, is well known for its Riesling in Australia, but it can also knock out some pretty classy sweet stuff as well. 2002 was a cool year in Australia, with a long growing season, which has given this wine plenty of time to build up its super-intense honey and apricot flavours. It's a powerful, lush wine that is balanced by a racy acidity. A good (and well-priced) bet for pungent cheeses and foie gras. £167.28/case (24 bottles of 37.5cl) +VAT @ Berkmann Wine Cellars (020 7609 4711); £6.97/bottle
Matusalem Oloroso Dulce, Jerez, Gonzalez Byass There are times when the world's indifference to sherry just make you want to scream, and tasting this wine rekindled all my old anger. It's got so much flavour and class that it's hard to imagine anyone not liking it. It's as rich and fragrant as a well-polished mahogany table: savoury aromas of nuts, Marmite and rye bread mingling with lemons and bitter orange chocolate. Yes, it's sweet, but the flavours are predominantly savoury (roast chestnuts) and the finish is tangy, almost salty. It's hard to think of a better wine to put with blue cheese, frankly, and once the bottle's open it'll stay drinkable for weeks. Gonzalez Byass UK (01727 884926) don't give out trade prices. But the recommended retail price in the off-trade is £10.99/37.5cl bottle
Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Blue Label Tokaji, Hungary Tokaji, Hungary's equivalent to Sauternes used to be the most sou
