Mince Pies first originated from England during the 13th century, back when they were first made, they were known as Christmas pies, mutton pies or shrid pies. they used to be made with pastry, meats, dried fruits and spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, these ingredients were brought back from the Middle East by European crusaders, nowadays, they’ve removed the meat, most Mince Pies sold today are vegetarian friendly, but it is still worth checking the packaging as some will have meat in the suet.

The Mince Pie has been enjoyed around Christmas for a long time, and as it has been enjoyed around Christmas the Pie began to be associated with Catholicism/Christianity, so during the English Civil War, the Puritan authorities frowned on them. But that didn’t put an end to the Pie, they continued to be eaten around Christmas through the Victorian era and is still very much enjoyed to this day.

Woodchurch – English Sparkling Wine

Woodchurch Estate was Established in 2009 and is based on the edge of Kent, in the village of Woodchurch, they manage their vines by hand throughout the year to make sure they deliver the best quality English Sparkling Wines.

Woodchurch Wine Estate – Sparkling Rosé 2017 – Tasting Notes

Aroma “Vibrant Red berries, pink floral and wild nettles on the aroma.”

Flavour “A fizzy pink taste, of pink floral, unripe raspberries and red berries on the palate.”

This English Sparkling Wine Won a Silver Medal in the Dessert Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2021

Mince Pie Pairing

I decided to go with 12 small mince pies, the perfect size to go with a spread of different Christmas treats and very easy to enjoy for those who don’t have the biggest sweet tooth.

Pairing Notes: “A fizzy red berry wave comes over the mince pie, it’s strong at first then soaks into the mince pie leaving a touch of red berry mince pie.”

The festive mince pie is given a Christmas red berry addition, making it an even more Christmassy treat, a festive combination.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Sparkling Wine and sweet treats can go hand in hand, creating an even more delicious combination, bringing out hidden flavours which have just lingered in the background waiting to light up your taste buds with their hidden talents.

We have 5 different Christmas treats to enjoy and two different Sparkling Wines to see which work best with which, please join us on our venture to discover which will pair best and hopefully receive a place by your side this Christmas.

The Sweet Sparkling Wines

Heinz Theodor Schroeder settled down in Patagonia in 1927 and began working in the wine industry, their winery and vineyards are located in San Patricio del Chañar, Patagonia at the heart of the southernmost wine region of Argentina. Chief enologist Leonardo Puppato helped in the technical design of the winery and also conducts the winemaking practices.

During the construction of the winery’s building, fossilized bones of a large herbivorous dinosaur were discovered. This became a massive part of Familia Schroeder, with them specially designing a cellar house to showcase the original bones in the exact place they were discovered. After several years of study, the paleontologists concluded that the fossils belonged to a new species, so the dinosaur received a new name: Panamericansaurus Schroederi, in recognition of the family contribution to the excavation works.

Name: Panamericansaurus Schroederi
Age: 75 million years (Campanian – Maastrichtian). Late Cretaceous.
Systematics: Sauropoda. Titanosauridae.
Environment: Coastal plain of shallow seas.
Length: 10 to 12 meters.
Diet: Herbivore.

Familia Schroeder – Deseado – Tasting Notes

Aroma “Mango, apricot, peach, hints of tropical fruits. A lovely array of ripe fruits on the aroma.”

Flavour “A sweet burst of fruity flavours, including peach, apricot, tropical, apricot in syrup and more on the palate.”

This Argentinian Sparkling Wine Won a Gold Medal in the Dessert Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2021

Familia Schroeder – Deseado Rosé – Tasting Notes

Aroma “Raspberry cheesecake, raspberries, cream, pink floral and more on the palate.”

Flavour “A similar taste of raspberries, cheese, cream and floral notes on the palate.”

This Argentinian Sparkling Wine Won a Gold Medal in the Dessert Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2021

Now it’s time to enjoy the treats and pair these two Sparkling Wines with each to find the best pairing results, you can watch our tasting right here or continue reading for the results.

Mince Pies

Deseado and Mince Pies Pairing  – “A ripe tropical burst turns this mince pie into a tropical holiday treat, the sparkling wine is prominent but not overpowering, lovely, peach, apricot and mango flavours.”

Deseado Rosé and Mince Pies Pairing – “A subtle burst of red berries, nicely combine with the mince pie.”

Stollen

Deseado and Stollen Pairing  – “A delicate burst of ripe fruits from the Sparkling Wine, its a much welcomed guest which doesn’t stay long, leaving you with the full flavours of the stollen at the end.”

Deseado Rosé and Stollen Pairing – “Red berries take over the stollen flavours, these leave halfway through ending up with the stollen at the end.”

Profiteroles

Deseado and Profiteroles Pairing – “The soft delicate pastry, cream and chocolate are better enjoyed on their own, the sparkling wine comes in awkwardly, not the best combination.”

Deseado Rosé and Profiteroles Pairing – “The Profiteroles are a delicate delight and for this combination, the sparkling wine isn’t delicate enough.”

Gingerbread and Butterscotch Bombe

Deseado and  Bombe Pairing – “The Sparkling Wine comes in subtlety but leaves all the flavours enhanced, you feel its unlocked hidden flavours.”

Deseado Rosé and Bombe Pairing – “The spice flavours take on a red berries note, still delivering the gingerbread and butterscotch, but with a red berry touch.”

Christmas Cake & Chocolate Bites

Deseado and Christmas Cake – “As long as you don’t get too much icing, there’s a lively touch of tropical ripe fruits added into this Christmas cake.”

Deseado Rosé and Christmas Cake – “The Sparkling Wine adds a layer of red berries to the icing sugar, giving it a slightly more Christmas flavour, it’s an OK combination, but not perfect.”

Deseado and Chocolate Bites  – “The Sparkling Wine is immediately lost to the power of the chocolate.”

Deseado Rosé and Chocolate Bites – “The chocolate again overpowers the Sparkling Wine.”

Sparkling Wine is made to be enjoyed and what better time to enjoy it, than on and around Christmas, the time where smiles are on everyone’s faces, bellies are waiting to be filled and glasses should never be empty. If you’re also looking for the perfect Champagne or Sparkling Wine to enjoy with your roast dinner, then check out these two articles that may help you: 10 Champagnes & Sparkling Wines to put in your Christmas Trolley and The Best Wine For Your Turkey Dinner.

This is a perfect selection to get for Christmas, there’s something for everyone inside unless you’re having 11 people coming over, in that case, you’ll have to share.

With such a fine selection of cakes to enjoy, it’s only right to call on a Sparkling Wine that has the power to stand up to that level of delicate, creamy sweetness. This Sparkling Wine won the Trophy in the Dessert Category, our Judges thought it best fit the category against Champagnes, Argentinan and Slovenian Sparkling Wines.

Dessert
A wine that will likely be sweeter in taste and pairs well with desserts.

Let’s first taste this English Sparkling Wine to see if it’s the perfect match for the Dessert Category

Biddenden

Biddenden Vineyards – Gribble Bridge Ortega Demi-Sec 2019 Tasting Notes

Aroma “Green apples, green pears, green grapes, green apple glazed tart aromas.”

Flavour “Orchard fruits, green apples, green pears, tastes like a natural sweetness from the fruits rather than added sugar.”

The Trophy Winner in the Dessert Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2021.

Wow, what a treat, defiantly in the right category, there are many sweet Sparkling Wines available to buy, but not that many produced in England.

Kent’s original vineyard, the Barnes family has owned and managed Biddenden Vineyards since 1969, but vines weren’t the first things planted there, there were originally over 40 acres of apple orchard, but in the late 60’s apple prices began to decline, and in 1969, they decided to turn 1/3 of their acres into vines, that’s when Biddenden Vineyards was born.

They currently have 12 different grape varieties planted over 23 acres of south-facing slopes. It’s interesting to know that their first wine was bottled in 1973, it would be amazing if you have that bottle safely stored somewhere, today they produce around 80,000 bottles per year, the vineyard is currently being run by the second & third generations of the Barnes family.

There are many wonderful and award winning English Sparkling Wines on the market today, I think it would be a nice idea to enjoy a bottle of English Sparkling Wine on Christmas Day, to show our support for the industry, maybe you might end up trying something new, Glass of Bubbly can definitely help you find the perfect bottle for you and your family

The Pairing – Christmas Pastry Desserts and Sparkling Wine

Biddenden and Cherry Chocolate Chip Gateau Slice Pairing: “The Sparkling wine intensifies the cherry along with the chocolate flavours.”

Biddenden and Marzipan Gateau Slice Pairing: “The Sparkling Wine comes in and cleanses the palate, then allows the marzipan flavour to come alive again for a second wind in the same bite.”

Biddenden and Almond Cream Cake Pairing: “The Sparkling Wine comes in and cleanses5the palate, but leaves some of the almond flavours, giving you a single expression of delicate almond.”

Biddenden and Strawberry Vanilla Cream Gateau Slice Pairing: “A nice balance of white chocolate, strawberries, cream and pastry, the sparkling wine comes in and cleanses the palate leaving you wanting another bite.”

Biddenden and Cherry Cream Slice Pairing: “The chocolate leads the flavour, cherry takes second place and takes on a slight bitter taste.”

Biddenden and Strawberry Cream Slice Pairing: “The Sparkling Wine cleanses the palate too early, leaving creamy strawberry flavours with hints of green apple skin.”

Biddenden and Mandarin Cream Tart Pairing: “Green citrus is added to the mandarin cream tart in a strong but not overpowering way.”

Biddenden and Chocolate Cream Tart Pairing: “A wonderful blend of chocolate, cream and pastry, the sparkling wine adds elements of English country gardens.”

Biddenden and Strawberry Cream Roll Pairing: “The strawberry is rather let go, the pastry takes on the green fruit flavours giving you a green fruit cream roll with hints of strawberries.”

Biddenden and Lemon cream Roll Pairing: “The lemon flavours stay with you throughout, even intensifying after the Sparkling Wine has been added, with hints of pastry.”

Merry Christmas Everyone

It is said that around 25% of all Champagne sold and consumed will be during the week of Christmas and New Year. Via a previous survey from ASDA supermarket results showed that the most popular food served / consumed at a Christmas dinner was roast potatoes with second place being carrots and third being Turkey.

Christmas dinner for many families across the UK will be that Turkey roast with all the trimmings, veg, sauces and more. Turkey meat is a particularly rich source of B vitamins, including B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), and B12 (cobalamin) – It is high in protein and also a rich source of minerals. It is one of the most healthier meats (further facts via HealthLine.com).

Turkey Christmas Dinner with Cranberry Sauce

Pairing Champagne with Turkey

If you’re looking for a great wine to pair with turkey then Champagne is a perfect suggestion. Though of course wine is a personal choice regarding what you prefer in style, a wine with a medium to high level of acidity is great to pair with white meats (especially the Turkey leg which have higher levels of fat), it is advised though that you should avoid pairing with excessive tannins such as from red wines!

A Brut style of Champagne, so medium levels of sugar / sweetness is the better style to go for. Turkey will be less greasy and require less powerful acidity from the wine to cleanse the palate. A touch of fruity sweet flavours from the Champagne will be welcomed to go against the savoury flavours from the dish. If you have sweeter sauces on your plate, such as cranberry sauce, then you can also opt for a rosé Champagne which will usually have a touch more red fruity sweet flavours to balance the palate.

Champagne Chateau de Boursault

Located West of Epernay, in Boursault, the grower label ‘Château de Boursault‘ is home to the famous château built between 1843 and 1850 by Madame Clicquot Ponsardin, the Veuve Clicquot who owned the Veuve Clicquot Champagne House.

Château de Boursault is one of the few estates in Champagne to have an enclosed space in which you’ll find the vineyards, a wine press, a winery and cellars.

Champagnes in the video:

Champagne Château de Boursault – Brut Tradition: Find our more here

Champagne Château de Boursault – Brut Rosé de Saignée: Find out more here

Sea Bass can be cooked in a variety of different ways, the only real limit is your imagination, whether you like the Sea Bass to be the only flavour hitting your palate or if you prefer to have a circus performing on your tongue, each palate is our own and needs to be catered to, so next time you feel like a piece of Sea Bass, consider cooking it with a Kiwi or if you don’t like Kiwi, try Mango, if you don’t like something sweet, add in chilli pepper or ginger.

This beautiful piece of Sea Bass was fried with 1 Kiwi, 1 Green Apple, 2 Garlic cloves, 2 Mint Leaves and a sprinkle of Herbs.

I then placed it all on a bed of white rice, as the Kiwi had been cooked with the Sea Bass, its sweetness levels had increased, meaning if we were to have a pleasant combination for lunch or dinner, we would need a balance between sweet and savoury, because sweet foods are more powerful on the palate than savoury, so to make sure the savoury flavours were not overpowered, I made sure we had two strong forces.

After creating such a delicious lunch for myself, I need to pair it with a Sparkling Wine that wouldn’t just work but enhance the whole tasting experience, so I looked into our Sea Breeze category, I landed on a previous trophy winner, No.1 Rosé.

No.1 Family Estate was born in 1977 by Adele & Daniel, they chose the name No.1 Family Estate in recognition of the many ‘firsts’ in New Zealand wine they had achieved over the years while working on their first venture, Cellier Le Brun.

They released their very first Cuvée No.1 on Bastille Day in 1999 and in 2012 their No.1 Assemblé was the first wine in New Zealand to be labelled ‘Méthode Marlborough’ in place of Méthode Traditionelle.

Aroma “Sea salt, raspberries minerals, wet stones, seashells and fresh from the beach seaweed on the aroma.”

Flavour “A vibrant expression of red berries mixed with wet stones, seashells and salty ocean air on the palate.”

This Sparkling Wine from New Zealand Won a Silver Medal in the Sea Breeze Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2021

Wow! a perfect example of a Sea Breeze Sparkling Wine, all you need to do is close your eyes and take in the aromas of this Rosé and you find yourself standing on the beach, I can’t wait to pair this with the Sea Bass.

Paring Notes – “A fantastic infusion of salty, minerals and red berries, as soon the Sparkling Wine enters, the sweet kiwi flavours are enhanced, the mint holds firm a salty saline brings the savoury sea bass back to life on flavour allowing for a sweet and savoury finish.”

A truly wonderful pairing, everything worked, nothing overpowered, the Sparkling Wine added its own Sea Breeze character and enhanced some of the existing flavours from the dish, I am very pleased with how this food pairing turned out and I defiantly recommend that you give it a try.

Thank you for reading, I hope you’ve enjoyed and even learned something new, until next time, enjoy the fizz!

Salads are known for being light and healthy and usually part of one’s diet for healthy eating and or losing weight. Most occasions a salad will contain lettuce with other vegetables along with options such as pasta, egg, cheese, meats and fish. Popular sauces / dressings for salad include vinaigrettes, honey mustard, blue cheese and more.

When it comes to pairing a wine with a salad we are ideally looking at an equally light and fresh example. White wine is usually selected though also sparkling wines are great for pairing with salads. Depending on the salad you have chosen, a lighter sparkling wine such as Prosecco can pair amazing well.

What is Prosecco: “The Prosecco region of Italy, producing its world-famous namesake sparkling wine, is a great example of a wine region that starts off with large plains of flat land for mass production to some of the most wonderful picturesque steep hillsides full of vines. Prosecco is split into two classifications which acknowledges the differing terroir quality – The DOC and the DOCG.”

A Cheese and Rice Salad

We can simply make our own salads at home and bespoke them to our preferences. Yes, they can be very healthy and certainly give us our five a day, but we can also add on ingredients that will increase calories and oils / fats / carbs and more. A salad can creep from a starter to a main course very easily, a leaves on our plate may still tag things as a salad, but if we add a few leaves to a burger and fries?

Nonetheless, a healthy meal is a salad and it is ideally suited to a chilled glass of wine to accompany it. Light and refreshing in style, Prosecco is a great suggestion and will softly cleanse the palate whilst leaving delicate fruity expressions next to any savoury flavours from the dish. As you increase the quality of the Prosecco you serve, you will get a better pairing experience – From heavier sugared DOC Prosecco up to finer fruit flavours from the Glera grape via DOCG / Cartizze labels. An alternative will also be a young blanc de blancs Brut which will be once again citrus / fruity / floral in style.

Food pairing with Champagne and Sparkling Wine

Sparkling Wines pair with a host of dishes, do not be afraid to experiment and find combinations that suit your palate.

The best Prosecco you can look out for and purchase is a Cartizze label. A very tiny and unique region in Italy with rolling hills and vineyards on steep slopes. Picturesque and a wonderful wine tourism location – This 107 hectare wine region contains some of the finest expressions of Prosecco.

Villa Sandi – Cartizze Brit La Rivetta – Tasting notes: “Wonderful honeysuckle, fresh creamy apple, yellow pear aromas. Elegant and fine flavours still. Yellow fruits, citrus, white floral, silky honey suckle / honey.”

Salad pairing notes: “The dish is light and fresh and the Prosecco matches the style perfectly. The palate is cleansed from any oil and milky texture from the sauces and cheese to leave a fresh light and fruity taste sensation. The balance between the dish and the wine really compliment each other and neither do they reduce any of their taste delights.”

“LA RIVETTA” PROSECCO CARTIZZE DOCG (75CL) – VILLA SANDI available at £29.99 from the Bellavita website.

Khatta Meeta
This savoury snack should actually be hidden from me. When no one is looking, I can eat a whole pack. The name loosely translates as sour/sweet and a blend in itself. Picking this easy drinking South African favourite to kick things off, naturally was a hit! Pictured here is the Haldiram’s version, a well known brand.

Pairing: Graham Beck Brut

Dal Makhani – Black lentils
You would have definitely have seen this on a typical Indian restaurant menu, as a guaranteed staple that can be as lean as you like, yet packed full of flavour with ginger, garlic and chillies. This may well be full of ghee and cream depending on where you go. The key here is that it is incredibly healthy and more filling than one may realise!

Bhindi Fry – Stir Fried Okra
This one is a bit like marmite – some people may make a face just by reading the name, others absolutely love it. It has grown in popularity over recent years. It wouldn’t be my first choice dish, however featured here to demonstrate the variety of foods that can be cooked with ease. I do like them well done and picking them is an experience in itself!

Wine Pairing: Bolney Estate Cuvee Rose 2018 – Trophy Winner of the Light & Fruity Trophy at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2021

Verdict: Of the two dishes, I felt this wine complemented the Dal better with its creamy texture and suggest it may have worked well with Bhindi that was heavier on tomatoes. Dal Makhni can be quite deep and heavy so in some instances, a still red may be the way to go.

Accompaniments
The above was served with yellow fragrant pilau rice.

Boondi Raita – Yogurt with crispy baby balls
Yogurt is a funny one, where in some parts of India and some families, it is a given and in others, it may not even feature. My mum’s side of the family will typically have yogurt with a meal (depending on what it is) whereas I tend to see my father have a couple of spoons almost to wrap things up.

No pairing here, but a condiment or side dish that takes minutes to prepare and can serve as that additional dish if things feel a little sparse, a rare treat for those not used to it, or to cool things down if a little spicy.

Alsi Burfi – Flaxseed bites
I’m probably not a typical sweet-toothed Indian, though I may be getting this way. Let’s be frank something like this may not appeal at first glance, but they are sooo good! Homemade by my mum, with a little help from me, it is a healthier option with just the right amount of sugar to pass as an Indian sweet. I’ll be honest, I put away quite a few!

I didn’t pair this with any wine, but I’d hazard a guess that it might be worth a go!

A pre-Covid Diwali affair at my parents place, may well have followed a similar theme though with maybe double the amount of dishes. Whether you opt for simple or go all out this year, from my family to yours, a very Happy Diwali and prosperous new year!

Author: Rupa Datta – [email protected]

Fish is seen as a great dish to pair with wines and especially those which are white. Very much so today we see sparkling wines taking the mantle of popularity when pairing with varied white fish dishes. Does fish pair well with sparkling wines? Yes for sure with many opting for Champagne though and staying in France, Cremants we do see plenty of also as well as other wonderful fizz producing countries throwing their hat into the ring with traditional method wines from both the new and old world. Lighter style sparkling wines to include Prosecco also are a great pairing for certain fish dishes and especially as you scale up the quality chart with Superiore labels and of course Cartizze.

“The lighter the fish style you choose then the lighter your wine should be. You can pair red wines with fish though this is usually reserved for those with red sauces and spicier characters. You ultimately want to balance the dish with the wine so that they match in performance so you get the palate cleansing experience though neither outplay the other when it comes to flavours. The ideal pairing is when the wine simply leaves you with a refreshed palate, you can enjoy the flavours of the wine and it leaves the savoury flavours of the fish in the length.” Christopher Walkey

Slow cooked pan fried Sea Bass with Herbs

How we prepare and cook our fish can vary from added sauces to baked/pan fried/grilled/fried and more. Some dishes will have spice, others will have herbs, we can have casseroles to curry and plenty of fresh too – Fish is a very versatile ingredient in the kitchen. Fish also have very different intensities of flavours and depending on how they are cooked and eaten will also vary the end results.

Most times, and common for home cooking, we will see white fish lightly pan fried usually with butter or oil. We prefer to allow the fish flavours to delight us and only choose light condiments / seasonings such as parsley, salt, pepper, lemon to accompany the dish. We usually opt for less intense flavoured fish so that the whole family can enjoy the meal rather than putting off any weaker fans of fish.

To test out the combination of fish with sparkling wine we went for a light and flaky style of fish with sea bass and paired it with a crisp and fresh Cartizze Prosecco from Villa Sandi. The characteristics of the wine is a defined fresh fruit tasting experience with good levels of acidity, not too intense in flavours yet with the ability to cleanse the palate and leave rich savoury flavours behind. Unlike many Prosecco styles that can be highly fruity and sweeter in style, Cartizze has the ability to deliver the ultimate experience from the Glera grape yet in a classic and elegant style showing different layers of flavours.

Villa Sandi La Rivetta

“LA RIVETTA” PROSECCO CARTIZZE DOCG (75CL) – VILLA SANDI – Available from Bellavita website at £29.99

“La Rivetta lies in the heart of the 106 hectares of the Cartizze area, between the districts of Santo Stefano and S. Pietro di Barbozza. A perfect combination between a gentle microclimate and very old land with calcareous sandstones and clays.”

Sea bass: You wouldn’t notice at first glance, but sea bass is quite fatty compared with other white fish, sitting halfway between cod (essentially zero fat) and salmon (source the fish society). This fish is quite easy to prepare and cook and goes well with a host of seasonings that include black pepper, herbs and lemon.

Pairing Fish and Sparkling Wines (Cartizze, Prosecco):

This light lunch of sea bass fish slowly pan fried in olive oil with added herbs laid on a bed of salad along with a side of boiled potatoes was calling out for a light and fresh sparkling wine.

La Rivetta Cartizze Villa Sandi – Tasting notes: “Light and elegant notes of honeysuckle, creamy apples, green pear on the nose. The flavours show multi layers of fresh yellow pear, white floral, honey / honeysuckle, pear flesh all delivered in a silky texture.”

Pairing tasting notes: “The pairing is a wonderful balance of harmonious flavours showing a delicate white floral and apple flavours initially which refreshes the palate of any oily texture to leave a silky and creamy sea bass savoury length. Easy to enjoy together and a very compatible pairing.“

Many of us will enjoy a glass of wine to relax to or even quite the opposite, to party to, the setting helps us to appreciate it even more. We can maximise a wine’s qualities when we are served it at the correct temperature, within the perfect glass and when our palate is fresh and most assertive.

Pairing wine with foods allows it to work in a very different way. Depending on the style of food, wine can perform very differently and aid plus enhance our tasting experience by showing alternative flavours. Wines can also refresh / cleanse the palate in between servings.

Spicy vegetable curry

Curry is one such cuisine style that is a wonderful pairing for wine. Though many of us will know of, and most likely to have experienced in our younger socialising years, curry being served with beer / larger, in more recent years the trend is them to be served with fine wines. Many Asian cuisine restaurants across the UK will likely have a wine menu alongside the food menu to offer guests many styles to choose from.

“The story of curry goes all the way back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. This culture in the Northwest of Asia dates back to the time between 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE. Archaeologists have found evidence that they used a mortar and a pestle to blend spices such as cumin, fennel and tamarind pods and mixed them with their food. Another spice that is related to the Indian subcontinent and South Asia is black pepper, which was first introduced all the way back in 2000 BCE.” source curryculture

Though of course curry belongs to Asia, it is also looked upon as a very traditional dish here amongst us Brits. Alongside imported cuisine styles and popular takeaways including pizza, Chinese and burgers we see curry as one of the most popular dishes favoured by people up and down the country. With over 9,000 curry houses to choose from across the UK, we have a variety of styles and variations to enjoy. Many of the curries we see served in the UK have been adapted to our preferences, though there are many restaurants and chefs offering the chance to experience original home recipes.

We are able to enjoy curry at ease here from restaurants to takeaways, frozen ready made meals to sauces in a jar. We can also visit our local Asian food store and purchase ingredients to make our own homemade curries.

Curry is made to be very easily understood with each having its own title which many are household names such as Tikka Masala, Korma, Vindaloo, Jalfrezi, Madras, Balti, Dansak and many more. Each curry is also open to vegetarian and vegan options as well as popular meats such as chicken, beef, lamb and king prawn. Creamy to dry sauces, sweet to hot & spicy – Curry really does give us a grand selection to choose from.

“Which is the best wine for curry? This is a great question of which there are many answers and of course lots are down to personal preferences. I have reviewed many wine menus of curry restaurants (example Indian Accent) and for me the better style of wine for curry is that of black grapes such as rosé and reds (still or sparkling). The ideal partner for curry is sparkling rosé wines including Champagne, ideally Brut style so not too sweet neither too dry – You are looking for a crisp, fresh rosé with delicate expression of red berry fruits and a decent acidity.” Christopher Walkey

Wine is another item that we have a great selection of here in the UK. Not only do we now produce our very own fine labels, thanks to high street stores, supermarkets and online sales platforms, we can choose from countless labels from across the globe. One such fine style of wine suitable for pairing with many curry dishes, especially those which are spicy / hot, is rosé sparkling wine.

Rosé Sparkling Wines are made globally though for this article I have decided to go with an example from Slovenia. The capital of the country, Ljubljana, holds restaurants that serve Asian cuisine and back in 2013 The Curry Life Taste of Britain Festival travelled to Ljubljana to introduce its inhabitants to British-Asian cuisine.

“The Joannes Protner house is located five kilometers from the center of Maribor, in the direction of Malečnik. We have been intensively involved in viticulture for more than three decades and we have a total of 13 ha of vineyards.” Joannes.si

Penina Joannes Brut Rosé

Joannes Winery Slovenia – Located in the northern wine region (Štajerska) of Slovenia and near to Maribor a town that holds the popular wine tourism destination of the oldest vine in the world! An innovative winery producing both still and sparkling wines of very high standard – Find out more about their wines here including their rosé fizz: Joannes Wines

Joannes Rosé Brut Penina (30% Velvet black, 70% Pinot Noir) – Tasting notes: “Wonderful delicate pink floral, red berry fruits on the nose with added strawberry pastry. Fine flavours, most elegant, showing delicate red berry fruits and a decent yet silky acidity. A wonderful wine for food pairings.”

Home made spicy chicken curry – Pairing notes: “The wine pairs very well with the savoury and spicy flavours from the dish. The wine cuts through the oily texture and cools down most of the chilli heat to leave a fresh red berry and soft spicy chicken taste. The heat from the chilli slowly comes back as the wine fades… ”

Home made potato and lentil curry – Pairing notes: “Once again the rosé sparkling wine works very well to calm down the palate from the chilli heat, we still get a nice welcoming spiciness in the palate with fresh raspberry / red berries.“