Wine expert
Elly Munro owns Vinbiz, a Woking-based wine-tasting company with online wine shop. Elly began studying wine 20 years ago and considers it an adventure, encouraging clients to experiment, explore and, most importantly, enjoy the rich diversity of fl avour on off er. She is passionate about wine and food fl avour pairing
Not all white on the night I get a very bad headache whenever I drink white wine, even if I don’t over- indulge! I’ve read that it’s the sulphites that cause this and wondered if it was possible to buy wine without sulphites? I’ve been searching the shelves, but can’t fi nd any without. Jayne, Guildford
Whine and dine? I recently had a red wine in a restaurant that tasted really bad. It was a screw-cap bottle so the wine wasn’t corked but it tasted like sweaty feet! I couldn’t drink it and wanted to know if it is acceptable to return a wine just because you don’t like the taste? Philip, Godalming
result of bacteria that can only develop in natural cork. But this doesn’t mean the wine wasn’t spoiled. The seal on the cap may have been damaged, for instance, or it may be that the wine just didn’t taste good. If this happens again, then you should discreetly inform your waiter, remembering that things can go wrong with even the best quality wines and that it's beyond the control of the restaurant. Most establishments would want to know if there was a problem and would be eager to change it, even if it is simply a matter of personal taste. If they insist that the wine is as it should be and won’t change it, then don’t go back – they clearly don’t care about your dining experience.
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GRUBMAGAZINE.CO.UK
You’re right that the wine couldn’t have been corked because that is a
then they're added by the producer as a preservative. If any are added in the wine- making process, this fact must by law be stated on the bottle. However, the quantity used isn't revealed and there is a huge diff erence between wines. If it’s only white that gives you the bad head then you can tolerate low levels – red wine production requires less because the tannins act as a natural preservative. Avoid mass- produced wines which tend to have much higher sulphite levels. Look out for wines produced and bottled at the vineyard – travelling long distances requires a lot of preservative. Also, try decanting white wine. Aeration will bind the free sulphites to oxygen, lessening their eff ect.
A Elly’s tip
To open a bottle of sparkling wine without it fi zzing over, remove the foil and hold down the cork with the thumb of one hand while you unwind the twisted part of the wire cage with the other. Remove the wire and point the top of the bottle away from your face, at an angle of about 40 degrees to your body. Hold the cork fi rmly and twist the bottle, keeping it at the 40-degree angle.
If you have a question for Elly, drop her an email at Surreyeditor@grubmagazine.
co.uk with ‘Elly’ in the subject box. Elly regrets she cannot enter into correspondence.
JULY 2011 61
Sulphites occur naturally in wine as a by-product of fermentation;
Shiraz rosé
Seafood and wild rocket salads
Rosé made from syrah (also known as shiraz) combines great summer fruit fl avours with lovely peppery spice. Pair with fresh seafood. The saltiness will give great texture to the summer berry fl avours in the wine. The addition of wild rocket leaves will accentuate the peppery notes in the syrah.
Into the wood? I like chablis, but not chardonnay, even though I know it can contain chardonnay. Why does chablis taste so diff erent from the other chardonnays? Sophie, Woking
terroir, which refers to all the factors that contribute to the growing of the grape; soil, aspect, climate etc. As Chablis is a specifi c area in Burgundy, wines from there express the characteristics of that environment. Another diff erence is in the production
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process. The use of oak ‘treatment’ – adding oak chips to the wine, resulting in heavy, woody wines, which aren't to everyone’s taste – is common in chardonnay. Chablis isn't oak treated, so it may be this style that you don’t like. I'd suggest you try a few un-oaked chardonnays, such as the ones in ‘whites under a tenner’ (page 62), to see if it’s the grape or oaky style that doesn’t suit you.
All chablis is made entirely from chardonnay. The diff erence is in the
WORDS: Elly Munro PHOTOGRAPHS: James Bedford, Shutterstock
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