Let’s clear one thing up first. What on earth is the difference between British and English wines? British wine is wine that has been made in Britain from


imported grapes, usually brought over in tanks – or even from grape concentrate. English wines have been made from grapes grown here.


So what should we be looking for when we buy wine? As with food, I think it’s important to try and buy the best quality you can afford. You don’t have to spend a fortune though, as wines from lesser-known regions are much more affordable. The New World countries have dominated in the value end of the market the last few years, but now there’re some exciting and incredible value wines coming out of Europe. The Pinot Noirs from Hungary and Romania I tasted recently have been outstanding at their price points. Toro and Campo de Borja in Spain are also a constant source of good-quality and great-value wines.


Noted! So is there a wine for every season? Some wines are thought of as purely seasonal – rosé in the summer, for example – but actually I think all wines are suitable for all seasons in the right circumstances. It’s more about what you’re eating, who you are with and, ultimately, what you like. A big wintery red might be the perfect match with your barbecue steak, and there’s often nothing better than a glass of rosé with turkey leftovers on Boxing Day!


Any top tips for pairing food with your wine? There are few hard and fast rules with matching, so I would encourage people to be adventurous. Wine should always be sweeter than the food (otherwise all you’ll taste is acid), and spicy foods and dry tannins don’t mix (you’ll get a horrible metallic taste). I adore matching off- dry and sweet wines, like German Riesling or Muscats with savoury food. Try a demi-sec white with barbecued chicken for summer food heaven.


crumbsmag.com


Hold on: tell us about tannins. Tannins are polyphenolic compounds that occur naturally in grapes and are then transferred to wine. Tannins are what give you that drying sensations on your gums when you drink red wine, and also tea. At their best they give a wine structure, helping your palate to understand all the different flavours – and they are also extremely important for wines designed for mid- to long-term ageing. Tannin is also found in wood, so wines aged in oak will usually have more tannin.


Got it. So how should we be storing our wine? Keep it in a place that doesn’t vary too much in temperature and out of direct sunlight. Wines with corks benefit from being stored on their side (to keep the cork moist) if you are ageing for a few years..


And what temperature should we be serving our wine at? Room temperature for reds, 20-25C is ideal. Whites should be chilled – but if they are too cold the flavours and aromas will be very neutral.


Tell us the best glass to sip our plonk from. In short, a big one. You want the wine to have lots of air contact to help release the phenolics, and a slight narrowing at the top to funnel those aromas.


And if we have any wine leftover (as if!), how long can we keep it for? As a very rough guide, wine will keep for two days once open if you pop the cork or cap back on. Wines higher in alcohol and/ or sugar will last longer, as these act as natural preservatives.


Anna knows good wine – and can be sure to find it at Vinotopia


Should we decant? Decanting has a dual purpose – to remove sediment from older wines and ports that have thrown a deposit, and to aerate and allow the flavour and aroma compounds to relax and open up. I usually decant as a good way to quickly soften up a tannic young red. I will add that my ‘decanter’ is just a glass jug, which does the job just fine!


Look out for Anna’s wine


pairings for this month’s recipes, on page 10


How can we tell which wines are worth investing in? Whether a wine will rise in value depends on a number of factors – the prestige of the vineyard, the quantity produced, the quality of the vintage and, increasingly, the scores given to the wines by wine critics.


Can veggies indulge in wine without guilt? As part of the winemaking process, protein compounds are added to remove rogue particles and clarify the wine. This process is called fining and sometimes the protein compounds used are derived from animals or fish. These days, though, lots of winemakers use a clay derivative, which is vegetarian.


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So what’s next for wine? I think generally there will be a lean towards lighter, lower-alcohol wines, such as Prosecco. There has been huge investment in the wine industries of Hungary and Romania, and there are some seriously exciting young winemakers in the Languedoc shaking things up at the moment too.


✱ Want to know more? Vinotopia offers a variety of wine tasting courses: www.vinotopiawine.co.uk


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