Tag: BAY RADIO

Bay Radio’s Sunday Brunch Programme

Presenter Noelle and I enjoying a recommended wine!

Green Asparagus with Ham

Unless it’s smoked, which lends a far stronger flavour, ham can be happy with white wine and with red, though red would be the best pairing. However, with this dish I think the more dominant flavour will be the delicious green asparagus which for me is so much better than white asparagus.

This means we’ll have to think white rather than red. Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes described as having some asparagus flavours and aromas so it’s an obvious partner. There are some super Sauvignon wines in Spain now. DO Rueda would be a first port of call and here you could also choose Verdejo, or perhaps the best match would be a Sauvignon/Verdejo blend.

A judiciously oaked Chardonnay would also do the trick and may be particularly good with the cheese sauce, try one from Somontano or Penedés.

Salud!

Bay Radio’s May 2011 On-Air Wine Tasting!

Our very popular (approximately 50,000 listeners on Bay Radio and by internet www.bayradio.fm ) live wine tasting for May will take place between 12:00 hrs – 13:00 hrs, Sunday 8th May.

You are invited to enjoy the programme and even take part by calling the studio and asking questions/making comments etc.

As usual, Noelle, Co-Presenter (with hubby, Bob), will be giving details of the week’s recipe and I’ll be there to suggest wines that will accompany the dish).

For me, food and wine combinations make a meal that much better and I’ll be making some suggestions which I hope will enhance your enjoyment too!

Bay Radio On-Air Wine Tasting, March 2011

Bay Radio Sunday Brunch Presenters, Noelle and Bob - oh no, with empty glasses!

Apricot-Ginger Pork

A lightly coloured meat, Pork will be quite happy with a rosado wine and also, considering the other ingredients, with certain styles of white wine too. But reds won’t really work with this one.
 
This super sounding recipe will finish with a touch of sweetness I think, which really counts out almost all red wines. And it’s this sweetness that demands a touch of the same with the wine to accompany the dish.
 
I’ve mentioned before Santa Digna Rosado wine from Miguel Torres’ outpost in Chile, but widely available here. This wine is made from Cabernet Sauvignon and is a richly coloured rosé whose residual sugar is such that it can really be defined as an off-dry rosado style. It will suit this recipe very well and, as a sop to red wine fans, whilst not red it is dark in colour and made with the red wine fraternity’s ‘darling’ grape variety, Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
However white wine drinkers don’t need to miss out, particularly those with a penchant for off-dry, whites. I promise I’m not taking a back-hander from Señor Torres, but I am going to recommend another of his wines, this time home-grown though!
 
Viña Esmeralda has white flower blossom on the nose (from the Gewurztraminer in the blend) and that ever-so-important slight touch of sweetness (from the 80% or so Moscatel that is the other variety used).  
 
Salud!

Bay Radio Sunday Brunch Wine Recommendation!

Tuna & Egg Pie
Tinned tuna is happy with aromatic white wines and egg will be comfortable too so, which to choose?
 
As I’ve said many times before Spain can no longer be considered a red wine country with not much more than lip-service being paid to white wine production, albeit with some notable exceptions like Albariño wines from Galicia. There are many splendid white wines now being made in several different areas of Spain.
 
DO Rueda with their indigenous Verdejo and their imported foreign grape variety, Sauvignon Blanc could provide a super match. Or a Chardonnay from DO Somontano would do the trick. There are some cracking white wines from the Pais Basco made from unpronounceable varieties in DO Chacoli De Vizcaya-Bizkaiko Txakolina!  
 
However perhaps Galicia remains a centre of excellence for whites and you may want to choose an Albariño (that’s the grape variety) from DO Rias Baixas which would be super. Or a Godello (grape variety again) from DO Valdeorras.
 
Nevertheless I’m going to suggest a white wine, from the Galicia area, but this time from DO Ribiero made from perhaps a blend of Treixadura, Godello and Albariño – there’s loads of fruit-laden aromas in such a wine with fresh acidity too – a good match I think!
 
Salud!