Cheers!
What’s the best bottle to have with a big-flavoured meal? Susy Atkins shares her expertise and latest finds, plus a great new book on whisky
EXPERT GUIDE A pairing for spicy food
There are quite a few warming, spicy recipes in this issue, but which drinks go best with them? Chilli isn’t nearly as difficult to pair with wine as you might think, as long as it isn’t searingly hot. The knack is to avoid wimpy, delicate styles and choose whites and rosés with assertive, bright flavours.
Go for zesty and vibrant sauv blancs, tropical-fruited chardonnays or rieslings and fruit-driven, off-dry rosés. Make reds rounded and juicy – like pinot noir, merlot or Chile’s carmenere – and give tannic, tough, oaky reds a miss. Dry sparklers tend to taste too acidic... Avoid!