After lazing beside a Scottish Loch on a sunny Sunday, my perfect evening finished with a homemade dinner and wine produced a littler closer to home...
We have recently been blessed with glorious sunshine in Scotland, something we are not quite used to. Taking advantage of the rare heat my boyfriend decided to drive out to the countryside and sunbathe on the banks of a local loch. To get to this particular spot you have to walk through fields filled with Highland Cows. After braving the beasts, we were able to spend an afternoon paddling in the crystal clear water and sunbathing whilst listening to the lapping loch and the distant 'moo' from our ginger friends.
After a successful sunburn we decided to return home. Requesting his favourite dinner I got to work making Katsu Curry, a thick sweet sauce made with honey, soy, bay leaves and a multitude of spices poured over sticky rice and served with crispy fried chicken.
The sweet nature of this sauce with the spice and savoury chicken can be a daunting pairing. However, when in doubt, peruse the aisle and read the back of a bottle. Here you will normally find ideal pairings and you can select what you are looking for.
For this family meal, I decided to pair the Japanese curry with a Surrey wine. As a result of climate change Scotland finally has sun during the summer and the English wine trade is booming. Climate change and the impact on the wine industry is a topic I could discuss for hours, so you will need to wait for another post. As the years go on English wine is getting more impressive, this is clear when reading wine critic reviews who are giving English wine higher evaluations.
This particular wine from M&S was produced in Dorking Surrey, right down the South of England. Only 21 miles from London this area has seen a multitude of vineyards popping up over the past 10 years. If you think about this areas geographical plato, it is situated very similarity to Champagne, therefore the argument goes that English Sparkling could be considered just as exceptional with bottles such as Nyetimber coming to mind, but then comes the counter argument of practice, appellation laws, terroir and so on (again a subject that needs a whole other post!)
Now with approximately 7,200 acres of land down South being occupied by vineyards, we are seeing and hearing a lot more about English Wine. The most common grape varieties planted are the well known Chardonnays and Pinot Noir but also the less known Bacchus, Seyval Blanc, Solaris and Reichensteiner. The majority of English wines are made from blends, including this one.
White Lily is made up of Reichensteiner, Bacchus, Seyval Blanc, Müller-Thurgau and Ortega. These less known varietals create a beautifully balanced wine light in nature and exceptionally crisp. Notes of apple, citrus and subtle earthiness this wine is a perfect summer companion. A beautiful pairing for sushi, lightly spiced or tangy dishes and summer salads, this bottle went perfectly with the Katsu Curry. Achieving a score of 3.6/5 on Vivino this 'easy to drink' wine is a perfect accompaniment for an evening with friends or boyfriends after a busy day splashing in lochs and running from cows...