English Wine Week: How to Pair and Cook with Wines
Sitting in a beer garden, or an outdoor dining area enjoying a glass of vino is a classic British pastime enjoyed by many this time of year. Where wine is concerned, we heavily import from well known wine regions across the globe but recently we have seen an increase in UK based wines on our supermarket shelves and in pubs and restaurants. As such there is now a national campaign called English Wine Week which is aimed at raising awareness to please the homegrown sommelier.
How do English Wines typically taste?
Due to the increasingly stable warm summers in the UK which sees regular temperatures above 20oC between the beginning of June and the end of August, along with adapted grapes for these temperatures, UK wine production has been on the increase. In particular, English sparkling wines.
These English sparkling wines are typically made from the following vine varieties:
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
- Pinot Précoce
- Pinot Meunier
- Pinot Blanc
- Pinot Gris
- Seyval Blanc
- Reichensteiner
Typically, English wine tastes are as follows, where whites are concerned you get crisp, aromatic aromas and tastes with reds being light, elegant and perfect for summer dining.
How can I make the most of English Wine Week?
You may be wondering how you can make the most of this week in your restaurant or pub and there are naturally two obvious ways you can do so:
- Add English Wines to your drinks list
- Use English Wines in your cooking
When looking to add English Wines to your drink’s menu ensure all your staff are aware and understand how best to pair the wines against your menu. Clever pairing options can ensure you easily sell through any stock you have committed to whilst also supporting local vineyards across the nation. It also adds a USP to your restaurant which can be communicated with customers informing them of your support of local businesses.
Equally, you can use the tastes of the wine and infuse them with your menu creating sauces and reductions which can elevate the flavour experience of your customers. If you sell seafood dishes (especially if the meat is UK sourced) you can serve it with a white wine sauce creating a British meal which can be marketed as such. For red wines, add it to dishes such as chillis, bolognaises, lasagnes, stews, beef dishes and more.
Whether you opt to simply include the wines for a short period to celebrate the English Wine Week or make it more permanent, raising awareness of homegrown wine options is important, especially as it can help reduce your businesses carbon footprint.
If you are looking to incorporate English Wine Week into your restaurant calendar or simply want to support local vineyards across the nation, we at Alliance Online can help. We have a variety of glassware to help make your wine selection look even better and taste. Equally, if you want to purchase kitchen equipment to help prepare meals, we also have a large and full range too. Furthermore, if you want to speak to your local rep please contact us on 01270 252333 or email us on hello@allianceonline.co.uk.
