Glenmorangie – It’s Kind of Delicious and Wonderful

Words by Colin Hampden-White

The dining room at Glenmorangie House

Settled into the landscape, right next to the Dornoch Firth in the highlands of Scotland is something wonderful. Creating whiskies known the world over and experimenting with new delicious expressions released every year to delight us is Glenmorangie distillery. It is a well-known place, especially amongst whisky lovers, who travel from far and wide to visit the distillery and obtain special bottles only found there.

What is less known is where one can stay as you visit this beautiful cathedral to the amber nectar. Well off the beaten track is Glenmorangie House, around fifteen minutes from the distillery looking out onto the Moray Firth and the North Sea. It is a traditional, large house with white walls and small windows set in beautiful gardens at the end of a long driveway. There are many large guest houses and hotels which might look like it. However, you realise something is very different here as soon as you get out of the car. You’ll be greeted by a life size giraffe at the front door. Made of metal it is the first hint, that the interior may not reflect the exterior, and it certainly doesn’t.

Glenmorangie House

I have been to Glenmorangie house quite a few times as a whisky writer and broadcaster. My first time over ten years ago. The house then was extremely smart, reflecting a smart and yet traditional Scotland, with an interior of many shades of greens and blues and light tartans, it was stylish and comfortable. A few years ago all this changed.

The Glenmorangie Company decided they would like their house to reflect the whiskies they were creating at the distillery, rather than a Scottish idle. Out with the simple blues and greens and in with the bold. Bright oranges and golds, pinks, violets and vivid greens and electric blues now deck the walls, fabrics and furniture. Now, this might sound a little extreme, and at first like looking directly into the sun, you need to squint, but as with the sun, the lovely heat on your skin and its magnificence make you want it to stay for ever. The new interior of Glenmorangie house is quite brilliant. There is a lot of detail in the design. Each room has been names after expressions of the whisky or themes which reflect the ethos of the brand. For example, there is a bedroom called Nectar d’Or, after the whisky they create with a finish using Sauternes barrels from Sauternes in Bordeaux, France, giving a sweeter style of whisky. The colours in that room have golds and oranges, reflecting honey and the core flavour of Glenmorangie, which is oranges. But the details are wonderful. There are paper flowers in one of the vases, which seem to be made of muted colours, and it isn’t until you get close to them that you realise, they are made of maps, and then when you get closer, you’ll see that the maps are of Sauternes. There are details like this throughout the house.

Beyond the interior styling, there are other attributes the house has. The staff being the best thing. Staying at Glenmorangie House is a personal experience. Your every whim is looked after by David, the house manager and Amy, front of house, look after you very well. Making you feel comfortable, and always there when you need them, slipping away when you are chatting away to your friends or family, magically reappearing when glasses are needing to be replenished. Should however you need replenishing at any point, and they are not there, simply help yourself. The bar is always there. Magically hidden away in the bookshelves behind a door, it opens to display and array of expressions from the distillery. Including whichever annual expression is relevant. This year it was Tale of the Forest. A whisky which had the barley dried using not peat or coal, but heather, juniper and birch tree bark. Other spirits from the Möet Hennessy portfolio, should anyone not be a whisky drinker.

In the evening, once your thirst has been sated, dinner is called. There is no restaurant at Glenmorangie house. Guests dine together, which, having experienced this many times at the house is a wonderful way to spend an evening. Having made a decision to stay at the house, you’ll find those that have also made the same decision will have things in common and getting to know new people over great food and wine feels like a dinner party. More Downton Abbey than Hilton Hotel.

There are plenty of other things to do at Glenmorangie House other than drink, eat and be merry. The coast is a short and very picturesque walk away, with beaches and rocky pools. Fun games, such as archery can be organised. Falconry displays can come to the house. There is a large fire pit with seating to sit out at night and watch the stars, and sometimes, even the northern lights can be seen in the dead of night. Fireworks can be organised, and the firepit seating becomes a mini amphitheatre to watch them from, and with a hot toddy in hand, it’s a warming experience.

It's a glamorous place to stay, a place to be pampered and a place to relax. It’s bright and stylised interior is unpretentious, as is everything else about a stay at the house. It feels like a home from home. If you could imagine being a millionaire. Above all, it leaves the ordinary world behind and everything at the house is kind of delicious and wonderful.

The cathedral like still room at the Glenmorangie distillery

There are a couple of very exciting weekend breaks on offer from Glenmorangie inspired by Tale of the Forest and include all of the following:

- Two nights’ accommodation
- Afternoon Tea on arrival
- Botanical cocktail mixology session
- Falconry display
- Visits to the Glenmorangie Distillery and surrounding Scottish woodland
- Forest-inspired tapas dining on the first night with a light lunch on Saturday
- Four-course gourmet dinner with paired wines on the 2nd night
- An exclusive tasting and introduction to Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest
- Full Scottish Breakfast on both mornings
- 1pm late check out
- Exclusive bottle of Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest to take home with you 

The Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest Weekend Break is available on 27th and 28th January; 24th and 25th February; and 24th and 25th March for £1200 per room based on two guests in a Standard or Cottage Room and includes all aspects detailed above & VAT.

Upgrade to a Master Room for an additional £150.00 per room – subject to availability.

Additional nights can be booked for £200 per night based on Dinner, Bed and Breakfast.

Call 01862 871671 or e-mail relax@glenmorangie.co.uk for more information or to make a booking.

Meet Laager – The New Beer Made from Naan Bread

There’s a new contender for the best beer to enjoy with Indian food, and that’s because the sustainability-focused Crumbs Brewing has launched a lager that is literally made from naan bread.  

Fuelled by a desire to depart from the corporate world and create something positive, husband and wife duo Morgan and Elaine Arnell started Crumbs in 2017. Believe it or not, this naan project is just the latest in their bread transformations. Using unsold bread from their local bakery Chalk Hills, they set about brewing beers inspired by particular breads. For example, there’s Pale Ale using zesty sourdough and their Ruby Ale, made from richer, spicier rye.

They were missing one thing from their range though, commenting, “We’ve been exploring the idea of a light refreshing lager for some time. All our beers are very distinct from one another, and it was the obvious gap in our range. That kind of beer is always perfect with spicy food like a curry, so it made a lot of sense to explore using naan bread in the brew.”

As is the case around the table at a curry house, it wasn’t long before naan entered the conversation. They did some digging and discovered that manufacturers and retailers were wasting unsold and wonky naan. They then developed their recipe with the Nigella seed at the heart of it, a key ingredient in most naan bread that provides much of the unique taste we love.

The outcome is a super refreshing, light and slightly aromatic ‘laager’, with a gently floral finish. It sounds ideal for complimenting the flavours of the food, whilst cutting through the spice at the same time.

If you want to put their creation to the test yourself then you can order the tastefully designed 330ml bottles online, available in a 4 Bottle Gift Pack for £12, or you can pre-order the 12 Bottle Case for £29.

For more interesting beer flavours, why not check out Aldi’s Yorkshire Pudding Beer or Wild Beer Co’s Wasp Yeast Beer?

How to Pair Cheese and Wine: Your Definitive Tasting Guide

Words by Jessica Summer, founder of Mouse & Grape and certified cheese and wine pairing expert.

Tasting cheese and wine is difficult and it takes time to learn how to identify the different flavours and aromas you are experiencing. When you first start, if all you are smelling and tasting is just cheese and wine that is okay, it takes practice! You have to train yourself to recognise flavours, the best way is to try different things and be mindful. Think what am I tasting? Why do I like it? It can also help to associate a specific memory with tasting a specific item of food which will help you remember how the food tastes, such as family holidays or romantic dinners!

When I run my tasting events I always recommend that my guests go with their first option on a flavour or aroma 99% of the time it is the correct one. When you over analyse and second guess yourself is where it goes wrong, trust your instincts! Before we dive into my favourite cheese and wine pairings recommendations I am going to explain the Mouse & Grape tasting system so you can fully experience the joy of pairing cheese and wine together.

I would always recommend starting with your wine first and tasting it on its own, then trying the cheese on its own and lastly, (the best bit!) enjoying them together. The approach to tasting wine and cheese is very similar. In both cases, you need to pay attention to the look, smell and flavours as well as the feel of the cheese.

How do you pair cheese and wine?

To experience the best flavours in your cheese and wine I would recommend avoiding strongly flavoured food and drink such as coffee before you taste as this will affect your ability to taste simple and complex flavours. It is useful to have good palate cleansers to hand. These include water, bread, crackers and apples to use between trying different combinations. Cheese and wine must both be served at the correct temperature to allow them to reach their most delicious potential. Different wines should be served at different temperatures. Typically white, rosé and sparkling wines are served chilled. Reds are typically served lightly chilled or at room temperature. It’s important to remove your cheese from the fridge, and its wrapping, 1-2 hours before serving. If your cheese is still cold when it is served, its flavour will be dulled. 

THE LOOK

Wine: Hold your glass at an angle to identify the colour and the intensity. Is it white (lemon, golden or amber), red (purple, ruby or garnet) or pink (salmon or orange)? Pale, medium, or deep colour? Is it clear or cloudy? For the best results, examine your wine held against a white piece of paper and in bright natural light.

Cheese: Every cheese tells a story through its appearance so take a moment to look closely at the cheese. Examine the colours of both the exterior (the rind) and the interior (the paste). What type of cheese is it? Hard, soft or blue? Are the colours of the paste consistent and even throughout the piece? Look at the texture of the rind - are there any bumps, cracks, patterns or coloured moulds? Does the cheese have holes or salt crystals? Compare the centre of the cheese to the cheese next to the rind: what are the differences, or are they the same? Cheese loves to grow mould, so if your cheese has spent some time in the fridge you may find some surface mould has developed. Simply trim a thin layer off the surface – the cheese beneath will still taste exquisite. On the subject of mould, artisan cheeses can look very different to supermarket cheese: the cheesemakers focus on flavour over appearance. For example the goat’s cheese Rachel is washed regularly in a brine solution as the cheese matures. This gives it a pinky/grey rind with occasional orange and yellow spots which are naturally occurring and safe to eat. 

THE AROMA

Wine: Put your nose a little way into the glass and take a big inhale, the deeper the better! What does the wine smell like? Don’t worry if at first you can’t smell much, you’ll quickly be able to identify more aromas with practice. First identify broad categories (like berries) then try to pinpoint the aroma (blackberries). You may smell: fruits, such as green apples, pears, cherries or blackcurrant; spices such as cinnamon or vanilla; earthy smells like soil, grass, hay; or woody aromas like oak, pine, or cedar. Now swirl the wine in your glass. This will introduce more oxygen to the wine, which will increase the flavour intensity. Can you detect the existing aromas more strongly, or even notice new aromas?

Cheese: There are a few similarities in the way we describe wine and cheese flavours. Both can have aromas that are lactic, earthy, grassy, nutty or floral. Pick up the cheese and bring it to your nose to take a big sniff. Some cheeses like Époisse or Roquefort will be easy to smell! What can you smell? Cheeses can smell animally, yeasty or mouldy. Can you smell grass or flowers? Can you smell a “farmyard” smell? 

THE TEXTURE

Wine: Take a small sip of your wine but don’t swallow it yet! Let it sit on your tongue and warm the wine making it easier to detect. Then gently swish it around your mouth to get the full effect. Ask yourself:

• What is the mouthfeel like (water, semi-skimmed milk or creamy)?

• Is your mouth filled with saliva (telling us the wine is high in acid)?

• Is the wine creating a drying sensation in the mouth thanks to tannins?

Cheese: The texture of cheese plays an important role in the evaluation of it. Take a small crumb of the cheese you are tasting and rub it between two fingers. Notice how easily (or not) it smears. Take a small bite, and let it sit on your tongue for a moment. Notice how firm or soft the cheese feels. As it warms up it will soften a little more. Now slowly and mindfully chew it. Is it soft and pliable? Does it melt in your mouth? Is it a hard cheese that breaks down into small chunks as you chew? Does the cheese coat the inside of your mouth?

THE FLAVOUR

Wine: Take a second sip and employ the “slurp” technique to aerate the wine (sucking air past your front teeth with the wine on your tongue). This will help you notice the flavours more easily. Ask yourself:

• What flavours do you taste? 

• Can you taste the aromas you detected or have they changed?

• Is the wine sweet, tart or bitter?

• Are any elements standing out in a bad way, meaning the wine is unbalanced? (Acidity, tannin or sugar, for example?)

• Swallow the wine and breathe out. Do the flavours change?

• Do they linger or do they disappear quickly? This is known as the “finish”. Great wines have a pleasant finish that lingers and does not vanish quickly.

Cheese: When tasting the cheese for the first time think ‘less is more’ and take a small bite which will be easier for you to move around your mouth. Let it sit in your mouth for 5-10 seconds which is enough time for the cheese to warm up and release more powerful flavours making them easier to detect. The flavours in cheeses change and evolve the longer you keep them in your mouth. You may notice that a cheese might start being very salty but as you continue to chew it becomes sweeter and the diary flavours are more pronounced.

How to taste cheese and wine together

Pairing is the art of bringing two or more ingredients together to create a more delicious outcome. The best way to discover outstanding pairings is through trial and error, and sometimes great pairings can come from the most unlikely of combinations. It is important to remember that taste is subjective. I might love a wine, cheese or pairing but it might not be for you. For this reason, all Mouse & Grape hampers feature exceptional quality cheeses and wines that can be enjoyed on their own too, and I always add other pairing recommendations and recipes for you to try. Part of the fun is to discover your palate and experiment and try different combinations to find your ultimate cheese and wine pairings. That being said, there are cheese and wine combinations that I have put together in the Mouse & Grape hampers and tasting events that people love and I am excited to share some of the most popular ones with you here. 

First, take a sip of wine and work through the Mouse & Grape tasting system above. Then use a palate cleanser and do the same with the cheese. Then take a bite of cheese and hold it in your mouth as you take a sip of wine and chew them together. 

Ask yourself the following questions: 

• What flavours can I taste with them together?

• Is either the wine or the cheese flavour dominant?

• Is this combination more or less enjoyable than the cheese and wine alone?

When you are pairing cheese and wine together, you are either looking for two contrasting flavours which bring out the best in both such as the classic contrasting flavours of sweet and salt, or you are looking for a cheese and wine with similar flavour profile which will complement one another without overpowering creating a harmonious balance bringing out the best in both. One example of the former pairing would be Sauternes and Roquefort. A stunning example of the latter is 2 Year Aged Gouda with a Saint Émilion Grand Cru (the pairing combinations from the Mouse & Grape Old & Bold Christmas Hamper). Both the cheese and wine have big bold flavours which complement one another and don’t overpower. I love how the salt crystals in the cheese bring out the fruitiness in the wine. Another great example is Truffle Brie with Champagne, which can be found in the Mouse & Grape Ultimate Christmas Hamper. The high fat content in the brie coats your mouth in gooey goodness and then the refreshing sharp ultra-fine bubbles of the sparkling wine cleanse the palate and set you up for another bite! The rich creamy, mushroomy flavour of the truffle brie is complemented beautifully by the toasty notes in the champagne - a match made in heaven! 

What are the best cheese and wine pairings?

Following my two pairing rules above, below are a selection of my favourite cheese and wine pairing combinations for you to try:

Sparkling Wines
Champagne: Aged Comté or Colston Bassett Stilton - a combination you can find in the Mouse & Grape Luxury Christmas Hamper
Cava: Manchego or other hard sheep milk cheese like Berkswell or Cora Linn
Prosecco: Burrata, Mozzarella or feta, I particularly like the Blackwood Cheese Graceburn
English Sparkling wine: Creamy soft cheeses like Hampshire cheese co Winslade or Tunworth.

White Wines
Sauvignon Blanc: Ash - coated goats cheeses like Valencay, Norton and Yarrow Brightwell Ash or Sainte Maure De Touraine - a combination from the Mouse & Grape classic Christmas Hamper.
Verdejo: Hard goats cheeses like White lake Dairy Rachel - you can find this delicious combination in the Mouse & Grape Eliza Hamper
Soave: With washed-rind cheeses like Taleggio or Nettlebed Creamery Highmore
Oaked Chardonnay: Eppoisé or  Maida Vale made by Village Maid Cheese

Red Wines
Bordeaux Blend: Keen’s Cheddar - found in the Mouse & Grape Old and Bold Christmas Hamper
Pinot Noir: Saint Nectaire, Tomme De Savoire, truffle pecorino
Rioja: Appenzeller, Gruyere, Aged Comté
Sangiovese: Pecorino Sardo, Gorgonzola Naturale or Beauvale - a British cheese made in a similar style.

Rosé
South of France pale Rosé: Goats cheeses like Perroche, Sinodun Hill or Golden Cross
English Rosé: lactic cow’s milk cheeses like Cornish Yarg or Mrs Kirkhams Lancashire

Sweet wines
Sauternes: Roquefort or Époisses
Moscato d’Asti: Gorgonzola Dolce or Flor Di Langa
Tokaji: Fourme D’Ambert or Cote Hill Blue
Port: Stilton or Durrus

Jessica Summer is the founder of Mouse & Grape and a certified cheese and wine pairing expert. Mouse and Grape is a luxury online cheese and wine business that specialises in perfectly paired cheese and wine hampers, a cheese and wine subscription service, and corporate and private tasting events. Jessica is a cheese and wine writer and was a judge at The British Cheese Awards 2022, a finalist at the World Cheese Awards Young Cheesemonger of the Year Competition 2022, and a wine judge at this year's people’s choice drinks awards.

Using my knowledge, tasting experience and qualifications I select the best quality wines and cheeses to curate the ultimate cheese and wine pairing hampers and tasting events. I have drawn upon my experience in the industry to write this guide and I am excited to share my cheese and wine pairing secrets with you! In my opinion, cheese and wine has to be the most iconic and well suited pairing combination in the food and drinks world. Biting into one's favourite piece of cheese or sipping a beloved wine is already a very pleasurable experience but when you combine these heavenly flavours together you reach optimum indulgence and maximum enjoyment!

If you have any cheese and wine questions, would like to book Jessica for an event or try one of her mouth-watering cheese and wine hampers contact her through the website or on Instagram! 

Aldi’s New Yorkshire Pudding Beer

For some it’s an essential part of the mighty Roast, for others it’s demoted to a take it or leave it bonus, and whilst we’re used to seeing it smothered in gravy, how does the Yorkshire pudding work in beer?

Channel 4 show Aldi’s Next Big Things gave thirty entrepreneurs the opportunity to get their unique creations onto the supermarket’s shelves, and it was Father and Son duo Harry and Howard Kinder from the award-winning Malton Brewery that jointly scooped the prize alongside Harry Specters Chocolate Bars.

Judges loved the creamy texture and froth of their unusual concoction, which contains half an actual Yorkshire pud in every bottle and comes out at only 3.6% ABV, so it’s pretty mild but I guess you’d expect that when a big portion of the recipe is a Yorkshire pudding. Malton Brewery says it’s based on the first-ever recipe for this beloved creation, written by Hannah Glass in 1747, so it’s vegetarian but unfortunately not vegan.

Incredibly, this isn’t the first product of this kind! In 2020, Leeds brewery Northern Monk partnered with Aunt Bessie’s to release a ‘Sunday Roast’ brown ale, using Yorkshires and roast potatoes, as well as a Jam Roly Poly number. The popularity of this new Malton Brewery product is next level, however, so who knows, maybe the humble roastie was holding the pudding back from its destiny as an essential beer flavouring after all?

You should be able to find it in your local Aldi now, with each 500ml bottle costing £1.49, and packs of four and eight also available if you can’t get enough of them. Keep your eyes peeled though because they recently sold out within hours of being restocked online.

There’s a conveyor of unusual festive food and drink combinations every year, and much of it can be dismissed as a novelty bit of fun, but maybe there’s more to this one? We haven’t tried it just yet, so please let us know if you have, and whether or not it lives up to the hype!

How About a Hellmann’s ‘Mayo-Nog’ this Christmas?

Let’s be honest, eggnog is pretty polarising as it is so when Hellmann’s insist that their signature mayonnaise can be thrown into the mix instead of the egg, well, we don’t know what to make of it frankly.

In partnership with Muddling Memories’ Cody Goldstein, and New York restaurant Amy Fontaine’s, this experimental team is aiming to prove that it works, but how? They’ve created a Frozen Mayo-Nog as well as a Snickerdoodle Mayo Cookie with the aim of producing a Heston Blumenthal-esque milk and cookies revamp.

Unfortunately, if your mouth is watering reading this then, firstly each to their own, and secondly, you better get saving for a trip to the Big Apple, because the Mayo-Nog and the cookie are only officially available at Fontaine’s restaurant for a combined price of $24! But that includes a ‘mayo glaze’ so it’s got to be worth every cent...right?

Not willing to travel to New York to try these mayo creations? Where’s your commitment to the cause? At least you can try it yourself at home because the recipe is on the Muddling Memories Instagram. There is a hell of a lot of egg in America’s best-selling mayo, so it might not be as crazy a leap as you might initially think, as odd as that sounds. The rest of the recipe sounds very nice indeed, with dark rum, apple brandy, milk, cream, syrup, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon, all blended with a generous helping of Hellmann’s and voila, your first Mayo-Nog...

But will it be your last? We’re desperate to hear if mayonnaise can actually substitute the egg, and if so, is it worse, or maybe even better? We may just try and whip one up on the Bring a Bottle podcast very soon to put it to the test! If you give it a go send us a picture on Instagram/Facebook and let us know what you thought!

What You Should Be Drinking with Thai Food

Pairing drinks with Thai food is no easy task. With salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavours all working harmoniously, the cuisine’s complexity can result in confusion over what works well, and what clashes. So, without further ado, here is our essential guide to the best drinks to have with Thai food.

Beer

We’ve got some great wines for you below, but spice and wine don’t always get along, which is why beer steps up to the plate as the ultimate thirst quencher. Thai food isn’t as synonymous with hot spice as Indian, but most dishes still have a kick, and some stir fry dishes (Phad Kee Mao, Pad Kra Pao for example) are very spicy. The cooling bubbles instantly refresh, and the alcohol content is relatively low so you can gulp away comfortably. 

Citrusy, spicy beers go best with hot and sour Thai dishes.

Witbier

You might know witbier as wheat beer, or white beer. They’re typically cloudy with a fresh and frothy texture due to a lack of filtering and surprise surprise, high wheat level. The fragrant citrus taste provides a perfect counterbalance to any sourness and spice in your meal, and they also work wonderfully with the lemongrass flavour that crops up again and again in Thai dishes. Hoegaarden (4.9%) is a renowned Belgium witbier dating back 600 years, with a super refreshing soft and light feel that will go very nicely indeed.

Find here: £5 4x330ml 

IPA

If you prefer slightly medium spice Thai dishes that tend to be heavier, sweeter and aromatic then IPA could be the way to go. The citrusy aroma of most IPA’s pairs nicely with Green and Red Curry, and Rendang and Panang too. The right IPA will accentuate the lime and lemongrass often used in these curries, but be careful to pick out a sweeter, sharper ale, not a hop bomb. We’d aim for balanced coconut or fruity/citrus IPAs in particular. Cigar City’s Jai Alai (7.5%) has assertive bitterness that will counteract sweetness in the food, and the bold and citrussy flavour pairs nicely too. Alternatively, renowned Hamburg brewer Kehrwieder have their non-alcoholic üNN IPA range, and Coconut Grove (0.4%) would complement Thai flavours superbly. There’s also tropical fruit and lime and of course, no alcohol to fan the flames!

Find Cigar City’s Jai Alai here: £3.70 Jai Alai
Find Kehrwieder Coconut Grove here: £2.74 Coconut Grove / £27.71 Case of 12

Singha

Most beer from Thailand and the surrounding areas is German influenced lager, and the most popular bottle that you’ll find is Singha. It’s crisp and clean with a mild, light taste that’s perfect for hot Thai food. It’s a very easy drinking lager with strong malty flavour that pairs nicely with something like massaman curry. Also, whilst they tend to avoid alcohol with food in Thailand, it’s still satisfying to enjoy drink and food from the same nation. By the way, it’s pronounced without the a if you want to impress the waiter at the next Thai restaurant you visit!

Find here: £2.20 

Wine

Wine and curry can be a dangerous game in terms of successful combinations. The tannin and heavy alcohol in stronger wines can be a mismatch for spicy foods, but don’t write it off just yet. Off-dry, medium to low strength white wine is the way to go. 

Gewurztraminer

Gewürztraminer is a distinctly aromatic, dryer wine with full body and more often than not, floral and citrus aromas. You’ll often find ginger too which matches nicely with most Thai dishes, and the slight sweetness copes with any mild spice thrown at it. If you’ve ever tried Moscato wine, there’s some overlap. The more fragrant dishes such as the green and red curries, panang, beef satay, pad thai and tom Kha soup all pair well with Gewürztraminer. An off dry Riesling will work similarly well. Also, a much sweeter late harvest bottle mirrors Thai desserts pretty well too, because they can be intensely sweet. This one is Cave Vinicole de Hunawhir’s Cuvée Prestige (14%), an Alsace wine with notes of tropical fruit, apricot, lychee and a touch of ginger. 

Find here: £12.99 (£9.99 Mix Six offer)

Torrontes

Torrontes is an aromatic Argentinian wine that is a versatile dancing partner for Thai cuisine due to the sweet floral aromas, and peachy lemon zest notes. It’s sweet on the nose but dry in style and as long as the dish isn’t overly spicy with extremely intense flavours, it will work a treat. Think coconut curries, peanut dishes, and seafood options. This bottle from renowned winery Catena (13%) uses some of the highest grapes on the planet to create a crisp and zingy wine with particular sweetness that fades out for dryness in vintage Torrontes fashion. 

Find here: £7.50

Alsace Pinot Gris

Pinot Gris has a less fruity flavour than other options on this list, and instead a stronger acidic structure. The sweet muskiness that comes with it goes fantastically well with spicy Thai dishes, and especially so if it’s from Alsace because they often have some ginger and clove spice notes. There’s enough subtle spice here to complement the Thai spice, and acidity to cut through it too. It’s a balanced wine capable of dealing with both sweet and sour – ideal for Thai food. From the same winery as the Gewürztraminer is the Cuvée Prestige Pinos Gris (13.5%), a rich and full white with refreshing acidity and peach and pear notes. 

Find here: £12.99 (£9.99 Mix Six offer)

Spirits

Many might write off spirits with Thai food but with the right mixer and tonnes of ice, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy one with your food. We’ve gone for a gin because many of the botanicals complement ingredients used in Thai cooking. It’s also very easy to transform into the ultimate refresher.

Gin

Avoiding anything overwhelmingly strong, you can pick out the right gin for whatever dish you’re having. If you’ve gone for sweeter curries, a sour dry gin works well for example. Gin and ginger beer would be fantastic with warming spice and refreshing bubbles working hand-in-hand, or a premium original tonic will do the job. Lime Leaf Gin from Batch Spirits (42%) drew inspiration directly from Thai cuisine, using lime leaf, galangal, and jasmine botanicals. It’s vibrant, citrus-forward, and unsurprisingly, perfect for sipping alongside Thai food. You can even get Thai Basil for the perfect garnish! Word to the wise, be generous with your tonic because whilst 42% isn’t strong, you run the risk of clashing with spicier dishes if it isn’t diluted thoroughly. 

Find it here: £35.95

We know how hard it is to decide what takeaway you want (all be it a nice problem to have!), so if you’re fancying an Indian instead, we’ve got you covered there too! Check out our Best Drinks With Curry guide!

Words by Calum Ecroyd

Classic Cheese and Wine Matches

It’s that time of year when we put together a mega cheeseboard and pick at it ALL DAY! For several days. What joy! With help from the brilliant folks at Paxton & Whitfield cheesemongers, I've chosen some classic wine and cheese combinations to help you navigate the cheeseboard.

All cheeses below can be found at PaxtonandWhitfield.co.uk

Goats Cheese + Sauvignon Blanc

The Cheese: Selles Sur Cher

A French goats' cheese from the Loire Valley, France, Selles sur Cher is a classic French goats’ milk cheese that’s finely textured, succulent and velvety. It has an aroma of walnuts and the flavour is also nutty but with a hint of lemon and salt followed by a mellow sweetness. The Cher river runs parallel to the Loire, home of world renowned Sauvignon Blanc that is fresh, bright and grassy. These wines match perfectly the bright lemony flavours of this cheese.

The Wine: Stone & Bones Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Portugal 

More elegant than Marlborough, More fruity than a Sancerre, this zesty, herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc from Portugal is a deliciously different, mid-way style that will sing with this goats’ cheese.

Find it for £10.99 mix 6 price at Laithwaites. 

Premium Cheddar + Pinot Noir

The Cheese: Westcombe Reserve

Cheddar is undoubtedly the UK’s most popular cheese, outselling British and Continental counterparts, yet so often it is thought of as a cooking or an everyday cheese. Over the last few years, the team at the award-winning Westcombe Dairy, Somerset, have made big decisions to improve the quality of their cheese. Lots of these decisions have been in the field, rather than the dairy, one of them being to farm in a more sustainable, regenerative way. These decisions have resulted in some of their best ever batches of cheeses. The team at Paxtons has selected a single day’s production of cheese, from the 12th of March 2020, to age further and create a special profile especially for its customers this Christmas. With a full body and notes of warm toasted nuts, this promises to be a very special batch of cheese indeed.

The Wine: Gabel Pinot Noir Kalkstein 2018

German Pinot Noir has a gloriously silky, lactic feel to it making it exceptionally elegant, yet easy drinking. Think ripe red berries with a touch of spice and a hint of smoke. 

Find it for £13.99 mix case price at Laithwaites 

Alpine Cheese + Chardonnay

Cheese 1: Beaufort

Beaufort is a huge Alpine cheese weighing between 40-60kg that is named after the Beaufort Valley in France where it was first produced, where mountains reach altitudes of 3000 metres.

It’s pale yellow, with a smooth and creamy texture and lacks holes like other Gruyère-style cheeses. It also has a very distinct, earthy aroma, reminiscent of the pastures on which the Tarentaise and Abondance cows graze to provide the milk used for the cheese. This is the cheese also commonly used to make cheese fondue because it melts easily and it’s a winner with bold, white wine like Chardonnay.

Cheese 2: Comté Vieux

A limited edition Comté Vieux cheese that’s extra mature, aged for approximately 29 months in French caves . Made with the raw milk from Montbeliarde and French Simmental cows, the flavour is nutty, full and rich, with fruity tones and more of the crunchy Tyrosine crystals formed during the aging of the cheese. 

The Wine: Redhead’s Harmonie Fox Coonawarra Chardonnay 2021

Coonawarra has traditionally been famous for big, bold reds made with Cabernet Sauvignon so a Chardonnay is a step away from the norm. This is an ideal style of white for a flavoursome hard, nutty cheese as it has lots of ripe peach and apricot fruit as well as a crisp acidity and a touch of spicy oak. 

Find it for £11.69 mixed case price at Laithwaites 

Blue Cheese + Sweet White Wine

Cheese 1: Cashel Blue, Irish Farmhouse Blue Cheese

Cashel Blue is the original Irish blue cheese! Firm, salty and savoury blue cheese that starts as a firm textured, crumbly consistency but with ripening it takes on a soft, creamy, almost spreadable texture. As it matures, the flavour also changes, growing stronger and becoming spicier. The rind is very distinctive with a covering of grey and pink moulds.

Cheese 2: Blue Cloud

Inspired by soft, sweet Gorgonzola style blues, Blue Cloud is made on the beautiful Balcombe Estate in Sussex using milk from a single herd of Norwegian Red Holstein cows. The cheese is soft and creamy, with a heady, doughy scent reminiscent of freshly baked bread.

The Wine: Seifried, Nelson ‘Sweet Agnes’ Late Harvest Riesling 2019

A late harvest Riesling from Nelson, just next door to Marlborough, New Zealand,. Made with raisined grapes, it’s a lusciously sweet wine with tonnes of refreshing acidity. Think apricot, marmalade, lemon and tropical fruit. It’s not Port you need; it’s sweet white wine!

Find it for £14.99 per half bottle and mixed case price at Laithwaites

Want to know how to put together a cheese platter? Check out this article.

How to Put Together the Perfect Cheeseboard

As Helena looks into wine and cheese matching, she gets some tips from Hero Hirsh, head of retail at the award-winning cheesemonger, Paxton & Whitfield about how to put together the perfect cheeseboard or cheese platter.

How much cheese per person?

If your cheeseboard is part of a meal, about 100g to 125g of cheese per person and  possibly a little more at Christmas is ideal, so 150g each. This is because at Christmas, the cheeseboard will often sit out for longer so people will come and go for snacks throughout the day. We can certainly agree with that!

How do you put a cheeseboard together?

Think about offering a mix of styles, textures and flavours on the platter. This is why the combination of Cheddar, Stilton and Brie has always been popular as you've got a blue, a hard cheese and a soft cheese; different textures, different milks and different flavours to savour. If you’d like to add further cheeses, perhaps think about a goats cheese and a washed rind to complete the board. Five is a good number for a full board.

Should you consider other food in the meal when putting together the cheese platter?

Yes, certainly consider what other food you are serving for the meal or at the event. If the dish just before is rich and flavoursome, think about selecting cheeses that have a stronger flavour so that they complement preceding courses. The cheese course should be a continuation of flavours so it can be enjoyed so try to match the intensity. 

What are the ideal accompaniments to a cheese board?

If you’ve got lots of flavoursome cheeses, then keep accompaniments simple, so one chutney or honey, one style of biscuit or artisan bread and then perhaps some grapes or dried fruits. Arrange them around the pieces of the cheese on the cheeseboard. Finally, I’d add  in the cheese knife and then you have a visually appetising cheeseboard to enjoy.

Are there rules to how to lay out cheese on a cheeseboard?

There are no hard and fast rules about laying a cheeseboard out. The most important thing is to make sure that it looks visually appealing and that it is easy for guests to help themselves to the cheese. There are no real rules about which cheeses can and can’t sit close to each other on a cheeseboard. If you go for a good balanced selection as outlined above, everything should be fine. 

Any tips on how to store various types of cheese?  And what to do with any leftover bits of cheese?  

How you treat the cheese has an important impact on your enjoyment of it. Once bought, I would always recommend storing the cheese in a cold room or the bottom of the fridge - if possible wrapped in waxed paper as this allows the cheese to breath. Before serving, bring the cheese out to warm up to room temperature. Twenty minutes should be enough, particularly in a warm house at Christmas. Letting the cheese warm a little will help improve its flavours when you come to eat it.  

A good piece of advice for when buying cheese for your cheeseboard at Christmas is to buy less cheese but bigger pieces. Larger pieces of fewer types will keep better over Christmas time. Bigger cuts of cheese store better than lots of small cuts. A hard cheese, a blue, a soft cheese and a piece of cheese that is slightly different or surprising is all that you need to create an appealing cheeseboard. 

In terms of leftovers, cheese is incredibly versatile and leftover cheese makes a superb cooking ingredient. It can be used in soups, risottos, pasta bakes and as a finishing touch stirred into a gravy, or sauce, to add a little bit of richness.  

Visit Paxton & Whitfield for all your cheese needs:

www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

London Shops

93 Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6JE 
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7930 0259
Email: jermynstreet@paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

22 Cale Street, London, SW3 3QU
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7584 0751
Email: calestreet@paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

Bath Shop

1 John Street, Bath, BA1 2JL
Telephone: +44 (0)1225 466403
Email: bath@paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk