English wine is something that I was introduced to a few years ago, ever since then, you can almost always guarantee that if we’re invited to dinner we’ll arrive with a bottle of English wine. This may seem rather monotonous, but this is definitely a product that needs to be known about far and wide! An astonishing number of people have never come across it, let alone tried it.
Just taking a quick peak at the news page on the English Wine Producers website shows how successful English vineyards are across the world, after all, they are producing a world-class product. If this is the case, why, when I went in to my local Sainsbury’s store was I told, ‘We don’t have the demand for it’? This is a real shame. With the drive for locally-produced food sweeping across the country, why aren’t we demanding more English wine? Not only does it taste just as good, or in my opinion, better than, other wines, it saves ‘wine miles’.
Here’s the challenge:
1) Find some English wine (take a look at http://www.englishwineproducers.com/WhereToBuy-Multiples.htm for your local supplier). Three Choirs can be found at Tesco and Morrisons for around £6.99 I believe.
2) Blog about a recipe that a) uses English wine, or b) goes extremely well with English wine, before the 30th May 2009.
If you don’t live in the UK, I would love to know if you have come across English wine in your local wine store (I know, this goes against the ‘less wine miles’ idea – but interesting nonetheless!). If not, and you would like to enter the event, just submit a recipe using a wine from your local vineyard, I’ll collate these separately.
3) Send an email to craftycat01@googlemail.com with:
- a link to your blog post
- the wine you used and where you bought it
- a photo.
I will collate all the entries on the last day of English Wine Week (31st May).
4) Have fun!
Posts
Sounds like a wonderful event, I'll check on locating English wine in San Francisco. Now you got me curious
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of English Wine...Chapel Down Vineyards in Kent - "Bacchus Reserve" and Biddenden Vineyard - "Ortega" are two wines I'd recommend to anyone. We normally drive down and visit the vineyards a few times a year to stock up - fantastic day out when the weather is nice.
ReplyDeleteoysterculture - I'd love to know if you can find any in San Francisco!
ReplyDeleteDan - We have a bottle of the Bacchus Reserve in the wine rack, waiting for a special occasion (I've not tried before), but I hear it goes well with asparagus!
I've never seen an Engish wine--but it does not mean they don't exist. I am not much for wine other than cooking with it and the occasional glass.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe we've had the pleasure of having any English wines yet. I will ask my husband who is our family's wine expert. Looking forward to this event!
ReplyDeleteSpringtime - The Chapel Down Bacchus reserve is lovely. Perfect summer drinking, it tastes gorgeous, light and fruity...I first tried it in a Butlers Wharf Chop House in London and it blew me away.
ReplyDeleteYou can pick it up in Waitrose I believe.
I'm still checking out the British wine - nothing to report back yet, but I have not given up. In SF, at least most wine stores tend to specialize - just have not found the right one.
ReplyDelete