THERE are few things in the food world more quintessentially Scottish than an Arbroath smokie. It’s also a relatively wine-friendly dish, working with Pouilly-Fumé, a lightly oaked new world Sauvignon Blanc, a Fiano from Sicily or a good dry sherry. I happen to like my smokies with an Islay malt, but I’m of the opinion that a decent measure of Lagavulin will improve almost anything.
The main thing to remember is to avoid big tannic reds, which happens to be on the first page in the old rulebook of matching food and wine. We can now ignore two-thirds of the old rulebook as these days most wine is made to go with most food, but we still have to remember the first page. The reason that a tannic red will not work with fish is that the tannins in the wine react with the phosphates in the fish creating an unpleasant metallic taste on the palate. So, if you have to have a red with fish, go for something light, smooth and fruity with low tannins. Perhaps a Beaujolais or a nice Dolcetto.
So, what should you choose this weekend as the perfect match? Here are a few ideas.
Pouilly-Fumé Mathilde de Favray 2013 (M&S, £17). This classic, flinty Sauvignon blanc from the Loire will wow your friends and delight your senses. It’s really, really good.
Planeta Cometa 2014 (Majestic, £25). This is a really tasty Fiano from my all-time favourite Sicilian producer (also one of my all-time favourite Italian producers). At £25, it’s probably not an everyday wine, but you should definitely serve it every time you’re entertaining.
Lagavulin 10-year-old Master of Malt That Boutique-y Whisky Company bottling (Majestic, £111 for 50cl). OK, this is expensive, but it’s also very tasty. It’s essentially an over-powered younger sibling to the general release of the 16-year-old. If you like, it’s the Scrappy-Doo to everyone’s favourite Scooby.
Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana Single Vineyard Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana (Inverarity One to One, £11.99). This is arguably one of the best dry sherries on the market. It’s made from the Palomino grape grown in the Pastrana vineyard in the Miraflores region of Sanlucar de Barrameda. Pasada is an aged style of Manzanilla, and this example has been aged for an extra seven years creating depth and character (as well as a deeper colour) in the glass. It also passes through 14 layers of the Solera system as opposed to the normal three. All in all, it’s an amazing product and ridiculously cheap at just £11.99. Put one in your fridge this weekend and you won’t be disappointed.
Pete Stewart is Glasgow director of Inverarity One to One, 185a Bath Street, Glasgow inverarity121.com
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