Recommending English still wines

Pinot Noir in Essex?! Pinotage in Sussex?! It's all happening in English still wine at the moment. The sparkling wines of the UK go from strength to strength - and now they are being joined by a raft of still wines rapidly gaining critical mass and...

Cà dei Frati Rosa dei Frati 2017

Cà dei Frati Rosa dei Frati 2017, Lombary, Italy, 13% (c. £15, independents) I gave a bottle of rosé to a friend recently. He took one look and almost gave it straight back. ‘That’s not real wine, is it?!’ he exclaimed. ‘I mean, it looks like it’s a...

Black Cottage rosé 2016

Black Cottage rosé 2016, 12.5%, New Zealand (£10.99 on multi buy or £12.99, Majestic or via Wine Searcher)  A slightly more expensive option on Saturday Kitchen this time - but it's worth it. I was matching it to a delicious but tricky dish by Sabrina Ghayour: harissa lamb with...

Chafor Vintage Rosé 2014

Chafor Vintage Rosé 2014, England (£45, Chafor Wine Estate) I recently had the pleasure of chairing the brand new UK Wine Awards. A task that involved spending two, very enjoyable days tasting nearly 300 English and Welsh wines along with a panel of industry experts. There was a...

Muga Rioja Rosado 2016

Muga Rioja Rosado 2016, Spain (£9.99, Waitrose or via WineSearcher) I do like this new vintage of the Muga rosé - it strikes a lovely balance between intensity and elegance, and it works beautifully with food too. I recommended it on Saturday Kitchen to go with crispy chicken thighs,...

Muga Rosado 2015

Bodegas Muga Rosado 2015, Spain, 13.5% (£9.99, Waitrose) To tie in with rosé day (11th June), Susie recommended a delicious pink on Saturday Kitchen to go with Maria Elia's pulled duck burgers with peach, cabbage and apple slaw. Maria termed it, 'perfect' while show host Donal Skehan quipped:...