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Saturday Kitchen 9.5

(by Peter Richards MW)

ChristchurchBlustery but pretty Christchurch was our wine destination for last weekend’s Saturday Kitchen wine action, which threw up some amazing value wines for the food in studio.

Wine to go with Tom Kitchin’s plaice with shellfish and wild garlic

  • La Marinière Muscadet 2014, France (£6.49, Waitrose)

Peter’s comments: Muscadet isn’t nearly as fashionable as it once was but it’s worth remembering, especially as a match for elegant seafood dishes like Tom’s. You might think an oaky style would work but actually they tend to dominate. A refreshing Albariño is a decent shout but this great value Muscadet is a lovely understated match. Tom certainly liked it, saying, ‘really fantastic – great match, one of the best I’ve tasted.’

Wine for Turkish spice chicken with flatbreads and green relish by Diana Henry

  • Darting Estate Dürkheimer Riesling 2014, Germany (from £7.50, Marks & Spencer)

Peter’s comments: no, James, it doesn’t have Turkish chicken written on the back label! Mind you, it could have – it makes a beautiful match, not perhaps what you might first think of but the zingy acidity works really well with those punchy flavours of olives, garlic and chilli in the dish. (Richer rosés and whites, like many Mediterranean styles, just fall a bit flat.) There are some bottles of the 2013 out there, which is richer in style; the 2014 is tangier. Both work well and, at this price, it’s a great value dry Riesling. And don’t forget the English Pinot Noir rosé, also at M&S and which works brilliantly, albeit a bit more expensive.

Links, recipes and details

Recipe-testingMy wines for Kate Humble’s food heaven and hell, as cooked by James Martin, were as follows:

Braised pig cheeks with mashed potato and Bramley apple sauce – Finest Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhône Villages, France (£5.49, Tesco)

Banoffee pie with marshmallows and caramelised bananas – Finest Dessert Semillon 2008, Australia (£6.79, Tesco)

Thanks to James, Tom, Diana and Kate. Thanks also to the brilliant team at Cactus TV including our intrepid wine VT crew Andy, Alec and Fiona. You can find the show’s recipes on the BBC Food site and the show is on iplayer for a month.

Thanks to M&S and Waitrose for being so accommodating. And thanks to you for popping in here. Cheers!