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Yum + yum = Yum²

(by peter & susie)

What Food What Wine 2013Delicious news: the results are in for wine-and-food matching competition, What Food, What Wine?

The headlines – ie trophy winning wines – are as below.

There are some fantastic results including, as ever, the odd surprise. Remember that all wines are judged completely blind by us and our expert panel – we knew nothing about them other than whether their shop price was over or under £10.

It’s great to see an English fizz (Laithwaite’s Southridge Cuvée Merret 2010, made by the fine people at Ridgeview) picking up a top gong for its match with fish & chips – surely a match made in heaven if ever there was one.

Aldi put in a strong performance at the value end, as ever. Its £3.99 Toscano Rosso proved a hit with mushroom risotto while it also came up trumps with its French Pinot Noir (with bangers & mash) and Argentine Malbec (with roast beef). Some bargains to be had there.

It was somewhat surprising to see a Chablis rule the roost with Christmas turkey – but this was a rich, sturdy style and whites often do work best with the festive bird.

What Food What Wine ChristmasIn terms of individual labels, Penfolds did well with classic dishes (smoked salmon and shepherd’s pie). The Hungarian Spice Trail brand performed well with the Indian cuisine – always a tricky category. Blossom Hill, meanwhile, surprised with its Chardonnay pairing well with chicken korma and, even more strangely, its Sauvignon Blanc with mature cheddar. Go figure.

Country-wise, New Zealand topped the trophy charts with seven gongs, some distance ahead of next players France (5), Chile (4) and Australia (3). Well done Villa and Vidal.

Congratulations to all these, and other winners. Thanks to our fine judges, entrants and the organisers, IWSC.

In due course the results will be published in full on the What Food What Wine website (where you can also download Jo Pratt’s fabulous recipes). There will also be a facility to buy the wines through Wines Direct/Your Favourite Wines.

As I said on our previous post, Susie and I are sad to be stepping down from chairing the competition but we wish it well in the future. It’s a great concept and, as people’s interest in putting good wines with good food grows, the more ways in which we wine people can help in that delicious aim, the better.

WHAT FOOD WHAT WINE 2013: trophy winners

  • Smoked Salmon (Under £10 category): Penfolds Koonunga Hill Chardonnay 2011 – £9.99
  • Fizz & Smoked Salmon (Over £10 category): Taittinger Brut Reserve NV – £38.99
  • Fish & Chips (Over £10): Vidal White Label Series Sauvignon Blanc 2012 – £10.25
  • Fizz & Chips (Under £10): Cono Sur Sparkling NV – £9.99
  • Fizz & Chips (Over £10): South Ridge Cuvee Merret 2010 – £19.99
  • Mushroom Risotto (Under £10): Aldi Toscano Rosso 2011 – £3.99
  • Mushroom Risotto (Over £10): Villa Maria Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2011 – £12.99
  • What Food What Wine awardsBest Red Wine with Christmas Turkey (Over £10): Hurtado Reserva Pinot Noir 2011 – £10.99
  • Best White Wine with Christmas Turkey (Under £10): Organic Chablis Brocard 2010 – £14.99
  • Roast Beef (Under £10): The Exquisite Collection Uco Valley Malbec 2012 – £5.99
  • Best Old World Wine with Roast Beef (Over £10): Jean-Luc Colombo Les Collins de Laure 2011 – £10.25
  • Best New World Wine with Roast Beef (Over £10): Caliterra Tributo ‘Single vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 – £10.99
  • Bangers & Mash (Under £10): Aldi French Pinot Noir 2011 – £4.49
  • Bangers & Mash (Over £10): Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas Les Majeans 2009 – £23.25
  • Shepherd’s Pie (Under £10): Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 – £9.99
  • Shepherd’s Pie (Over £10): Vidal Reserve Series Syrah 2010 – £14.99
  • Chicken Korma (Under £10): Blossom Hill Winemaker’s Reserve Chardonnay 2012 – £6.99
  • Stir Fried King Prawns (Under £10): Spice Trail White 2012 – £6.49
  • Stir Fried King Prawns (Over £10): Vidal White Series Riesling 2011 – £10.25
  • Chicken Tikka Masala (Under £10): Spice Trail White 2012 – £6.49
  • Chicken Tikka Masala (Over £10): Villa Maria Gewurztraminer 2012 – £10.99
  • Lamb Rogan Josh (Under £10): Spice Trail Red 2012 – £6.49
  • Lamb Rogan Josh (Over £10): Waipara Hills Central Otago Pinot Noir 2011 – £15.99
  • Mature Cheddar (Over £10): Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay 2011 – £12.99
  • Mature Cheddar (Under £10): Blossom Hill Winemaker’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2012 – £6.99
  • Stilton (Over £10): Grant Burge 10 YO Tawny – £22.99
  • Apple Pie & Custard (Over £10): Brancott Letter Series ‘B’ Late Harvest 2011 – £12.99