Wines & Champagnes
Our wine stocks changes regularly meaning that although we may re-order a popular wine, we also try out new up and coming wines. If you have particularly enjoyed a wine, please let us know - this may well be the difference between seeing it on our shelves again or not. Your opinion matters to us greatly as we try to bring you the very best wines that the world has to offer.
Here are some suggested wine accompaniments. However, you must drink what you like. What you like to drink always takes precedence over any recommendation that we might make.
It is also worth noting that most regional foods are created over time to go with the local wines. So, if you're eating Italian food, think about having an Italian wine.
You can click on highlighted wines to view what we have in stock.
| Seafood | |
| Fish | No sauce – Sauvignon, Champagne, Pinot Bianco |
| Crab | Best with dry Riesling (just is) |
| Shellfish, Oysters | Chablis, Muscadet, Picpoul, Champagne |
| Scallops | Chardonnay |
| Salmon, fresh sardines | Pinot Noir – mature burgundy, works really well |
| Meat | |
| Beef – simple | Any good red, particularly Bordeaux, Cabernet |
| Beef with rich sauce | Chateauneuf-du-pape, good Rhone, Shiraz |
| Casseroles | Burgundy, good Pinot Noir, Italian |
| Pork – simple | Beaujolais, Sauvignon, simple Chardonnay |
| Pork - Richer or with sauce | Riesling works, good Beaujolais |
| Ham | Good Chablis |
| Lamb | Chianti, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir |
| Stews, mutton | Gamier, so Bordeaux etc. (N.B. Mint sauce will clash with anything) |
| Chicken, Turkey | If simple roast then Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, good cru Beaujolais (varies if in a sauce or fried) |
| Game | Rioja, Burgundy, Barolo |
| Vegetables | |
| Tomato based sauces | Chianti, Barbera – Italian usually better than anything else |
| Tomatoes | Will make any softer, fruity red seem bitter |
| Mushrooms | Don't be fooled into thinking these are background, Pinot Noir is a great match for the earthy flavours |
| Green vegetable dish | Something like Chablis |
| Desserts | |
| Fruit-based Desserts | Sauternes, Loire late harvest wines |
| Chocolate | Difficult. Moscato, Bracchetto, Muscat, some Ports – some off dry Champagnes can work |
| Cheese | |
| Stilton and strong blue chesses | Tawny Port, any decent dessert or pudding wine such as Sauternes, Gewurztraminer, Muscat or sweet dark Olorosso Sherry. Red wine – needs to be big and bold such as a Shiraz |
| Soft, rich cheeses | Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, lighter Chardonnay. Red, Pinot Noir would be my first choice |
| Hard cheeses | Richer red wines |
