Win a case of Catena Argentinian wine and a £100 Swaledale voucher
And the latest updates from matchingfoodandwine.com
I don’t know if a competition counts as an ad. It probably does, so #AD.
Having taken the decision earlier this year to cut back on the number of competitions we ran on the website due to general administrative overload it’s been too long since we had one but I’m happy to reveal that we have a terrific one this month.
It’s a case of cabernet franc wine from top Argentinian producer Catena Zapata plus a £100 voucher from the fantastic Swaledale Butchers in Yorkshire to spend on some delicious meat to cook with it.
Cabernet franc, which is one of the key grape varieties in red Bordeaux, is not as well known as malbec but makes similarly rich, lush reds. You can find my suggested food pairings here.
The case includes three bottles of the DV Catena Cabernet Franc Tinto Historico 2020 which is available in Tesco should you want to try it, two bottles of the excellent Catena San Carlos Cabernet Franc 2019 which you’ll find in indies such as N D John and a bottle of the fabulous Nicolas Catena Zapata, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc which sells for over £75 at posh Mayfair wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd.
(Save that last bottle for a special occasion - it’ll keep for a good few years)
I felt you’d probably want to team it with some great meat so I persuaded an online butcher I really rate called Swaledale to add a £100 gift voucher to the prize. You can use it to buy individual cuts such as this leg of pork roast which would make a great alternative to the Christmas turkey, experiment with less usual cuts such as Jacob’s Ladder beef ribs and beef ossobuco or one of their meat boxes like this steak box.
The closing date for the competition is 11.59pm GMT on Sunday December 10th 2023 and you must live in the UK and be over 18 to enter.
What else is new on matchingfoodandwine.com
I’ve been so busy with my Substack that I’ve only been posting once a week, mainly my match of the week which is the standout pairing from the past 7 days.
A few of the most exciting ones you might want to check out:
Red mullet and saffron risotto with Valtellina
(Valtellina is a really interesting light red from north-west Italy. Red mullet and saffron risotto - which I had at The Seahorse in Dartmouth is heaven.)
Salmon, apple, dill and cider (from my recent trip to Trondheim)
Okonomiyaki and orange wine - a revelation from Osaka.
Beef stew and oloroso sherry - works so, so well
Red cabbage and shiraz - red cabbage is one of those sides that tends to dictate a wine pairing.
And my favourite new discovery - tiramisu and espresso martini. (You have to try this … )
(Very) last minute pairings for Thanksgiving …
If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving tonight - or even at the weekend - and haven’t yet decided what to drink check out
Which wine to choose for Thanksgiving
How Thanksgiving sides can inspire your wine pairing
Festive Thanksgiving cocktails and cocktails
And looking ahead to Christmas …
Planning ahead: The best wines to pair with your Christmas dinner
Finally if you were thinking of a paid subscriber to my Substack (or even if you weren’t but could be tempted) here’s a reminder of the benefits you get …
My pick of the supermarket wine deals (these will actually SAVE you money if you act on them soon after I’ve posted them but they also flag up the wines I’ve tasted and recommend. Scroll through the #friday5 posts below to find them.)
And, not a supermarket but there are plenty of good buys from The Wine Society
#finewinefridays
Special bottles to treat yourself to or give as a present. Also in the weekly Friday 5 along with my top recipe and restaurant tips
Book giveaways
Currently the fabulous Brutto cookbook from one of my favourite London restaurants
‘Bring a bottle’ online wine tastings
The next - on the best wine for turkey and other Christmas wine pairing dilemmas - is at 6.30pm on Sunday December 10. Your chance to try or hear about a bottle you might want to put on the table.
You can sign up for as little as £4.50 a month though it’s much better value to subscribe for a year (£42 or £3.50 a month - less than £1 a week!)
See you tomorrow for this week’s Friday 5!
Fiona
Excellent wine case competition (and very timely Christmas drink suggestions, thank you).
Thanks for the recommendation of Okonomiyaki and orange wine. I normally pair orange wine with Tapas, but looking forward to trying this.