Win a case of top quality rioja

Your September update from matchingfoodandwine.com

As I wrote last week, I think we’ve all been affected by the Queen’s sudden death. Even though it was only to be expected given her great age, it came as a real shock.

The surprising thing, as I remarked, was that she was working until the very end. I can’t think of many 96 year olds who would or could do that.

Despite the sadness that many of you must feel I thought you wouldn’t be averse to hearing about this month’s prize which is a case of top quality mature rioja - courtesy of Rioja Wine UK. And an update on what I’ve been posting on matchingfoodandwine.com this past month.

(As some of you are new to this list just a quick explanation that matchingfoodandwine.com is my free-to-use website where you can find pairings for all your favourite dishes and wines and Eat This, Drink That is the subscription newsletter I’ve set up to help fund it.

So if you do find the website useful it would be great if you’d take out a paid subscription to the newsletter which will also give you extra benefits by way of recipes, restaurant and wine recommendations plus cookbook giveaways and exclusive subscriber discounts. (There’s a terrific one coming up on Friday!)

Subscriptions start at just £4 a month. A BIG thankyou to all those of you who have already subscribed.)

Win a case of top quality rioja

Ask someone what their favourite wine is and likely as not they’ll mention rioja so I was hugely grateful on your behalf when Rioja UK offered a case of some of the best bottles from the region as this month’s competition prize. You can find the full list of wines and details of how to enter here.

These are really special bottles, many of them top of the range gran reservas costing up to £70 each, and would make superb drinking over the coming months so don’t on any account miss out!

Last month’s top wine pairings

My top 3 pairings last month (click the links in the titles to find out more):

Spicy beef and Barbera d’Asti (above)
A really unexpected pairing as the beef came accompanied by a spicy Thai salsa. Wouldn’t have thought of serving an Italian wine myself but I love to make a new discovery.

Spanish ham and orange wine
You might think sherry which of course is brilliant but try an orange wine when you next get the chance. 

Miso and malt whisky
Another left-field pairing (with the famous The Macallan) but one which really makes sense when you think about it.

Recipes you might want to make

A couple of great chicken recipes - and who doesn’t love a chicken recipe (apart from vegetarians and vegans, obviously)

Chicken with pineapple and nduja
From Ixta Belfrage’s brilliant book Mezcla which was our cookbook giveaway last month and Sabrina Ghayour’s super tasty, quick and easy chicken and cucumber salad with pul biber and tahini lime dressing. Her book Persiana Everyday is this month’s giveaway.

(I know I keep banging on about about the benefits of taking out a paid subscription but someone’s got to win these giveaways and because there are fewer paid than free subscribers - hundreds as opposed to thousands - you stand a good chance that it could be you!) 

Oh, and squash baked with beer, cream cheese and pretzels ‘cos it’s Oktoberfest coming up which as you no doubt know is always held in September. (More ideas here) 

Drinks you might want to try

I think I’ve finally managed to nail what to do with the wines of the week slot without committing myself to yet another weekly deadline which is to make it a drinks of the month roundup of the most interesting bottles (or cans) I’ve come across in the preceding four weeks. Here’s the first one which is largely based on what I unearthed on my Scottish road trip. (Yes, gin as well as whisky!)

And if you don’t already read my Guardian column I was writing, among other things, about underrated (and overrated) French wines and gluten-free beer. There were some surprisingly good ones, even if you’re not gluten-intolerant.

Posts you might find useful this month

Which wines - and beers - work best with mushrooms

The best wines to pair with squash and pumpkin

and heading into peak game season, this post on the best matches for game

A scene, I suspect, our late Queen would have appreciated …

All the best for the rest of this month . . .

Fiona