It Must Be Wine O'clock

Engawa – fine Japanese dining in the heart of London

Tucked away in a charming little courtyard just a stone’s throw from Piccadilly Circus is Engawa, one of London’s finest Japanese restaurants.

As you step into the restaurant to the traditional welcome greeting of ‘Irasshaimase!’, you already feel in the zone, anticipating the tasty delights to come.

Engawa is a small, intimate restaurant offering a range of Japanese dishes including Kobe beef, sushi and sashimi, which are all served to please the eye as well as the taste buds.

We went for lunch and chose the two-tiered hakozen bento box for which Engawa is renowned. The assorted selection of fourteen appetisers and seasonal dishes were all carefully prepared and beautifully presented, and were quite simply delicious. These included edamame topped with sea salt and lemon, tuna, salmon and toro sashimi, wagyu and tempura, as well as vegetable dishes, and it also came with miso soup.

It was also a great opportunity to have a Japanese koshu wine to accompany our lunch. The Château Mercian Iwasaki 2019 Koshu wine from Yamanashi Prefecture was the perfect pairing. This is a dry white wine with refreshing acidity, with aromas of vanilla and yuzu, and flavours of citrus fruit and nuts.

With attentive service, a cosy atmosphere and excellent, reasonably-priced food, Engawa offers a real taste of home for Japanese diners and a brilliant demonstration of the wonderful range of Japanese food for non-Japanese.

Engawa Restaurant

A fresh, zippy Albariño to brighten up your day!

Paco & Lola, Albariño 2020 (Spain)

Though Spain is best known for its red wines, it is quietly making a name for itself as a key white wine producer, with lots of interesting indigenous whites to discover. One of the best known is Albariño from the Rías Baixas region of Galicia in north-west Spain. Albariño is one of my favourite wines and this Paco & Lola 2020 is a fine example of what this grape variety is capable of.

With its Atlantic climate, moderate year-round temperatures, ocean mists and above-average rainfall, the Rías Baixas region is more reminiscent of Ireland than the sun-drenched beaches of holiday-destination Spain. But despite the dampness, the area is also blessed with many hours of warm sunshine, enabling the Albariño grapes to ripen and produce wines that are naturally high in acidity, with floral aromas, and citrus and stone-fruit flavours.

This wine from Paco & Lola is a fresh, lively wine, with zippy acidity and a lovely long finish. It has aromas of apricot and peach on the nose, and flavours of lime, lemon, peach and a hint of minerality on the palate. It’s a well-balanced wine which makes for an ideal aperitif but is also a perfect partner for seafood.

Available from Tesco and Sainsbury’s (£12-£14)

Wine of the Month

This month’s Wine of the Month is a Georgian qvevri wine.

Tbilvino Qvevris Rkatsiteli 2020 (Georgia)

Although wine cultivation is believed to have started in the Caucasus region as early as 6000 BC, Georgian wine is perhaps not as well-known as it ought to be. The traditional method of vinification using ‘qvevri’ – clay pots – whereby the juice, skin and seeds of the crushed grapes are placed in handmade clay pots, then sealed and buried underground for fermentation to take place, is still used today.

The qvevri maintain a constant temperature and allow the wines to breathe and evolve in relatively stable conditions. For white wines fermented this way, the prolonged skin contact gives them their distinctive amber colour and subtle tannic grip.

This Georgian wine from Tbilvino Winery is produced from Rkatsiteli grapes, the most widely planted white grape variety in Georgia. The grape is also popular in Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania and Moldova, and in recent years it has found a home in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, where the climate is similar to that of Georgia’s main winegrowing regions.

With peach, pear, apricot and blossom on the nose, and honey, peach and orange peel on the palate, this is a robust wine with a creamy mouthfeel. A dry wine, it is well-balanced with a lively acidity, and has a slight nuttiness in the finish. A very good match for a lamb dish, roast chicken, or salmon in a creamy sauce.

This is not a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay or a Pinot Grigio but it is an appealing wine with a character very much of its own. It’s a fine example of a qvevri wine and well worth trying.

Available from Majestic (£13.99, £11.99 Mix Six)

An elegant, slightly quirky wine from Portugal

Adega de Pegões Colheita Seleccionada 2020 (Portugal)

Portugal has many indigenous grape varieties which distinguish its wine from other Mediterranean wine-producing countries and make it an interesting area to explore. There are five main Protected Designations of Origin (Denominações de Origem Controladas /DOCs), as well as a number of regional wine designations (Vinho Regional). One of these is the Peninsula de Setúbal, directly to the south of Lisbon.

Best known for its sweet, fortified wines made from Moscatel grapes, Moscatel de Setúbal, the area also produces a range of regional wines, both red and white. And for a wine to be classified as a Vinho Regional Peninsula de Setúbal, it must be produced with particular grape varieties.

For white wine the blend must contain at least 50% of Arinto, Chardonnay, Fernão Pires, Malvasia Fina, Muscat of Alexandria and Roupeiro. The other 50% can be made up with Antão Vaz, Esgana Cão, Sauvignon Blanc, Rabo de Ovelha, Trincadeira das Pratas, Verdejo or Ugni Blanc.

This Adega de Pegões Colheita Seleccionada 2020 is a selected harvest wine. An elegant wine, a little quirky, yet full of character and very good value. A blend of Arinto, Chardonnay, Verdejo and Fernão Pires, it has pronounced aromas of peach and lime, with a touch of oak-derived vanilla, and refreshing flavours of citrus and stone fruits. There is also a noticeable burst of Chardonnay shining through with buttery notes. This is a smooth, deliciously crisp, original white wine which is a perfect match for a seafood dish.

Available from Majestic Wine £9.99 (Mix Six £7.99)

Crossword clue: A red wine in tavern, and cousin began raving (8,9)

(Answer: Cabernet Sauvignon)

Quodammodo 2017, Alexander Valley, Sonoma

The Alexander Valley appellation in north-eastern Sonoma County in California is the county’s largest AVA (American Viticultural Area). Set against the backdrop of the majestic Mayacama Mountains, this is a region with over 15,000 acres of vineyards. The hot, dry summers, early morning fog, and gravelly, well-draining soils are perfect growing conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the dominant grape variety here. Alexander Valley has a reputation for soft-textured, fruit-driven Cabernet Sauvignon wines with balanced acidity, which are dark in colour and elegant in structure.

This Quodammado 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon has been aged in French oak. It is a smooth, velvety wine with medium acidity, medium tannins and a lengthy finish. With blackcurrant, plum and vanilla on the nose, and cherry, cassis, liquorice and smoky overtones on the palate, this was an excellent match for a lamb casserole. It will also go very well with steak.

It is currently very good value at Majestic with 50% off. (£22.99, Mix Six £11.49)

With the approach of spring, it’s time to try something a little lighter …

Mud House Pinot Noir 2020 (New Zealand)

As the days gets longer and the weather warms up a little, a Pinot Noir is a very good choice to herald the return of spring. Typically, pale to medium in colour, with high acidity and low to medium tannins, it is a wine that has red fruit flavours which may be complemented by subtle oak-derived notes of smoke and cloves. A versatile grape, it pairs well with a variety of dishes – from salmon and tuna to roast chicken, lamb and duck. It also goes well with a tomato-based pasta dish or pizza.

The Mud House Pinot Noir 2020 hails from Central Otago in New Zealand. Located inland in the foothills of the Southern Alps, the climate in this area is continental but is protected from sea breezes and rains by the mountains, resulting in intensely sunny days and cool nights. Ideal conditions for Pinot Noir to flourish.

This wine has red cherry, raspberry and bramble aromas, with a hint of peppery spice, on the nose and fresh fruit flavours of raspberry and redcurrant on the palate. It is a well-balanced medium-bodied wine with medium tannins and a medium finish, which can be drunk by itself or with food – it goes particularly well with lamb or duck.

Available from Majestic Win e £13.99 (Mix Six-£10.99)

Wine of the Month

White Castle Vineyard Regent 2019

Originating in Germany, the Regent grape copes well with cooler climates, producing wines that are full-bodied and richly-coloured, with soft tannins and ripe red and black fruit flavours. A number of vineyards in the UK have Regent plantings, including White Castle Vineyard located near the market towns of Abergavenny and Monmouth in Wales.

A combination of factors including the protection of the Black Mountains, the three local rivers (Usk, Monnow and Wye), the relatively low levels of rainfall, the sandstone rock shelf, the clay and loamy soil, and the gently sloping, south-facing aspect of the White Castle vineyard all converge to create a unique micro-climate.

This, together with the hard work and dedication of owners Robb Merchant and his wife Nicola, has enabled them to produce a range of top-quality, award-winning Welsh wines. The White Castle Regent 2019 is a little gem, a delightful wine that shows just what the Regent grape is capable of.

With aromas of cherry, blackberry and a touch of smokiness on the nose, and ripe fruit flavours of raspberry and plum on the palate, this is a well-balanced wine with medium tannins and a long finish. It’s a perfect match for Welsh lamb or other meat dish and if you are partial to a light Beaujolais, you should try this excellent Regent 2019.

Iechyd da! Cheers!

Available from Grape Britannia (£24.99)

Valentine’s Day : pairing wine and chocolate

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, let’s turn our minds to pairing wine and chocolate. It can be tricky to pair these two successfully because they share many of the flavour components so it’s important to choose a pairing that complements their differences.

A dark, bittersweet chocolate together with a high tannin red wine, for example, can be overbearing on the palate and highlight the astringency in the wine so dark chocolate is best paired with fortified wines. Milk chocolate can easily be overpowered by red wine so a sweet white, a light red, or a sparkling wine work better. And with its creamy, buttery flavours, white chocolate needs something refreshing and light-bodied – an ice wine, a Moscato d’Asti or a Pinot Noir, for example.

Although it’s a careful balancing act to get wine and chocolate to work together, once it does, it can be blissful. So, if you are planning to have a chocolate-based dessert this Valentine’s Day, here are three great options to consider:

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pedro Ximénez

Pedro Ximénez (PX) sherries are pure indulgence in a bottle. These intensely sweet wines are aged oxidatively and are deep brown, almost black, in colour. With typical aromas of dried fruits, honey and coffee, and flavours of dried fruit and caramel, there is sufficient acidity to balance the sweetness and create a velvety, long finish. This 12-year old PX from Sainsbury’s ticks all the boxes. With honey, raisins, and toffee on the nose, and coffee, caramel and toffee on the palate, this is a full-bodied wine that has been aged in a network of oak casks.

It is a perfect match to enjoy with dark chocolate or a chocolate mousse. Available from Sainsbury’s (£8, 50cl)

Château de Géraud, Monbazillac 2014

This Monbazillac sweet white wine from the Dordogne region of France is a delightful blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle grapes. Golden in colour, the wine has honey, blossom and mango on the nose, and pineapple, passion fruit and a touch of nuttiness on the palate. It is a soft and well-rounded wine which cuts through the creaminess of a white chocolate dessert, making it an enticing match for cake, cookies or cheesecake.

Available from Cambridge Wine Merchants (£14.99)

Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat

Campbell’s have been producing wine in Rutherglen since 1870 and if you are looking for something to pair with milk chocolate or a milk chocolate pudding, this luscious dessert wine from Australia has stood the test of time. Amber in colour, it is a rich wine made from a blend of vintages of Muscat à petit grains rouges (Rutherglen Brown Muscat) grapes. With aromas of raisins and caramel on the nose, and flavours of orange, dates and nuts on the palate, the sweetness of the wine is balanced with fresh acidity. Health warning – it is wickedly moreish!

Available from Majestic (£14.99, £12.49 Mix Six, half bottle)

Another excellent white wine from Norfolk

Winbirri Vineyard, Solaris 2019

Winbirri Vineyard in Norfolk is well-known for its award-winning wines and I have written previously about its excellent Bacchus and Signature wines. In recent years, Winbirri has also had huge success with its Solaris varietal wines, winning awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Created in Germany in 1975, Solaris is an early ripening variety with good resistance against fungal diseases and frost, and it produces mellow, aromatic, intensely flavoured still wines. And given Solaris’ naturally high sugar levels, it is also well-suited to the production of dessert wines.

Solaris grows well in cool climates with low levels of sunshine and is found mainly in Germany. It is also grown in Scandinavia, Switzerland and Poland, and is at home here in England (and Wales), where it is grown in a number of locations.

This Winbirri Solaris is a smooth, slightly off-dry wine with medium acidity and a lengthy finish. With blossom, apple and peach on the nose, and honey and stone fruit on the palate, the wine also has its own character which distinguishes it from a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Bacchus.

If you are looking for an appealing wine with a difference to go with your seafood or chicken dish, why not try this?

Available from Grape Britannia (£14.99)