There's something fishy about Tipping's Tipples as MIIKE TIPPING reveals his catches of the week.
FISH-related puns are something I have been hooked on since my school days.
Since I’m suggesting wines to match with fish, this week, I thought it would be a brill opportunity to indulge in some word play. So if you mullet over and come up with any good fishy puns of your own, do let minnow.
I’ve trawled Europe to net this selection of wines and I think each has a real sense of plaice.
The first of this week’s trio of wines is new to the Wine Society. Duo Des Mers Sauvignon-Viognier 2013, Vin de France, which is very good drinking for £6.50, would be ideal for washing down seafood or grilled fish.
Suitably dry and clean tasting, it has a zinging acidity, with some notes of tropical fruit on the nose, and bright flavours of grapefruit, lemon and goosegog.
New to Majestic’s shelves is a fish-friendly Spanish wine, El Rescatado Albarin 2013, VdlT Castilla y León. The Albarin grape is native to the valleys of the Picos de Europe in northern Spain and is extremely rare: only around 100 hectares of vineyards are planted with the variety.
Bone dry and bracingly fresh, it has flavours of pear, lemon, lime and white flowers. It will work particularly well with seafood.
I am a huge fan of trout, particularly wild trout but I will settle for the farmed stuff too. Recently I’ve been eating a lot of rainbow trout, dressed with lemon butter, from the posh supermarket near the office. It’s not badly priced and it is very tasty.
There is only one wine to accompany trout in my book and that’s riesling, preferably German. Virgin Wines lists a capable example, Hans Lang Riesling Kabinett trocken 2012, from the renowned Rheingau region.
Elegant, clean, dry and crisp, it suggests peach and citrus fruit flavours with pronounced notes of mineral.
Duo Des Mers Sauvignon-Viognier 2013, Vin de France, £6.50 from The Wine Society 17/20
El Rescatado Albarin 2013, VdlT Castilla y León, £9.99 when you buy two at Majestic 17/20
Hans Lang Riesling Kabinett trocken 2012, Rheingau, £11.99 from Virgin Wines 17/20
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