The first in our five-part series looking at pairing great English wine with delicious food. First up is Albury Estate Blanc de Blancs 2017 paired with a simple asparagus, goat's cheese and walnut salad.
Albury Estate Blanc de Blancs 2017
REGION: Surrey GRAPES: Chardonnay & Seyval Blanc
Albury's Blanc de Blancs is a blend of Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc, the latter being a grape that I find pairs particularly well with goats cheese.
So for this pairing, I opted for a simple dish that makes the most of delicious English asparagus, with light touches of walnut, goat's cheese and lemon.
The wine's crisp, intense citrus fruit and crunchy green apple freshness sits very nicely alongside the sometimes tricky to pair asparagus, while the light, honeyed pastry notes complement both the goat's cheese and the toasted walnuts.
A very successful pairing that respects the purity of the flavours in both the wine and the food.
- Buy from Albury Organic £29.95
Asparagus, Goats Cheese & Walnut Salad (Serves 2)
Ingredients: 1 bunch Asparagus, Goat's Cheese, a handful of Walnuts, Lemon, Olive Oil
Method:
- Blanch asparagus for 1-2 minutes (depending on thickness), then remove, dry and place under the grill for 5 minutes
- Toast walnuts lightly in a pan
- Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice with an equal amount of olive oil and a twist of black pepper
- Place asparagus on a plate and crumble over the goat's cheese and walnuts, dress with the olive oil & lemon juice and a light grating of lemon zest.