Now that Christmas is once more behind us, home entertaining is getting back to normal and our thoughts turn away from turkey to more warming foods to see us through the cold winter nights. We’ve been looking at seasonal foods and have designed a simple dinner party menu which will both impress your guests and leave you with plenty of time to spend with them.
To get things started, why not try out new Prosecco Fano from Astoria Wines. This is Ultra Brut so crisp and dry and a wonderful aperitif. Going into the meal itself, Mussels are great at this time of year and a Moules Marinieres makes an easy but hearty starter when served with chunks of crusty bread and partnering this with a fresh and tasty Picpoul de Pinet (the Chablis of the South of France) will make for a great matching pair.
Moving on to the main course, a Venison Casserole is simple to make and is forgiving timewise so if the conversation is flowing, there’s no need to worry, just open another bottle of Picpoul! To go with the Venison Casserole we’d suggest a hearty red such as the Buzzard’s kloof Syrah from South Africa’s Rustenberg Estate or maybe Malbec Tonel 46 from Bodegas Los Toneles in Argentina. Both would work well depending on your budget.
Apple Pie makes for a wonderful dessert at this time of year either served with custard or even ice cream and you won’t go far wrong with a bottle of Muscat de Rivesaltes from La Coume du Roy to help it down. The Muscat would also go well with some Stilton but the same estate has a red Maury which would be even better with blue cheese.
Enjoy some good hearty eating in these chilly days, oh and some good hearty drinking too!