Susy Atkins lines up her October best buys, plus drinks to gowithpumpkindishes
WHAT TO DRINK
ILLUSTRATION: iSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
WHAT GOES WITH... PUMPKIN & SQUASH?
T
he soft, buttery texture and
sweet-edged flavour of squash
(including pumpkins) needs a
gentle, juicy wine – avoid anything too
crisp and sharp or tannic and oaky.
Lighter dishes such as squash soup,
gnocchi or risotto work brilliantly
with a ripe, rounded white like a
chardonnay or viognier. Make it
a French chardonnay, though – a New
World wine is too strongly flavoured.
A Burgundian or Pays d’Oc style is spot
on. If you prefer a red, plump for a light,
fresh-tasting one – Italy’s marzemino,
frappato or bardolino would complement
squash roasted with garlic and herbs.
Pumpkin pie (see p46 for a recipe)calls for a drink with enough sweetness
to balance out the dish. Here you can
play safe with a golden dessert wine
(Aussie sweet semillon is a particularly
fine partner) or try something more
adventurous – I’ve enjoyed pumpkin
pie with malmsey madeira, a nip of
spiced rum, tawny port and even
a gorgeous sweet cider. Try these:- Sous le Soleil du Midi Chardonnay
2018, Vin de France (£5.99, Waitrose)
Great-value chardonnay with only a
subtle dab of oak and appealing citrus
flavour, and enough buttery ripeness
to marry happily with squash risotto
or butternut squash soup. - Taste the Difference Marzemino 2018,
Trentino, Italy(£8.50,Sainsbury’s)
A light, super-freshredwithraspberry
and black cherryfruit.Verylowon
tannin, so it won’tclashwiththesoft
cooked pumpkinandsquashflesh.- Taylor’s 10YearOldTawnyPort,
Douro, Portugal(£22,widelyavailable,
including OcadoandMorrisons)
Look out forraisin,spice,toffeeand
hazelnut flavoursinthisrich,mellow
port. Aged inoakcasks,it tasteslike
autumn in aglass– witha smooth,
velvety finish.Terrificwitha traditional
pumpkin pie.
?
THE BARGAIN RED
Lidl Montepulciano
d’Abruzzo 2018, Italy
(£4.29)
If you like fresh, tangy,
red-cherry flavoured
reds, then you’ll love this
(including the price).
Best chilled a little and
sipped with platters
of cold meats.TheBestNegroamaro
2017,Puglia,Italy
(£7.25,downto£6.50until
6 October,Morrisons)
Packedwithflavoursofrich
blackberriesspicedwith
twistsofcinnamonand
clove,thisredfromItaly’s
‘heel’suitsa big,beefy
autumncasserole.Laughing Llama
Chardonnay 2018,
Curicó, Chile
(£5, Sainsbury’s)
A bright fruit cocktail of
tangerine, pineapple and
mango, this unoaked
Chilean chardy shouts
out for roast chicken
or salmon steaks.THE BARGAIN WHITE THEMIDWEEKTREAT
AUTUMNWARMER
Copalli BarrelRested
Rum, Belize(£41.30,
Master of Malt)
A dark goldsippingrum
aged in Americanoak
ex-bourbonbarrelsto
develop flavoursof
raisins, butterscotch,
vanilla andbiscuits.Codorníu Rosado Brut
Cava NV, Spain (£9.49,
down to £6.99 until
8 October, Waitrose)
Lively bubbles and bright
red berries mark out this
excellent-value dry pink
cava. Enjoy it with savoury
snacks and starters,
especially Spanish jamón.THE SPLASH-OUT WHITE FIZZ OF THE MONTH
Mathilde de Favray
Pouilly-Fumé 2018, Loire,
France (£17, Marks & Spencer)
A beautifully balanced
sauvignon blanc – bone
dry but not too tart. The
pure, fresh lemon flavour
is a joy with delicate white
fish or oysters. Serve
lightly chilled.drinks.
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 89