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Right, it’s time for a treat. High time, one might say; we’ve all been beating ourselves up for long enough. It’s winter: it’s cold and frosty. Time to head out of town for a celebration dinner.
We could head for the New Forest, perhaps; crisp fallen leaves, a clear blue sky, and dinner at Hotel Terravina near Southhampton. This new boutique hotel is picking up awards right, left and centre: it’s ultra-chic, it uses local organic produce whenever it can in the kitchen (it even uses local lavender for the hand-made toiletries in the rooms) and it’s owned and run by Gérard and Nina Basset. He’s a Master of Wine as well as an award-winning sommelier - what he doesn’t know about wine isn’t worth knowing. So when his head sommelier, Laura Rhys, recommends the Bodegas Darien 2001 Reserva from Rioja with a beautifully autumnal starter of pork, chesnut and sage terrine, you can be sure it’s going to be a winner. ‘The wine’s lighter style will not overpower the pork,’ she says, ‘and it has plenty of subtle red and black fruit, complemented by spicy notes, that suit this terrine perfectly.’
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A main course? Perhaps saddle of venison, château potatoes, braised red cabbage and red wine balsamic jus. (You’ll be hungry after a walk in the New Forest.) Laura recommends Por Ti 2005 from Bodegas Martiñez Laorden. Unusually for a Rioja it’s 100% Graciano – a rare grape with good acidity and a distinct aroma of violets. It’s a very modern wine, she says, ‘with plenty of rich, dark fruit and a ripe but firm structure that will match the venison perfectly.’
Or do you fancy Dorset? Perhaps a five-star hotel and spa is in the village of Evershot, deep in Thomas Hardy country, and as pretty a spot as you’ll find anywhere in England. After a day spent exploring the Jurassic Coast, or climbing the hill for a good look at the Cerne Abbas giant, you’ll be more than ready for chief sommelier Eric Zwiebel’s recommendation of roast rib of Casterbridge beef with Artadi’s Pagos Viejos 2002. This is a modern Rioja, says Eric, with a nose that combines fresh blackcurrants and black cherries with gamey, leathery flavours and a touch of dried meat. It’s firm and full-bodied on the palate, and has a chocolate and cedar finish; imagine that with the beef. Why Casterbridge beef? Because it’s so tender; it is served with just a red wine jus reduction, and the delicate tannin of the wine will match perfectly the texture of the beef.
And let’s not forget Scotland. Andrew Fairlie is one of Britain’s leading chefs, and he has his own restaurant, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, in Perthshire: it’s situated in the ultra-de-luxe Gleneagles hotel, which in turn is surrounded by 850 acres of unspoilt countryside. The restaurant is suitably sumptuous, the food simple but perfectly prepared. With a dish of fillet of wild venison and root vegetables, Andrew suggests Baron de Chirel 2001 from Marqués de Riscal: a rich, dark-fruited wine of vivid flavours that will help you celebrate winter in fine style.
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