Four Spring Recipes With The Perfect Wine Pairing

Food is at its most flavoursome when it is in season. Eating local, seasonal produce is not just delicious, it can also reduce food miles, plastic packaging, and support your community.

Kale

Once looked down on as lowly cattle feed, Kale had its moment in the early 2010’s. Shredded, braised, roasted and even turned into crisps; kale, for a time, was ubiquitous on restaurant menus throughout the country. Whilst its prominence has since diminished, the earthy, bitter vegetable is more than a healthy food – it’s really, really delicious.

This White bean kale salad with tahini is made using mainly store cupboard ingredients, making it a perfect lunchtime meal. This dish is striking enough for special occasions and can be served either as the main event, or as an extra special side. The zesty, citrus, vibrancy of the Liberty’s Bacchus 2022 balances the creamy tahini dressing, whilst its herbal notes complement the earthiness of the kale. Our March Wine of the Month is the perfect pairing for this salad.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of the more nuanced seasonal vegetables. The best time to harvest these tasty florets differs by variety of crop; however, its nutty flavour, and receptiveness to spices such as cumin, turmeric, chilli, and ginger, make spring a wonderful time to enjoy this vegetable.

As the cauliflower cheeses of cold winter evenings recede into memory, warmer, longer days beg for Spring Vegetable and Cauliflower Tabbouleh. This fresh and vibrant dish needs an equally fresh and vibrant wine pairing. Skye’s Chardonnay 2022 has great texture, and hints of parsley in its flavour profile – the perfect pairing for this Spring dish.

Rhubarb 

The process of forcing rhubarb – where you cover the crowns to prevent light reaching them – encourages early growth. This means you’ll see the rhubarb coming into season earlier and for longer. For most of us, you cannot rhubarb without crumble. However, its astringent flavour profile is exceptional in vibrant savoury dishes too, as demonstrated by this Pan-fried mackerel sandwich with rhubarb coleslaw by Olia Hercules.

As the richness of the mackerel is cut through by the rhubarb and radish, this calls for a wine which complements the flavour. The oily-feel of the Nannette’s Rosé 2022 does just that: this dry and fresh wine creates a delightful counterpoint to this decadent sandwich.

Leeks

Cheese on toast is an unlikely source of decadence, however this Creamy Leeks With Shropshire Blue & Tarragon On Toast Recipe achieves just that. As simple to make and comforting as cheese on toast should be, this dish is elevated by its ingredients. We’ve paired this dish with the Balfour Brut Rosé 2018: prominent strawberry, cranberry notes create contrast with the leeks – a truly hedonistic experience.

When you don’t feel like cooking

Centred around the notion that ‘what grows together’ goes together’ our restaurant The Winemakers’ Kitchen lives by these principles. The menu showcases beautiful seasonal produce; vegetables from neighbouring farms, fish from the market and locally caught game paired with wines crafted on our estate.

The Winemakers’ Kitchen is open 7 days a week for lunch and Friday and Saturday evenings for dinner. Sunday lunch is for traditional family-style Sunday roasts featuring succulent local meat, crispy potatoes and billowing Yorkshire puddings.