Offer an Olive Branch
The olive may be a small fruit, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in variety and flavour, which makes the topic of olives and wine pairing especially complex and interesting.
The mixture of flavours come from the many locations they are grown as well as the curing process used. This can impact which beverage to serve with your salty and sometimes bitter, antipasto. Our instore experts have pulled together three pairings to ensure your palate will be sated this summer.
Manzanilla, a Spanish olive, is light with a plump meaty texture and these Don Gastronom Ole Olives Almond Stuffed Manzanilla Olives (580ml, £8.50) combine the olives’ fruity flavour with the crunch of almond. This pairs well with a dry Spanish Cava or Fino and the Barbadillo Fino Pale Dry (75cl, £13) has a lovely pale straw colour and wonderful dry finish.
Cerignola is popular buttery, sweet olive from the Puglia region in Italy which works brilliantly in starters and salads. Pair this juicy olive with a refreshing white like Pinot Grigio and the Corte Giara Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie (75cl, £12) which has aromas of pear accompanied by wildflowers and a subtle, delicate, smoky nuance.
Kalamata is a famed Greek olive which is harvested fully ripe and then brine cured. Oblong in shape and ranging in color from purple to black, Odysea Vegan Big Kalamata Pitted Olives (165g, £4) make the perfect partner for this Louis Guntrum Pinot Noir (75cl, £18) which has cherry and raspberry-like flavours with a hint of oak.
Barbadillo Fino
Pale Dry, 75cl, £13
Don Gastronom Ole Olives Almond Stuffed Manzanilla Olives
580ml, £8.50
Corte Giara
Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie, 75cl, £12
Cerignola Olives
Louis Guntrum
Pinot Noir, 75cl, £18
Odysea Vegan Big Kalamata Pitted Olives,
165g, £4
Richard Bainbridge Beetroot Ketchup,
270g, £4.50
Odysea Vegan Big Kalamata Pitted Olives,
165g, £4
Penne for your thoughts
There’s something about pasta this time of year – maybe it brings back memories of holidays on the Italian coast or we are looking for that summertime alternative to potatoes? The humble pasta dish becomes a Mediterranean feast to be enjoyed outdoors.
Seggiano
Organic Gluten Free Tagliatelle, 250g, £4
Gourmet, certified gluten-free pasta, slow dried and made using just mountain spring water and premium Italian rice and corn.
I Love Italia
Pappardelle Bronze Drawn Egg Pasta, 250g, £3.50
Pappardelle goes excellently with strong meat sauces such as game, duck, or wild boar. This choice is ideal for capturing all the flavour and colour of the favourite sauce when pasta will be tossed in pan.
Cornwall Pasta Co
Wild Garlic Campanelle, 350g, £8
Handf-oraged Cornish wild garlic is added
to our signature organic semolina dough to produce this mouth-watering pasta you won’t find anywhere else.
Rosé-tinted summer
Winbirri Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé 2020
750ml | £19
Whether enjoying with your al fresco feast or after a busy day relaxing in the garden, nothing quite compares to that cool glass of pink-tinted wine to bring a smile to your face. Refreshing, crisp and fragrant, a bottle of rosé says summer and sunshine. Often with notes of summer fruits such as peach and strawberry, its chilled nature make it the perfect seasonal sip.
