Wine of the Week - La Combe Pilate ‘Esteban’ Brut Nature

Fish and chips; a dish, an institution woven into the fabric of this country like many other monuments, traits and truisms. Something to celebrate and embrace and enjoy, be it at the start of a telly-laden Saturday night, at the end of a seaside Promenade after a long promenade or just, well, because you can. And pretty much anywhere, any time, and on any day.

Rejoice in its carb-filled, protein-packed stodginess. Celebrate its archetypal Britishness (even though other great sea faring nations have their takes on this too…). Contemplate the sumptuous, simplistic, less-is-more genius of it all….

But, goodness, hasn’t it got expensive lately? What was once a weekly staple, has become, increasingly so, for some of us, a monthly treat. So with Nic’s inbuilt nod to Yorkshire frugalism, matter-of-factly, our chippy teas tend to be home made these days.

Beer-batter enriched cod (Henry) or Halloumi (Nicola) with crisp and light-brown chips made from slow-cooked, home-grown potatoes. Add compulsive shop-bought (but never own brand) mushy peas, lashings of vinegar and salt, and, rather intriguingly, chopped raw red onion too (it goes well with the Halloumi, apparently). 

And to serve and savour with this plated or papered national treasure? In both our pre-enlightened ages a diet-coke or Irn-Bru (dandelion & burdock for Nic) would do. But having done the training, it transpires that despite centuries of distrust, disentanglement and sometimes outright hostility, nothing goes as well with this British foody staple as the terrific taste of fantastic French fizz (although English Sparkling Wine naturally more-than does the job too). 

Champagne is the obvious choice here, but we have been championing the country’s other sparkling wines for years. So for this week’s supper we paired fish and chips with one of the first wines from our range, La Combe Pilate ‘Esteban’, a sparkling Viognier from the Rhône.

Declassified to a ‘Vin de France’ owing to the region’s winemaking legislation, the wine is made using the Méthode Ancestrale technique where the single fermentation takes place in the bottle. Viognier being such a deliciously rich, fragrant, flavoursome grape, no dosage (i.e. the addition of extra sugar solution) is used allowing the flavours to shine. 

Fresh and tangy with crisp acidity, it works brilliantly with the rich, fatty food. Awash with notes of citrus, spice, stone fruit and with a tasty saline finish, the ‘Esteban’ is a great choice as a food friendly fizz or an indulgent midweek treat.