English Wine Week 2023

With more and more English wines coming to the market each year, and with brilliant campaigns such as #buylocal, Brits are finding themselves stepping out of their comfort zone of French Burgundy's and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to find out what all of the hype is about, and try a glass of something quintessentially English. 

English wines can be easily identified for their delicate structure and underlying aroma of elderflower and citrus, where varieties such as Pinot Gris can add green fruit aromas of crunchy pear and apple, varieties such as Madeleine Angevine offers more floral and herbaceous notes of gooseberries, nettles and fennel.

It's no secret that English sparkling wines can compete with our cousins over in France! The most traditional examples use the same varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier), the same method of production (Methode Traditionelle) and indeed the climate too, is very similar. The resulting wines preserve a fresh acidity from secondary fermentation, finely cutting through the bubbles and lifting up a powerful aroma of almond croissant, toast and green fruit.

Here we present our carefully curated English Wine Week case, paired with a dish from some of our favourite Cornish chefs and restaurants. ​

Classic Cuveé White 

A lively mousse once poured shifts into a steady stream of fine bubbles. Aromas of green fruit, citrus and freshly baked bread. This wine underwent 5 years of ageing on lees in the bottle before being disgorged, followed by 6 months of bottle ageing, on cork to reintegrate. Serve at 8c.

Paired with: Restaurant Renmor's Fillet of Turbot Poached in Knightor Wine.

Ingredients: 
4 x 120g - Portions of Turbot
200g - White Crab Meat
1 tsp - Finely Chopped Chives
1 tsp - Preserved Lemon – finely sliced
100ml Knightor

Method:
1. Season the Turbot with salt.
2. Lay the fish on a baking tray with the Knightor.
3. Cover and cook at 120oc for 6 minutes.
4. Poke the fish with a cake tester to see how its cooked, there should be the slightest
resistance as you push the cake tester through.
5. Mix the crab in a bowl with a little lemon oil, salt, chives and preserved lemon.
6. One the fish is cooked, gently warm the crab and top the fillets.

Bacchus 2022

Bacchus is the third most planted variety in the UK. and for good reason, we call it England's answer to Sauvignon Blanc because of its pronounced fruit aromas and strong acidity. Our 2022 vintage is no exception, boasting aromas of passionfruit, thyme and fresh grass. The palate is dry and fruit-forward, retaining citrusy acidity and gooseberry notes. 

Paired With: Idle Rock's Pan Seared Scallops with Pea Velouté and Buttermilk.

Ingredients:
Three Scallops
100ml Pea Velouté 
One Sugar Snap
Five Fresh Pea 
20ml Buttermilk
10ml Lemon Gel
5ml Green Oil

Method:
1. Blitz frozen peas in a blender, adding a few knobs of butter, seasoning, a dash of cream and a small amount of cold water until the peas turn into a smooth puree.
2. For the buttermilk sauce, add buttermilk with twice the amount of Greek yoghurt. Add lemon juice and seasoning.
3. In a slightly smoking pan, place your seasoned scallops and sear until golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and add butter, turning the scallops over and let them cook from the residual heat. Remove from pan and finish with fresh lemon.
4. Pour the warm velouté into the bowl and then swirl the buttermilk on top. Place the scallops in the bowl and dot the quickly blanched sugar snaps and peas around.
​5. Finish with a little bit of mint oil (or chive) and lemon.  

Trevannion 2022
​
Our Trevannion blend of Siegerrebe and Seyval Blanc is a real highlight of the 2022 harvest.  Named for Elizabeth Trevannion owner of Knightor and Gorran castle in the late 16th century. Her husband wrote 'I married a gentlewoman more for her worth than her wealth'.

Pronounced aroma of lychee, rose petal and grapefruit. (Like an Alsace Gewürztraminer!) Similarly, the palate is complex and suggests a hint of spice that lingers into an off-dry, lengthy finish. 

Paired With: Philleigh Way Cookery School's Cornish Fish Soup.

Ingredients:
One Onion 
One Sticks Celery
One Carrot
Two Cloves Garlic
¼ Leek
One Red Chilli, deseeded 
One tsp Fennel Seeds
Star Anise
Two tbsp Brandy/Cognac
Thyme/Rosemary
Sprinkle of Saffron
Two Tablespoons Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling
800g Chopped Plum Tomatoes or Passata
 ½ Butternut Squash or Potatoes, peeled and grated
500ml Organic Fish Stock
300g from sustainable sources

Method:
1. Finely chop the onion, celery, carrot , garlic, star aise, saffron and chilli. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and chilli and sweat gently until soft. Add the wine or brandy, tomatoes or passata, squash and stock and bring to the boil.
2. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Season and gently break up the tomatoes.
3. Roughly chop the fish add to the pan simmer for 5 minutes or until just cooked.
4. Taste the soup and season it again with salt and pepper and a squeeze of if necessary.
5. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with the chopped parsley

Carpe Diem Rosé

All grapes were picked by hand, typically most of the varietals undergo a very short maceration to extract a delicate pink hue. After this, they are pressed and fermented cool, predominantly in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and fruit characteristics. A small percentage of the wines are fermented in barrels to add depth and roundness to the palate. After fermentation, we frequently stir the lees, providing further smoothness and mouthfeel. This blend was created to provide a refreshing and youthful rosé.

Paired With: The Catch at Mawgan Porth's Cornish Seafood Pasta.

​Ingredients: 
200g Fresh Pasta
Two tbsps of Olive Oil and some for Drizzling
Two or Three Chopped Garlic Cloves
One or Two Chopped Fresh Red Chilli's, Deseeded
150ml Knightor Carpe Diem Rosé
500g Debearded Cornish Mussels
150g Lobster
Two Generous Dollops of Cornish Clotted Cream
Juice of a Lemon

Method:
1. Cook the pasta as per the instructions, saving a mugful of the cooking water. 
2. Heat the olive oil, add in the garlic, chilli, lemon, as well as some salt and pepper - then the Knightor Carpe Diem Rosé and mussels. Toss it altogether, turn up the heat and pop the lid on for two minutes. 
3. Stir in the lobster and cream, cover again and cook for another two to three minutes. If any mussels haven't opened at this point then discard them. 
4. Mix in the pasta with the lemon juice and parsley. Add a splash of the reserved water to loosen the sauce for one to two minutes and serve when glossy.

Pinot Noir 2019

​A distinctively cool-climate Pinot Noir, even white drinkers can get behind this. Intense red fruits with a gentle hint of spice from its time in oak barrels.

Paired With: Our very own The Vine by Knightor Cornish Crab Flatbread.

Ingredients (Crab Sauce): 
100g Brown Crab Meat
100ml Soy Sauce
100ml Dashi
50ml Mirin 
Blend until smooth

Ingredients (Chilli & Garlic Oil): 
50g Dried Mild Chilli's
100g Garlic
Four Star Anise
Two tsp of Five Spice
150ml Vegetable Oil
Blend until smooth

Ingredients (Szechuan Mayonnaise):
100g Mayonnaise
A couple pinches of Ground Szechuan Pepper

White Crab Meat
Flatbread
Lambs Wolf Lettuce

Method:
1. To assemble, use the crab sauce to coat the flatbread. 
2. Top with the fresh white crab meat and chilli & garlic oil.
3. Bake in a hot oven for a few minutes. 
4. Then finish by adding the Szechuan mayo and the lamb's wolf lettuce.

​Aprèz

Aprèz is a refreshing, delicately aromatic rosé wine spritz crafted by authentic winemakers on the Cornish Coast; the perfect aperitif sundowner. Canned for convenience, the blend of Mediterranean flavours and zesty citrus combine to make Aprèz a versatile drink, to accompany every lifestyle. ​

Paired With: The Aussie Smoker's 'Too Jazzy' BBQ Chicken Burger

Ingredients:
BBQ Chicken Thighs
The Aussie Smoker Signature BBQ Rub
A Pinch of Sea Salt
A Pinch of Sugar
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
The Aussie Smoker Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce
Mayonnaise
Ciabatta Roll
Spinach
Streaky Bacon
Egg 

Method:
1. Score the Chicken thighs and place in a plastic bag.
2. Sprinkle in the BBQ Rub, some salt and sugar along with a good squirt of lemon juice and a little oil.
3. Tie a knot in the bag and shake all the chicken around, making sure the pieces are all covered.
4. Leave overnight in the fridge.
5. Get the BBQ or pan to a medium/high heat before placing the chicken on.
6. Make sure to get a nice charr before turning over.
7. Once almost cooked through, remove from the heat and allow to rest.
8. Add the bacon to the heat and cook.
9. Just before your desired bacon eating stage, add the chicken to the bacon and finish cooking together.
10. Remove from heat, add a little oil and cook the egg. (in an egg ring if you have one)
11. Cut the Ciabatta Roll and lightly warm through.
12. Add The Aussie Smoker Honey.
13. Mustard and some mayo to the bottom of the Roll, then the spinach, chicken and bacon, topped with the egg and a drizzle of the Honey Mustard.

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