Menu Matcher - Seafood .....................................................................................................................................................................................................

Muscadet is the champion of seafood, the glorious, crisp, fresh rapier like acidity the perfect foil for the sweetness of the fish. However, other wines work well also; Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay are all contenders and it is also worth having a flutter on a good quality rosé. Many partner the noble oyster with Champagne but Chablis or even Muscadet works better.

Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie, 2006 - Sauvion du Cléray, Loire The classic western Loire seafood wine. Very crisp, clean and 'zingy' with a faint yeast and nut tang, which makes this ideal with seafood. In our opinion a good 'Sur Lie' Muscadet is the only thing to wash down the classic Breton seafood offering of 'Plateau de Fruits de Mer'. 'Sur Lie' indicates that the wine has been aged to mature on its lees (what is left in the barrels after fermentation) and it is this process which adds the best classic yeasty complexity to a good Muscadet. The wine also needs to come from the best vineyards of the appellation and these are in the denomination of the 'Sèvre et Maine'. ..................................................................................................................................................................

50cl Bottles Manzanilla, La Gitana - Bodegas Hidalgo, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain Manzanilla is the lightest and driest of all sherries and can only be produced in the town of Sanlucar de Barrameda where the unique micro-climate allows a special growth of ‘flor’ (yeast) to grow on the surface of the maturing wine, protecting it from oxidisation. La Gitana is an absolutely classic example of this unique wine; it is beautifully balanced, fresh and delicate with a touche of sea-saltiness and a pure, nutty-fruit zestiness. This wine exudes freshness and there is a distinct aroma of a salty breeze and seaweed on the beach in the morning. It has an ultra clean lazer-sharp crispness. This wine has not much more alcoholic strength than some white burgundies. Best served from the fridge with seafood and tapas. A little is also great poured into soups. Once opened it should be kept in the fridge and will keep well for up to 3 months. ..................................................................................................................................................................