Each month, we will be bringing you our top picks of seasonal ingredients, our wine recommendations and important dates for your calendar.

Our aim being to inspire you and help you to pick out the best wines for that seasonal dish created by your talented chefs, work with you in choosing a selection of wines for a dinner you may be hosting or simply to help you remember when Pancake Day is around the corner!

We'd love to wish our wonderful producers and customers a very happy New Year. We hope you had a very prosperous trading period, but also took some time to enjoy the festive season. We kick off this month's seasonal top picks with the following...

Veganuary – 1st–31st January

Trends are showing that people are reducing their meat consumption, by either consuming less meat or opting for a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. We have a wide range of vegan-friendly wines in our portfolio. These have been made without the addition of any animal or dairy derived products (such as isinglass, gelatin, egg whites or casein) in the production process. For information on any of our vegan wines, please see our product pages or get in touch with us. You could combine this theme with the seasonal veg below and create a beetroot tray bake or salad and match it with an Albarino such as our new Noelia Bebelia from the Rias Baixas region of Galicia. 

Low-Alcohol Wines

After an indulgent December, there is a trend to go light in January. We have a variety of great wines that are low in alcohol for an alternative to going completely dry. The best lighter alcohol wines are those produced naturally i.e. not using spinning cone, reverse osmosis or similar processes. These wines are often produced in cooler climates and defined by freshness and elegance. Try one the great Alsace wines from JB Adam or perhaps one of the modern, varietally labelled Vinho Verdes from AB Valley.

Burns Night – Friday 25th January

Before the ubiquitous dram on Burns Night, try matching the peppery ‘chieftain puddin’ with a juicy, fruit-driven red such as cru Beaujolais, Carignan or an Aussie Shiraz-Grenache blend. Our picks would be Pascal Aufranc’s Juliénas, Cotes du Rhône Domaine de l`Amandine or Geoff Merrill’s Shiraz/Grenache/Mourvèdre blend.

Game

Northern Rhone (i.e. Syrah based) wines are overall best matches for game birds. New World Pinot Noir can also go well with wood pigeon casserole or roast pheasant. Why not host a themed dinner? We can help you match each dish to a fantastic wine. For a great match with roasted pheasant, it would be hard to see past the acclaimed Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir. A wine with a deserved cult following.

Beetroot – Eat with the seasons

A wonderfully earthy flavour. Delicious roasted, pickled or even in chocolate cake. Other seasonal ingredients include celeriac, leeks, and spinach. Work with your chefs to create exciting dishes and speak to us for wine matching ideas. 

International Chocolate Cake Day – 27th January

Why not highlight this decadent day on your menus and recommend a Tawny Port, Pedro Ximenez Sherry or even an Argentine Malbec? Our Mira la Mar Pedro Ximenez is a heady mix of flavours from molasses, dates and figs to raisins and candied peel.