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

Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard is a highly versatile vegetable being more robust than spinach but less tough than kale. Popular in French and Italian cuisine it has, not surprisingly, a great affinity to wine. In a gratin with potatoes or chicory for example you can match chard really well with a medium or full-bodied white such as Chono’s elegant Chardonnay from Chile’s Casablanca Valley or Marques de Riscal’s oak aged ‘Limousine’ organic Rueda.

UK Sausage Week 28th Oct – 3rd Nov

Summer may be giving way to autumn but that doesn’t mean an end to sizzling bangers – far from it. With Halloween and even bonfire night on the horizon, extended al fresco eating is to be encouraged, albeit with a jumper or two. Full flavoured sausages go best with a southern French number like our Côtes Du Rhône `Sans Sulfite` or Domaine de La Borie Blanche Minervois la Liviniere. Equally an Argentinian Malbec would be spot on and we have a new arrival, the Buenalma Biodynamic Malbec from Finca Dinamia. If pork and apple or pork and leek sausages require a lighter wine then we would recommend the De Wetshof ‘Limestone Hill’ Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc Roussanne `The Wedge` from the Babylon’s Peak winery.

Halloween

Why not warm up your Halloween celebrations with our ‘Spiced Apple Warmer’ with Badachro Gin. 

We also love a dress up charity day here at Ellis Wines. Be sure to tag us in your best Halloween costumes on Twitter and Instagram, we will share our favourites. 

Butternut Squash

The sweet nutty taste of butternut squash makes it an ideal partner for a richer white wine like a Viognier or oaked Chardonnay. Fabulous in a risotto or ravioli, we plump for Domaine des Remizières Collines Rhodaniennes Viognier or Marquis de Pennautier Terroirs D`Altitude Chardonnay.