Tom King's best wines of 2021

We asked The Great Wine Co’s fine wine manager, Tom King, to pick out a selection of the wines that made a strong impression in 2021. There are some are striking new arrivals, others are longstanding favourites and others are simply the most stand-out awesome wines of the year. Here are just six from his annual list of recommendations.

Riesling 'The German Job’– Meiner Africa
A superb wine that goes superbly with food, in keeping with Meinert's style. Flinty and waxy Riesling aromas, that give way to juicy lime and tropical fruit flavours. Dry yet soft-textured, with good richness and sustain, and a wonderful overall sense of completeness. £14.95

Moulin d'Issan, Bordeaux Supérieur - Château d'Issan
France. Vibrant purple colour. Ripe, expressive mulberry and pomegranate aromas, as well as a suggestion of oyster shells. In the mouth, it is soft, silky and succulent yet dry and savoury. Absolutely delicious, and ready to drink now or over the next 4-5 years. A bargain from Margaux Third Growth, Château d'Issan - from vineyards contiguous with the Margaux estate, but close to the Gironde. £17.75

La Cuvee Brut Organic - Gramona
Spain. A superbly elegant sparkling wine, with complex yet vibrant notes of peach, apricot, golden apple, lemon peel, blanched almond and meadow flowers. Upon taking a sip, the first impression is of well-rounded, supple texture, offset by fine crispness and a creamy mousse. The lingering impression reflects the nose: citrus, apple, almond. Very refreshing, long finish. £22

Finca Valinas DO Rías Baixas – Mar de Frades
Spain. Complex, fine and attractive aroma of white flowers and candied fruits; with a smoky, earthy undertone. The palate is creamy with a rich and lively structure. Powerful and broad mid-palate, with touches of aromatic herbs and subtle saline and balsamic notes. Its fresh acidity, and intense aromatic profile means it will continue to develop over the next few years. £24

Eruzione Bianco 1614 Carricante – Planeta
Italy. The pale gold color does not reflect the bountiful nose of ripe fruit and aromatic white flowers that magically transport you to the slopes of Mt. Etna. The soft and concentrated palate exhibits flavors of lemon zest and green apple with mineral notes that result in a lengthy finish. It pairs perfectly with seafood based appetizers and fish dishes. £22

Vacqueyras 'Arabesque’ – Domaine de Montvac
France. Pure, intense yet delicate aromas of redcurrant and licquorice, without oak. Structure very elegant with fine tannins and balanced acidity. Poised and long.£16.65

See Tom’s full list of this year’s great recommendations, and as a special offer you can save up to 33% off your order. Free delivery when you spend over £50.

This speedy takeaway classic arrives on your table in around the same time it takes to find your local takeaway menu in the back of your kitchen drawer. The perfect tastebud-tantalising TV dinner, it's also a wonderful way warm up a chilly November evening, packed with flavour fireworks and easily adapted to suit all levels of chilli heat preferences.

The only element that may stop this spur-of-the-moment answer to the “what shall we have for supper?” conundrum is that you need a quantity of cooked and chilled rice to make a successful Singapore supper – if you use just-cooked, hot rice, the dish will become claggy. So, either use rice leftover from the previous dinner or cook some in the morning, ready to fry in the evening. 

Shredded pre-roast chicken, duck or pork can be added or used in place of the prawns, but if you don't have any of them to hand (or prefer a vegetarian version), top each bowl of rice with a fried egg smattered with soy and chilli sauces – va-va-voom!

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 large green pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3cm knob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or crushed
1 small red chilli (or to taste), finely chopped
1 level tbsp medium curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or mirin
Around 100g frozen peas, defrosted
Around 100g frozen sweetcorn, defrosted
150g large, cooked king prawns (if frozen, defrost thoroughly before use)
200g (dry weight) long grain rice, cooked and chilled
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tsp sesame oil

To serve: dark soy sauce; white pepper; hot sauce (eg. Sriracha or Gochujang sauce)

Method

1. Heat a large wok or frying pan over medium heat and add 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil. As soon as the oil starts to smoke, add the onion and the peppers and sauté for around 4-6 minutes or until the onion is translucent and the peppers have softened, adding the garlic, ginger, chilli, curry powder and turmeric for the last couple of minutes of cooking time. If the mixture looks a little bit too dry, add a bit more oil before adding the cooked, chilled rice to the pan and stirring well.

2. Add the prawns, peas and sweetcorn to the pan and stir until all the ingredients are combined.

3. Move the rice mixture to one side of the pan, add the remaining tbsp of oil to the 'well' and, when the oil has heated up, pour the beaten eggs on top of the oil. Briefly scramble the eggs before mixing them through the rice and continuing to sauté, repeatedly tossing/turning until all the ingredients are thoroughly heated through and adding the sesame oil for the final shake-it-all-about.

4. Serve immediately in warm bowls with plenty of soy sauce, white pepper and hot sauce to hand.

Treating yourself to a takeaway? Save cash by making your own classic 'fakeaway' side orders, ready in the time it takes to say “home delivery? Ooooh!”

With Pizza: Cheese and Garlic Tear'n'Share bread (serves 4; vegetarian)

Preheat the oven to 180°c/gas mark 5. Cut horizontal, diagonal or diamond-shaped slashes into 1 sturdy, 400g white loaf (sourdough works really well here) without cutting all the way through to the base. Grate around 130g mozzarella cheese and put to one side. Mix 8 tbsp softened butter with 2 large garlic cloves (peeled and minced), 1 tbsp dried oregano, 2 tbsp finely-chopped fresh parsley and season well. Pry the slashes in the bread apart and use your fingers to stuff equal blobs of seasoned butter topped with smatterings of grated cheese into the crevices (a messy but rather satisfying job!) Slather any remaining seasoned butter over the top of the loaf, wrap loosely in foil and bake for around 20 minutes (or until the cheese has thoroughly melted), uncovering the bread for the last 5 minutes of cooking time to create a satisfyingly crunchy crust.

With Fish and Chips: Chip Shop Curry Sauce (serves 4; vegetarian)

Sauté 1, chopped onion, 1 peeled, crushed garlic clove and a knob of fresh ginger (peeled and crushed) in around 30g of butter over a low heat for around 10 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add 1 tbsp mild curry powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 25g raisins, 2 tbsp malt vinegar and 1 star anise to the pan and sauté for another couple of minutes before adding 250ml vegetable or chicken stock. Stir well while bringing to the boil then simmer very gently for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the star anise and mix 1 tbsp cornflour with 1 tbsp cold water. Stir the cornflour paste into the pan and simmer again for around 5 mins, stirring constantly until you have a thick, silky sauce. Allow the sauce to cool before blending in a food processor or with a stick blender until smooth. Reheat and add lemon juice to taste before serving hot.

With Burgers: Classic Coleslaw

Using a food processor or a box grater, coarsely grate or slice 3 peeled carrots, 1 small red cabbage and 1 small peeled onion. Tip into a large bowl, add 1 peeled, cored red apple (cut into matchsticks) and toss together. In another bowl, mix 50g mayonnaise and 50g Greek yoghurt with 1 tbsp Dijon mustard. Season with salt and a small pinch of caster sugar, add 2-3 tbsp white wine vinegar and stir well before adding to the vegetable/apple medley and tossing to combine. Allow the ingredients to get to know each other for around 20 minutes before serving. Fancy a cheesy coleslaw? Add around 75g grated cheese of your choice at the last minute.

With Chinese: Classic Egg Fried Rice (serves 4; vegetarian)

Heat 2-3 tbsp sunflower oil in a wok. Add 1 thumb-sized knob of fresh ginger (peeled and grated), 2 cloves of crushed garlic and a smattering of fresh or dried chilli to taste and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Slice a bunch of spring onions separating the white from the green parts, and add the white parts to the pan, continuing to stir-fry for a further 2 minutes. Beat 2 large beaten eggs and pour into the pan. Allow the eggs to settle for around 30 seconds and scramble briefly before adding 600g cooked rice and a generous handful of blanched frozen peas, continuing to stir-fry over a high heat for around 3-5 minutes. Add 50ml rice wine (or dry sherry) and 50ml soy sauce to the pan and cook for a further minute or so before serving topped with the green parts of the spring onions and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Conscious Café Bar

Eat better, drink mindfully, shop sustainably: that’s the ethos of the Conscious Café Bar, a new, independently run venue in the heart of Bath where you can do just that. The menu, created entirely from organic ingredients includes sandwiches, salads and soups as well as range of cakes with vegetarian and vegans catered for. There’s a range of organic coffees, teas, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available. The sharing boards are a great way to sample a variety of organic charcuterie and local cheeses, any time of the day. A children’s menu and breakfast menu have recently been added and along with a gallery of local artists work on the first floor and organic products from balsamic vinegar to aromatherapy candles for sale, in a relaxed, friendly environment, this is definitely somewhere to visit.

14 Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR  Tel: 01225 571860
Visit: consciouscafebar.co.uk

Looking for more delicious foodie inspo?

Click through to browse our full new look Delicious Guide below!

It’s never too early to … Try a mince pie!

As it’s November, it’s legally okay (Yep – we’ve checked on Google) to dive into festive delicacies - for testing purposes at least.

Bring on Harvey Nichols 12 mini, traditional, Ginger & Amaretto Mince pie Selection. 210g, £9.95

Decadently buttery, they are jam-packed with rich fruit and Christmas spices and come in three festive flavours: Traditional (laced with rum and brandy), warming Ginger and the verging-on-sinful Amaretto.

For our sins, all we ask is your forgiveness.

Visit Harvey Nichols food shop in Bristol or buy online at HarveyNichols.com.

Narcos: Mexico, season 3

The spin off series ofrom Netflix's wildly popular Narcos series, Narcos: Mexico is into its third - and final - season. 

As a new generation of cartel leaders vie for power, journalists hunt for truth while government agents walk a thin line between justice and corruption.

Starring Diego Luna, Michael Peña, and Scoot McNairy.

Series 3 is released today. Watch it today on Netflix at: netflix.com

Image credit: Netflix

Spencer (12A)

Released in cinemas today, Spencer is the latest dramatisation of Lady Diana Spencer's story. 

The marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles has long since grown cold. Though rumours of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at the Queen’s Sandringham Estate.

There's eating and drinking, shooting and hunting. Diana knows the game. But this year, things will be a whole lot different. Spencer is an imagining of what might have happened during those few fateful days.

Starring Sally Hawkins, Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Sean Harris,  and Jack Farthing.

Check website for individual showing times and book tickets at: littletheatrecinema.com

Curated by Daniel McCabe

Modern Matter is a highly innovative art magazine, one I think a few years ago we would have called a ‘disrupter’ in its field. The magazine recently had their Instagram account hacked which prompted them to create their new issue (‘Rage Against The Machine’) as a rebuke to the idea that any information about us should be easily or readily available. More than half the magazine is devoted to discussion about the role of data and the issues around ownership, accessibility and theft. To underline the idea MM has shredded parts of the magazine as a challenge to the reader to reassemble in order to see the full picture. It’s quite a staggering achievement and an impressive analogue feat – arguably a work of art in itself.  £12.50

Magalleria has moved - The magazine store, which carries almost 2000 rare, specialist and independent titles, is now operating from much larger premises in the centre of the city at 5 Upper Borough Walls BA1 1RG.

Chance to take part in The Bath Festival opening night

The Bath Festival is inviting musicians to take part in Party in The City in May, as part of the citywide celebrations that open the annual festival.

Party in the City is Bath’s largest arts event and free for everyone to attend. Organisers at The Bath Festival are now inviting musicians of all genres of music, along with choirs, to take part in the city’s biggest free party.

The event will take place on Friday 13 May 2022. The night includes over 1,000 performers across more than 30 venues as well as two outdoor stages. Party in the City is the opening event for the annual Bath Festival of music and books.

Party regularly attracts around 20,000 people into the city centre. Music pours out of pubs, churches, museums and on the streets with audiences free to roam and listen.

Visit The Bath Festivals instagram or simply fill out the application form here.

Royal British Legion Dedication of the Field of Remembrance service

The service takes place at Bath Abbey Church Yard on Sunday 7 November at 2pm. The Royal British Legion Representative Major Roger Evans (Rtd) will lay the only Wreath to mark the Dedication and the Right Worshipful The Mayor of Bath Councillor June Player will place the first Cross on behalf of the City of Bath.