Food and wine pairing

Bovey Castle, a five-star hotel set within the spectacular Dartmoor National Park in Devon, is the epitome of an English country house hotel, renowned for its fine dining. I asked Ahmet Ucar, the sommelier for some tips on pairing wine with food.

“Our guests tend to be more traditional and prefer old world wines,” he said. “They like wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy as well as Italy and Spain.” Particular favourites, he told me, are wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the largest and most well-known appellation in the Southern Rhône. These complex, full-bodied rich, spicy wines are a blend of several grape varieties and work well with beef. Whites from the Loire such as sancerre and sauvignon blanc are other popular wines, especially when people are eating fish.

From Italy, reds from Barolo, in the Piedmont region are popular. Made from the nebbiolo grape, they tend to be deliciously powerful and well-structured.  Also popular are the fragrant tangy wines from Chianti.

There is also an interest in Spanish wines. Catalonia, known for cava, is now producing some great reds.

Portugal also has started to produce some wonderful wines that offer exceptional value for money. “Vinho verde, a fresh and zesty wine is great with seafood,” says Ahmet . “While there are some good reds from Douro and Alentejo.

The Edwardian Grill, Bovey Castle

Suggestions from Ahmet that work with dishes from Bovey Castle’s menu, which you can try with similar recipes of your own.

To go with Scallops Bath chap, mustard and apple (a dish on the menu) he suggests a pinot gris such as Ernest Loosen “Villa Wolf” 2011 from PFALZ region.

“Pinot gris is not normally associated with Germany (where it is known as Grauburgunder ),” says Ahmet. “This wine shows a peachy, fruity flavour with a lovely creamy texture.

“It has a gorgeous mineral structure too. The spare, tense texture of the wine is a wonderful foil for the pan-fried scallops, while the moderate alcohol respects the delicate flesh and can handle the bath chap (braised pork cheek ). The 2011 vintage is a true classic with crystalline notes of white fruit and hawthorn. It is classy and has just the right persistent minerality – the true expression of its terroir.”

 Ox cheek, beech smoked, cauliflower, maple, carrot

“This tasty dish begs for a concentrated, gourmand red wine that is robust and hearty,” says Ahmet. “I suggest this quite original wine from Lebanon, Chateau Musar 2002. It is a blend of cabernet-sauvignon, carignan, cinsault  – the wine-making expression of a country where vines have been cultivated for 6,000 years – produced in the high altitude of the Bekaa valley. 

“Château Musar has a rich and dense tannin texture, with intense spiciness and baked fruit flavours. The wine’s freshness contrasts nicely with the texture of the braised ox cheek.”

By Daralyn Danns 

Bovey Castle, for more info visit www.boveycastle.com

Destination Bovey Castle, Dartmoor National Park, Devon

There is nothing like the beauty of the English countryside, especially when bathed in golden sunlight. I was watching the drama of the setting unfold from the window of First Great Western’s train to Exeter St Davids.

“This is so relaxing. Much better than taking the car,” I overheard a lady say to her husband. I could not agree more. It is so therapeutic!  

You can get up when you want to stretch your legs or visit the buffet car. There is plenty of space to spread yourself out. There is no sitting in traffic jams or getting lost. There are plugs so you can use your computer or whatever gadget you like. You end up at your destination feeling as if you have already started your break. It is such an excellent way to travel. 

Bovey Castle

At the station, there was a driver and car from Bovey Castle, the hotel where I was staying, waiting for me. It was a 40-minute drive through winding country roads and pretty villages to get there.

Nestled in acres of the stunning wilderness of the Dartmoor National Park, Bovey Castle is a quintessential luxury English country house hotel with an 18-hole championship golf course meandering around the estate.

After driving through the iron gates – it is such a low key entrance you could easily miss it – past the gate house and a couple of holes of the golf course, I finally arrived at the front door to be greeted by porters dressed in plus fours, the country gentleman’s attire of a bygone era. 

In 1890 William Henry Smith (aka WH Smith) who later became Viscount Hambleden, bought 5,000 acres of land from the Earl of Devon. But, it was his son Frederick who built the neo-Elizabethan styled manor house to add to the family’s collection of country retreats. 

Cathedral Room

Eventually it was sold to the Great Western Railway which opened it as a hotel and golf course in 1930. For several decades the Manor House Hotel as it was known, prospered, but then slowly fell into a state of disrepair. Along came Peter de Savary and the manor house became Bovey Castle in 2003. Since then new owners have come and left their marks on the hotel. Today it has 64 individually-designed bedrooms and 22 lodges.

Once inside, I began to appreciate the understated quality of the fine workmanship. It was like entering somebody’s country home. Any minute you expected a character from Downton Abbey to pop up and greet you.

Welcoming touches such as hand-made fudge left by the bed and a good choice of teas and coffee on hand in the room so you could make yourself a cuppa  as you drank in the vistas of the restored Edwardian gardens and  the rolling hills and rivers of the beautiful surrounding countryside. If there was ever a definition of picture-postcard views, this is it. So tranquil, a stark contrast to the frenetic pace of London, this is a place where you can instantly find your inner energy and peace.

Besides interesting walks on the moors and leisurely strolls around the grounds, there are a host of other activities such as falconry displays on the terrace, archery, fly-fishing, horse-riding and wine tastings to fill your days. It won’t be a hardship to be a golf widow here as the wonderful spa has a whole gamut of treatments to try. Or you can take a dip in the pool and enjoy a leisurely English afternoon tea in the oak-panelled Cathedral Room or simply relax and read some of the many papers or magazines which you can find scattered around the hotel.

For dinner, try the art-deco styled Edwardian Grill. At night the atmosphere created by candlelight is simply magical and the service was impeccable. Dartmoor Beef is the speciality, but there is also a good choice of locally-caught fish. The wine list offers a good selection. 

To round off your evening, head to the Oak Bar and enjoy a nightcap besides a roaring log fire.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

First Great Western. Advance Single fares from London Paddington to Exeter St Davids start from £15.50 each way. Or take advantage of Group Save tickets where four can travel for the price of two (subject to terms and conditions). For the best value tickets and fares buy before you board at www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk ,via the mobile application or telephone 08457 000125

For further information visit www.boveycastle.com