Oscar Malek, head sommelier at Chewton Glen, one of the UK’s
most luxurious country house hotels, has only been in his current position for
approximately six months, and remarkably has managed to assemble a wine list that features 1,000 bins. In the selection he
has, in his words,
included a few cheeky numbers including some organic wines as well as a few
tipples suitable for vegans.
One of his proudest achievements is the offering of 130 bins
of dessert, of which many
are served by the glass. So, there is no excuse not to try one.
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| Oscar Malek, head sommelier at Chewton Glen |
The English wine selection has been expanded as people are
becoming more interested after
having their first taste of what we produce. According to Oscar they are
an alternative to champagne as they are often less expensive compared some of
the renowned French brands, especially when ordering them in a restaurant.
“English sparkling wines are definitely ahead of the rest,”
says Oscar. “They are usually made using the traditional method. The chalky
soils around the North and South Downs are similar to those found in Champagne
and we grow the same grapes [chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier] that
champagne is made from.”
Houses that Oscar recommends looking out for are Camel Valley,
Nyetimber and Chapel Down. “There are also some great smaller local producers
such as Hamphire’s Cottonworth, Furleigh Estate in Dorset and English Oak
Vineyard, also in Dorset.
“A good English fizz can cost around £60-£80 in a
restaurant,” says Oscar. “Compare that with the prices of similar quality
Grande Marques from Champagne which can be over a £100. Pitched in a blind
tasting it would be hard to distinguish one from the other!”
The Duchess of Cornwall must be impressed as she has
recently called for a new, rather more glamorous name for English fizz.
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| Ensuring perfection |
There is no doubt about it that wine produced in England has
improved in recent years and many people are surprised how good it is.
“English producers have moved away from the medium dry
wines, which tend to be flabby and are now making the type of wines associated
with cool climates such as riesling and pinot gris. Stophamp Estates produce a
particularly good pinot gris bursting with tropical fruit flavours that work well with food. It is a sommlier’s
favourite!” says Oscar.
If you want to try this wine, you will have to go to Chewton
Glen, as the vineyard’s stocks are now depleted.
For fans of red wine, the shining star, according to Oscar,
is pinot noir or blended together with rondo. He suggests trying reds from
Kenton Vineyard. For rosé try Setleyridge’s melange of schonberg and
rondo.
Oscar has also managed to source some quirky wines to tempt
your taste buds. How about a white from Japan, a red from Armenia or a tipple
form Mexico or China? Nearer home would you have thought about buying a wine
from Switzerland or Luxemburg? So get experimenting and travel the world
of wine.
By Daralyn Danns
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