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All Jonathan Ray's Answers
1 Food
85 Drink
Nov 26, 07
Question from mrjones
I'm off to South Africa for Christmas to stay with friends near Stellenbosch. I would love to treat them to dinner. Any recommendations?
Nov 26, 07
Answer from Jonathan Ray
I suggest you try 96 Winery Road, known as the Wine Lands Restaurant. Your hosts will know it, of course, but will be amazed at your perspicacity! It has great wine and great food (I can strongly recommend the Pecan and Cumin Crusted Rack of Lamb and their beef steaks). You’ll need to book. Tel: +27 (0)21 842 2020. www.96wineryroad.co.za
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Mar 13
Question from Jane
English calvados
Mar 13
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
You’re thinking of Julian Temperley (father, incidentally, of fashion designer, Alice Temperley). He’s the only guy in the country with a licence to distill cider and his Somerset Apple Brandy is simply stunning (and far better than any Calvados I’ve had). He makes 5, 10 and 15 year old versions, as well as the far less alcoholic Kingston Black Apple Aperitif and Somerset Pomona. Waitrose stocks most of them, as do Yapp Bros (01747 860423, www.yappbrothers.com), but for more stockists visit www.ciderbrandy.co.uk.
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Mar 03
Can you recommend a couple of good wines to drink with tapas?
Mar 06
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
I reckon that a bone dry salty, tangy manzanilla is hard to beat with tapas - just as the Spanish do. Pasada Pastrano from Bodegas Hidalgo is a cracker. Failing that how about a soft creamy (white) Albarino or a smooth (red) Tempranillo? One favourite white standby of mine is Vina Sol from the family-owned firm of Torres. About £4.99 in most supermarkets it is dry with nice supple fruit and great with tapas.
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Feb 21
Can you recommend a great English cider?
Feb 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
RJ Sheppy's near Taunton make fabulous ciders and have done so for over 200 years. Try them on 01823 461233 & www.sheppycider.com. Otherwise you might try the National Collection of Cider and Perry which stocks over 100 different examples from across the country. I've been led astray there on many occasion. Call them and ask their advice on 01323 811324 www.middlefarm.com.
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Feb 21
Can you suggest a great red wine to drink with great British beef?
Feb 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
Crikey, that's a tough one! Beef and red wine are made for each other and any number would do. Depends also on your budget. I've had two contrasting Pinot Noirs recently (one Old World and one New) with a rib of beef and both were spot on: the soft, faintly spicy and gamey 2005 Domaine Chevalier Aloxe Corton (£18.99 at Majestic) and the vibrant and juicy 2006 Pirie 'South' Pinot Noir (£9.99 also Majestic). If you want something more gutsy and robust I strongly recommend some Argentinean Malbec. Noel Young Wines (01223 566744 & www.nywines.co.uk) have three 2005 Trapiche Malbecs all from different single vineyards for £19.50 a bottle. They are big, gutsy, smooth and chocolatey. Great stuff!
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Feb 15
I'm having a party and want to serve cocktails. Which ones are the least naff? And the easiest to get right?
Feb 16
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
There are a squillion cocktails that you could serve, half of which would be naff. So I say, don't muck around, serve caipirinhas. It is the most uplifting of drinks, leaves everyone in a good mood (unlike gin or vodka-based cocktails), gives a Latin kick to the evening and is a cinch to make.

I suggest either or both of the following cocktails, the key ingredient being cachaça which is readily available in supermarkets and high street off-licences (although my favourite, Magnifica, is only available through Las Iguanas (see www.iguanas.co.uk for details).

The Classic Caipirinha
Cut one fresh lime into eight equal wedges, add two teaspoons of caster sugar and ‘muddle’ with a pestle in a glass. Add 50ml of cachaça. Fill the glass with crushed ice, add a straw and serve.

The Orange and Ginger Caipirinha
Mix together 50ml of fresh orange juice, 50ml of cachaça, two teaspoons of caster sugar and some freshly grated ginger. Mix thoroughly, fill the glass with crushed ice, add a straw and serve.

Enjoy!!
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Feb 15
Question from Mimi Spencer
Is it worth joining the Wine Society? If not, what's the best way to buy fine wines at a decent price?
Feb 15
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
The Wine Society is an excellent wine merchant and well worth patronising. You have to buy a share in the Society to join before you can buy from them. For this you need to be proposed by an existing member, but someone at the Wine Society is always happy to do that for you. My advice, though, is to shop around for whilst the Wine Soc is very, very good, so are many other merchants, each of whom will have strengths in particular areas. You might, for example, like to investigate The Bunch, a loose coalition of independent, family-owned merchants comprised of Berry Bros & Rudd, Corney & Barrow, Adnams of Southwold, Tanners of Shrewsbury, Lay & Wheeler and Yapp Bros. Although rivals, they are like-minded folk and have terrific wines and if you total up the years they've been trading you'll find that they can boast 921 years' experience between them...
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Feb 09
To Jonathan..Is there not a way for sparkling wine to be on tap in bars etc..?
Feb 13
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
Not that I know of. It does seem odd when you think that soda, tonic, coke and other fizzy drinks can be thus served. Champagne and sparkling wine are a bit more special however, and apart from the very cheapest non-methode traditionelle examples which I guess could be served in such a way if pumped straight from the vat, I can't see it happening!
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Feb 11
We've been enjoying the white Cotes du Rhone from Saint Cosme recently... can you recommend a couple of similar wines? Thanks.
Feb 13
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
Vidal-Fleury in the Northern Rhone village of Ampuis has been making wine for over 200 years and their (white) Cotes-du-Rhone Viognier is a delight as is their white Crozes-Hermitage. Otherwise how about Chapoutier, biodynamic and organic production from one of the great names in the Rhone?
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Feb 11
Can you suggest an interesting after-dinner drink that isn't port or brandy?
Feb 13
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
Where to start?! My all-time favourite after-dinner drink is Kummel, a soft spicy smooth sweetish liqueur that is infused with caraway seeds. The best examples are made by Mentzendorff, Bols, de Kuypers and Wolfschmidt. Don't be put off, but some folk regard it as adult gripewater (the stuff you give kids for indigestion and colic), but it is far more delicious! It does have similar soothing properties on the digestion though and despite being 40%abv it is a great way to ease down a full lunch or dinner. In short it is the perfect digestif.
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Feb 11
I'm fed up with rose and want to move on - but I find Cab Sauv and Shiraz too much. Any suggestions?
Feb 11
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
Try some good quality Beaujolais. Made from Gamay, the best examples are light and fruity and can stand being chilled for an hour or so before drinking. Otherwise, try Brown Brothers’ Tarrango from Australia. It sells for around £5.99 in most supermarkets and is lip-smackingly refreshing, with more weight than a white or rosé but none of the lip-puckering tannins of a full-bodied red.
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Jan 27
can you recommend good Polish wine to drink in Krakow
Feb 07
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
I have to confess that I've never thought of Poland as a wine-producing country. And why should we given that it produces fine beer and exquisite vodka. Why not give the wine a rest for once?!
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Feb 06
I'm going to the Ukraine next week. Is there a local tipple I should be trying ?
Feb 07
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
Ukraine is best-known for its sweet wines, thanks to the 'world's finest winery' built at Massandra by the Tsar in 1894. Wines produced here were equated with those of Oporto, Madeira and Jerez. Sweet and semi-sweet examples still exist with brands such as Oreanda (semi-sweet white) and Inkerman (semi-sweet red).
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Jan 22
Any recommendations for good wine making kits (white or red)?
Feb 07
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
Well made wine is so cheap now, available from almost every country, why not buy some ready made rather than make your own from cheap concentrated grape juice imported from who knows where? Or plant a vine and make your own; English wine is on the up after all, especially with global warming...!
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Jan 29
can u recommend some nice white wines at a reasonable price for me to try. i like medium dry .
Feb 07
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
One person's medium dry is another's bone dry or sweet. The 2005 Yering Station Chardonnay from Australia is a delight, dry by most standards but full of ripe, tasty fruit so that it seems anything but in the mouth. It's £9.99 a bottle at the moment at Majestic or £8.99 if you buy two as part of a mixed case. Or try the Yering Frog Chardonnay by the same winemaker for £6.99. If you want something lighter in alcohol and pretty fruity and off-dry, Majestic also have a charming 2006 Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Zimmerman Graeff for £4.49 as part of a mixed case.
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Feb 06
What has happened to Babycham..please
Feb 07
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
I'm afraid to say, who cares?!
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Feb 07
what is a good wine for a wedding?
Feb 07
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
Crikey, there's a question! Could be red, white, pink or fizzy. Or all four. Depends too on your budget. But just as the Best Man's speech has to entertain the lads without upsetting Granny, so the wine has to appeal to all. My tip is go for a well-priced Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand that will be light, crisp and aromatic, sort of dry and sort of medium. And for the red, a well-priced Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon; easy to drink with a touch of class. And as for the fizz with the wedding cake, don't go dry, go sweet. Sounds odd, sweet champagne, but believe me dry champagne and sweet wedding cake just don't work, whereas sweet (it'll say Demi-Sec or Riche on the label) works a treat. Best of all it doesn't seem sweet when you drink it alongside the cake, it just seems right. Pol Roger and Veuve Clicquot both do excellent ones, but then so does Tesco, suprisingly. I've been to so many weddings where guests either leave the fizz or leave the cake because they don't match. Bung some sweet champagne alongside the cake and everyone scoffs the lot.
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Feb 06
I’m told that someone in the West Country is making an English Calvados. Can you point me in the right direction?
Feb 07
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
You’re thinking of Julian Temperley (father, incidentally, of fashion designer, Alice Temperley). He’s the only guy in the country with a licence to distill cider and his Somerset Apple Brandy is simply stunning (and far better than any Calvados I’ve had). He makes 5, 10 and 15 year old versions, as well as the far less alcoholic Kingston Black Apple Aperitif and Somerset Pomona. Waitrose stocks most of them, as do Yapp Bros (01747 860423, www.yappbrothers.com), but for more stockists visit www.ciderbrandy.co.uk.
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Feb 05
Is it possible to make white wines from red grapes?
Feb 06
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
Absolutely. A wine’s colour comes from the skins of the grapes used and if the juice is allowed to remain on the skins it’ll draw colour from them, and if it isn’t it won’t. The most obvious example of a white wine made from red grapes is champagne, of which Pinot Noir (best-known as the sole grape in red burgundy) is usually a major component. It is usually blended with Chardonnay (a white grape) and Pinot Meunier (red). Occasionally it is used on its own (or with Pinot Meunier) to make a full-bodied white champagne, in which case the wine will be known as a Blanc de Noirs.
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Feb 05
HEINEKEN IS DOING MY HEAD IN. ARE THERE ANY DECENT LAGERS OUT THERE?
Feb 05
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
I know all too well what you mean! But keep the faith. Beyond the dread Heineken and Carlsberg there are some wonderful lagers to be found, and in fact it’s hard to know which to recommend. My current favourites, in no particular order, are:

Kasteel Cru, a light, delicate, zesty lager from Alsace, fermented using champagne yeast; Brooklyn Lager, a fantastic award-strewn amber-gold lager from NYC which has a really tasty hoppy bitterness to it, and Asahi Super Dry, a thirst-quenchingly refreshing, bone-dry Japanese lager that makes an excellent quaffer or food beer.

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Feb 05
A decent New World, under-a-tenner, Rhône-style red, please, to take to dinner with French friends.
Feb 05
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
2005 La Motte Shiraz/Viognier from South Africa (£10.99, Tesco). This 91% Shiraz (aka Syrah) and 9% Viognier is a New World take on the classic Rhône blend, being rich, dark and spicy with plenty of character. It was also a gold medal and trophy winner at the 2007 International Wine Challenge.
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Jan 30
I NOTICE THAT MAKER’S MARK BOURBON SPELLS IT ‘WHISKY’ WHEREAS I THOUGHT THE NORTH AMERICANS AND IRISH SPELT IT ‘WHISKEY’, WHY THE DIFFERENCE?
Jan 30
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
Quite simply, the founder of Maker’s Mark, Bill Samuels Sr, wanted to give a nod to his Scottish antecedents and spell his product the way they did.
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Jan 23
I am looking for a nice sweet wine that goes with most foods. Any suggestions? Preferably something low alcohol.
Jan 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
I guess by sweet you don't mean r-e-a-l-l-y sweet like a Sauternes or other dessert wines, but more the sort of fruity, honeyed, juicy sweetness that you get in well-made German wines.

If this is the case I reckon that you might enjoy something from the Mosel, such as Dr Ernst Loosen's 2006 Blue Slate Mosel Riesling (c£7.70) which is off-dry to sweetish with buckets of apples and honey on the palate coupled with a vibrant freshness and acidity.

Erni Loosen is known as 'Mr Riesling' thanks to the wonderfully pure and stylish wines he makes.

The added advantages of this example are that it's only 8%vol and it matches many diverse dishes. (And being so low in alcohol, it makes a great aperitif...)

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Jan 20
what wine goes with fish
Jan 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
The easy answer is that almost all white wines go with fish. It does depend though on the fish and how it is cooked: is it fatty and oily like salmon or mackerel or delicately flavoured like sole or cod? And is the fish plainly grilled or poached, or in a creamy sauce?

You don't want to overpower the fish, so for simply prepared plaice or lemon sole I'd recommend an unoaked Chardonnay or a unshowy Italian white such as Verdicchio or a decent Pinot Grigio. With a creamy fish dish I'd look for a fuller, oakier Chardonnay, perhaps from the New World, an Albarino from Spain or a smokey Pinot Gris from Alsace. With cold poached salmon I'd suggest a top class white burgundy or equivalent Sauvignon Blanc such as a Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé or one from New Zealand.

Reds tend not to work, the fish giving the wine an unpleasant metallic taste. The exception to this is Pinot Noir and a fine New World example from Oregon, say, or Central Otago is often the perfect match for a grilled or barbecued salmon or tuna steak.
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Jan 20
WHAT RED AND WHITE WINE WOULD YOU DRINK IN SORRENTO. I'M GOING FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR.
Jan 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
The main wines to look out for in Campania are big, brooding reds made from the Aglianico grape and whites from Greco di Tufo (from which the local white wine, Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio, is made) and Fiano, which makes rather nice floral, nutty white wines.
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Jan 21
what wine goes nice with field mushroom risotto?
Jan 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
I'd suggest a nice Pinot Noir, either from Burgundy or the New World, which should have a similar tasty earthiness to it, especially when mature. Waitrose have a couple of fine, if youngish, examples: the 2005 Domaine Maillard Chorey-les-Beaune from Burgundy (£12.99) and the 2005 La Crema Pinot Noir from California (£14.99).
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Jan 21
A nice non acidic red please.
Jan 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
I'm not sure of your price bracket, but for a fun, everyday easy-drinking red that's far from acidic, you could try the 2006 Cono Sur Pinot Noir from Chile (widely available in supermarkets and on the high street for £5.99). It's a single vineyard Pinot Noir, full of voluptuous dark, spicy cherry fruit and very quaffable, if not madly complex.
It's soft enough to be drunk on its own, or with meaty pasta dishes and informal Sunday roasts.
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Jan 20
A few years ago Sainsbury's stocked a wonderful Moroccan Cabernet Sauvignon at an unbelieveable price - where can I source similar?
Jan 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
Why not try the 2005 Contenda Merlot from Spain? It's a blend of 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon available at Sainsbury's for £2.99.
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Jan 20
How do you make eggnog?
Jan 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
You will need:
30ml brandy
30ml dark rum
1 egg
1 teaspoon of sugar
Milk
Freshly grated nutmeg

Pour everything except the milk into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a glass, top up with milk and stir. Dust with grated nutmeg.
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Jan 20
Exactly how much is a unit of alcohol ?
Jan 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
One unit equals 8g of alcohol.

To work out the number of units in any given glass you multiply the amount of drink in millilitres by the % ABV, and then divide by 1,000.

Thankfully, for those of us who struggled with our maths 'o' levels, many producers now list how many units of alcohol there are in each bottle.

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Jan 22
how calorific is 1 glass of white wine?
Jan 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
A small glass of white wine (125ml) will have around 83 calories in it...
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Jan 20
How do you make a mojito?
Jan 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
This is the recipe from cocktail maestro, Ben Reed.

You'll need:
50ml Golden Rum
Dash of fresh lime
Dash of sugar syrup
4 fresh mint leaves
Soda water

Place the mint leaves into a highball glass and add rum; muddle vigorously until the mint flavour is extracted. Add shaved ice, lime juice and sugar syrup to taste. Stir and top up with soda water.
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Jan 21
I always wanted to treat myself to a good bottle of champagne, I have £100 to blow -what should I go for? Thanks.
Jan 24
Answer from Jonathan Ray Guru
How about the brand spanking new Prestige Cuvée from G.H. Mumm, the 1998 Mumm Cuvée R. Lalou which is exactly £100 from Selfridges and the Real Wine Company? This is a new departure for Mumm and 1998 is its first ever vintage (and their equivalent of Moet's Dom Perignon, Bollinger's RD &c), produced only in the tiniest of quantities from the finest of parcels. A blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir, aged for 9 months in new oak it has notes of honey, orange and nougat, with a crisp, clean finish.