Matching food and wine isn't a task people are often confident to undertake; instead many are comfortable leaving this to sommeliers and oenophiles. A new project launched by MasterChef co-host John Torode and Australian winemaker Neil McGuigan aims to change this. The pair hosted a pop-up kitchen in central London yesterday to showcase the Neil McGuigan & John Torode Recipe Collection.
According to Torode, the partnership aims to make wine and food matching 'approachable and fun for everyday consumers'. McGuigan has printed unique QR (Quick Response) barcodes on the back of each of his wine bottles, these in turn lead drinkers through to a microsite. 'You scan the code on the back of the wine bottle and then on your phone you've got all you need to know, not only about the wine and how it should taste, but also about the kinds of food which are best matched to it.' Torode said. 'Wine is consumed at a range of occasions, so we've come up with pairings that cover a range of occasions, from picnics to tapas through to an all-out dinner party', 'Wine can be difficult, we're trying to make it easy for people to understand'.
Guests at the event were encouraged to match a range of dishes such as Arancini, Mustard-crusted beef and fish pie to a selection of red, white and sparkling McGuigan wines.
The straight talking co-host of Masterchef was introduced to McGuigan, one of Australia's most celebrated winemakers through a mutual friend. 'This is just the start of what we've got planned' said McGuigan, 'we've got so much more we can do with this.'
Torode, whom last year sold his stake in the central London restaurants Luxe and Smith's of Smithfield, was philosophical about whether his plans for 2013 include any new openings. 'I'm keeping my options open and the moment and will wait to see where I land,' he told Hot Dinners.
The Neil McGuigan & John Torode collection is available now in major supermarkets and the matching website can be found at www.mcguiganwines.co.uk.
Follow Louis Fernando on twitter @tuckandvine and on his blog Tuck & Vine.
