Cooking with English Wine this Autumn

Wine and food are intrinsically linked. Whether it’s a special pairing with a festive meal, or cooking with wine itself, there’s a huge array of flavours and textures to enhance signature recipes and bakes. This year, pears in red wine is leading the way as a delicious, autumnal dessert to share with friends and family. 

Why do pears work so well with red wine? With their mild and slightly sweet flavours, they’re the perfect vehicle for absorbing different styles of wine. The gentle sweetness and delicate fruitiness of pears softens the tannic, naturally acidic flavours of red wine, bringing a desirable balance to the dish. 

Pears also have a firm yet porous texture. This helps the fruit to maintain its structure and keep its shape whilst poaching or simmering in red wine. The porous texture makes them excellent at absorbing all of the inviting flavours of the wine used, from berries to sweet spices to oak. Lastly, the pale flesh of the pears turns to a deep ruby hue when poached in red wine, for an elegant and colourful end to a dinner party. 

When choosing the wine to use for this dish, look for red wines that are fruit-forward with gentle tannins. Varieties such as Pinot Noir work well in this recipe as they’re light and elegant, often with pronounced red berry notes. Avoid using wines that are high in tannins, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon, as they can add unpleasant bitterness to the fruit. 

Our Rondo 2023 Vintage is also an ideal choice for this dish with its medium bodied and fruit-forward profile. With delicate hints of vanilla, dark cherries and a damson nose, our ruby red Rondo brings a beautiful balance with the delicate floral notes of pears. If you’re looking to champion English produce at your next dinner party, then using English red wine from Herefordshire, matched with pears from the region, is a fantastic option. 

Pears have a historical connection with Herefordshire, being one of the few areas in the world known for perry production. There’s also a long tradition of orchards devoted to growing pears in Herefordshire, with trees that are many centuries old. The fertile soils in Herefordshire and mild climates are spectacular growing conditions for both apples and pears, with trees producing fruit that reflects the terroir of the area. 

If you decide to make this dish with local Herefordshire pears and our Rondo 2023 Vintage, we’d love to see your creations @RadlowHundred.