The second Grape to Glass recipe match from the delicious. magazine food team is fudgy chocolate brownie cake, paired up with Lionel’s ‘Foodie French Fizz’. Not just for Valentine’s, it’s the perfect chocolate indulgence, especially with a glass or two of Rosé Champagne.

Watch out for the weekly recipes on the Majestic blog every Tuesday this spring!

Ingredients

• 150g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g dark 70 per cent chocolate, broken into pieces
• 140g light brown muscovado sugar
• 130g caster sugar
• 3 medium free-range eggs, beaten
• 150g plain flour
• 50g pecans
• 50g Green & Black’s butterscotch milk chocolate, cut into chunks
• Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
• Silver heart dragées (from good cookware shops and squires-shop.com) and unsprayed pink rose petals to decorate
• Double cream to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Butter and line a 21cm x 10.5cm, 3.5cm deep, heart-shaped cake tin (see tip).
2. Put the butter, vanilla, dark chocolate, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large heatproof bowl. Melt over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove from the heat, mix in the eggs, fold in the flour, then stir in the pecans and butterscotch chocolate.
3. Spoon into the tin, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon. Bake for 25 minutes until the top is firm but it’s still a bit gooey in the centre. Remove from the oven, then cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Carefully turn out on to a serving plate.
4. Dust with cocoa, then decorate with pink rose petals and silver heart dragées. Serve warm.

Nutritional info per serving: 537kcals, 30g fat (15.6g saturated), 6.8g protein, 65.3g carbs, 48g sugar, 0.1g salt

delicious. tip: Heart-shaped cake tins are available from good cook shops or amazon.co.uk.

Lionel’s Wine Match

Oeil de Perdrix Rosé NV
This style of pink Champagne became popular over the centuries due to unintentional bleeding of black grape skins into the white juice rather than any marketing genius. Oeil de Perdrix translates as ‘eye of the partridge’ due to it’s light, delicate colour matching that of the elegant bird (one for the ladies!). The secret of this truly sensational blush is the addition of Pinot Noir before the second fermentation in bottle. A must buy for Valentine’s Day!
Tasting Notes: A beautiful thing to look at and a unique, satisfying wine. Sweet red fruits and savoury aromas on the nose, followed by a mouthful of delicate apples and yeasty dough.
Serving Suggestion: Best with fresh raspberry and strawberry based puddings, chocolate brownies, or rich chocolate tart.

Here they are cutting the red ribbon with the Mayor on their grand opening morning today. Despite the February cold chill the team are all looking forward to an exciting wine filled Spring.

Tell me about Broadstairs…

Broadstairs is right on the eastern tip of Kent on the Isle of Thanet
It is a popular seaside resort known as the “Jewel in Thanet’s crown”.
The town’s motto is ‘Star of the Sea’, Stella Maris
There is an annual Charles Dickens festival in June, the author used to holiday here. Have a look at his holiday home in the Daily Mail.
Other notable residents include Sir Edward Heath, the former Prime Minister.

Why Broadstairs?

The new store is located near the out of town retail park including homebase, argos and other large retailers. It is ideally situated for existing customers living in the area, as now they don’t have to travel so far to enjoy all the services a Majestic store has to offer: daily instore tastings, staff with expert wine knowledge, fine wine, free delivery, free parking… and all our free Wine events: Wine Walks, Wine Courses and Wine Evenings.

Spring in Broadstairs

You can’t miss the store whether you’re driving in or out of town, it’s bright, shiny metallic frontage even gleams in today’s cold weather. The team are all looking forward to meeting lots of new people in the area and getting to know the town. You may see them out and about in the Majestic van too!

Opening Events

• FREE Prosecco for everybody in Broadstairs on the first order of 6 bottles or more until 13th February
• Tasting weekend with fizz, cheese & charcuterie: Friday 10th – Sunday 12th February

Contact

Margate Road, Broadstairs
Kent, CT10 2PR
01843 600 949
bst@majestic.co.uk
@MajesticBST
majestic.co.uk

Prove how much you know about wine with our in-depth quiz and see if you can get to the top of our leaderboard.

Just remember: the harder the setting, the more points you’ll receive. You’ll get additional points if you answer quickly too.

If you’re stuck on a question, have a look through the Knowledge section to brush up on your Malbecs and Syrahs.

Available to download from the iTunes App Store now.

Every Tuesday in spring we are featuring recipes from delicious. magazine’s bottoms-up Tuesday. Paired up with the best food and wine matches from our Grape to Glass magazine, the recipes are perfect for Spring with the best wine matches.

First up is a deliciously sticky and richly spiced Morrocan inspired chicken dish with green couscous by Lizzie Kamenetzky, paired up with Chris’ ‘Excellence without the excess’. Watch out for the weekly recipes on the Majestic blog this spring!

Ingredients

• 4 free-range chicken breasts, skin on
• 2 tbsp rose harissa paste (we used Belazu)
• 2 tbsp clear honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 300g couscous
• 500ml chicken stock, hot
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Large handful each of fresh coriander and parsley and small handful of mint, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Put the chicken in a bowl with the harissa, honey, oil and lemon zest. Season and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Heat a griddle or ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and fry the chicken, skin-side down, for 3-4 minutes until golden. Turn over, then cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes until cooked and sticky. Set aside for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the couscous in a large bowl and pour over the hot stock. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes to allow it to absorb the stock, then fluff up with a fork. Stir in the extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
4. Just before serving, stir in the chopped herbs and season well. Slice the sticky chicken and serve, along with any pan juices and the green couscous.

Nutritional Information per serving: 512kcals, 16.1g fat (3g saturated), 41.9g protein, 42.2g carbs (6.3g sugars), 0.7g salt, 0.6g fibre

Chris’ Wine Matches

Kangarilla Road Chardonnay 2010/2011 McLaren Vale

Kangarilla Road wines have long been stalwarts of the Majestic range and this splendid Chardonnay shows why. The focus is on fruit characters – mainly citrus with some tropical and stone fruits – rather than oak, although judicious oaking does lend texture and a streak of vanilla. The pronounced fruitiness goes very well with the spice in this dish, while the wine’s texture and body enhance the taste of the meat.

Paul Mas Chardonnay 2010/2011 PGI Pays d’Oc

This is a great quality Chardonnay from Domaines Paul Mas, one of the greatest modern domaines in the Languedoc. 20% of this wine is fermented in American oak barrels and the remainder in stainless steel, for a great balance of flavour and textural characteristics. A bright golden wine, offering aromas of pineapple, quince, hazelnuts and subtle toasted bread notes. Soft on the palate, with good acidity in the background and a persistent finish. Versatile enough to go with any chicken or fish dish, it’s perfect with this spicy rustic one.

January has passed in a flash and the beginning of February marks a seasonal change at Majestic and we now can’t wait to show all that is on offer this spring.

Amongst the top offers are 20% off everything in South Africa as well as great offers on Rioja, Argentina and Portugal.

The new Grape to Glass is not just a wine magazine but the perfect guide to food and wine matching this spring, with articles such as ‘Put your taste buds to the test’ by Matt from Majestic HQ – top tips for food and wine matching, and ‘Excellence without the excess’, inspiring fresh spring recipes by Chris in Covent Garden – giving thought to dishes that don’t stretch the waistline.

All articles are written by Majestic staff and are available to read online on the Majestic blog, or you can download a PDF from the snazzy e-brochure.

Furthermore we are excited to continue our relationship with delicious. magazine from Bottoms-up Wednesdays over Christmas, to a brand new feature on the Majestic blog: the Grape to Glass Recipe Match, Bottoms-up Tuesday. Every Tuesday in spring recipes from delicious. are paired up with the best food and wine matches from our magazine. First up is ‘sticky chicken with harissa and green couscous’ – its good – watch out for more!

Of course there is always more to be discovered at your local Majestic, and you can see what they are getting up to on their very own local website: majestic.co.uk/storelocator

Cheers to a good spring!

William James
Online Community Advocate

Grüner Veltliner, or ‘Groovy Grüner’ as they are calling it down in New Zealand, is the latest big thing to come out of New Zealand and it’s causing quite a stir.

So what makes Grüner… well, groovy? I spoke to Saint Clair winemaker Matt Thomson who was in London this week for a Majestic tasting in Mayfair and a Grüner Veltliner masterclass at the New Zealand Annual Trade Tasting.

Is this more of an experimentation or long term project for Grüner in NZ and for St Clair?

“This is definitely a long-term project for Saint Clair. Besides the fact that you don’t plant a vineyard for the short-term, we believe the variety has a big future in Marlborough and will become an important feature of the region’s portfolio.”

What makes it exciting for you and what should people in the UK expect?

“It is exciting for us because there is very little known about how it will perform and how it should be made. That makes it a wonderful challenge with a clean sheet to work with. I think that it is likely to produce very aromatic versions that still show the classic traits of the variety in Austria; that is white pepper and citrus zest. I think the weight of the wines will improve with vine age and so we aren’t going to realise its full potential for a while yet, but the early work we have done so far shows real promise.”

Your dreamy food and wine matches?

“I suspect that you would want to avoid overtly spicy dishes as the heat from the white pepper may be accentuated. I think anything with orange zest would be wonderful. We have an idea that a seafood pasta with citrus tones would be perfect; clam and lemon linguine perhaps…..”

At the moment there are only 30 hectares of Grüner planted across the whole of New Zealand and Saint Clair has just over half of those. This small allocation still gives the opportunity for Matt and his team at Saint Clair to test the Grüner and get a feel for it’s popularity before deciding to plant more vines and experiment with methods of production.

Matt also believes that New Zealand can do something similar to the reputation for Austrian Grüner just as it has already done for Sauvignon Blanc in Loire.

I tasted the The Saint Clair Pioneer Block 5 Grüner Veltliner at the trade fair this week amongst other Gruners from New Zealand; it is an exciting and very interesting wine, and is one to watch out for.  Oh, and definitely groovy.

It is now available in the UK for the first time ever, and exclusive to majestic.co.uk

Charlotte in Dundee

“There’s plenty of time to get your wine to go along with those haggis, neeps and tatties.

“Why not try Marques de Riscal Rioja Reserva?* The toasted oak and vanilla flavours combined with summer fruit flavours would complement that Scottish delicacy fantastically.

“When it’s time to Toast the Lassies, everyone should have some Malt to hand. Try 12 year old Auchentoshan* or 10 year old Glenmorangie*. If whisky is not your thing, we have Blackwood’s Vintage Gin* which is distilled in Shetland; it makes the perfect gin and tonic. Come visit us at Majestic Dundee so you can celebrate Burns night too.”

Phil in Perth

“Now that we’re a few weeks into the New Year it’s almost time to begin our preparations to celebrate Scotland’s favourite son Rabbie Burns. This Wednesday sees us all delight in the works of Burns and what better way to mark the occasion than with ‘The Chieften o’ The Puddin’ Race’ and a well deserved a single malt! We are very excited to be stocking a limited edition range of single malts from progressive, Hebridean distillers Bruichladdich:

“Bruichladdich Laddie Classic* | Smooth, floral and elegant and matured in American bourbon casks
Bruichladdich Peat* | One of the peatiest Islay single malts around obtained from three strengths of peated barley

“Our store manager, Clare, promises a dramatic rendition of The Selkirk Grace upon every purchase of Bruichladdich!
(…Staff sales are set to sky rocket)”

Chris in Windsor

“With Burns night fast approaching here are a couple of wines that will go fantastically with Haggis and for a more authentic experience a couple of whiskies (uisge beatha) which are sure to make a fantastic evening:

“Chateau Aigues Vives Corbieres* | A classically structured southern French red, offering an array of red and black fruit aromas, nuanced with notes of cocoa, rose petal and savoury pepper. A robust tannic backbone provides a long finish.

“Highland Park 12yr Old* | With a delicious sweetness (heather-honey is their preferred description) and a warming, silky mouth feel, this is a whisky that never lets you down.”

*Please contact your local Majestic store for availability – have a look at their virtual tasting counter too, along with personal recommendations in the News section.

Saint Vincent of Saragossa is honoured every year on the 22nd of January as the patron saint of winemakers. Originally a Christian Martyr in Spain, legend has it that while travelling one day Saint Vincent stopped to talk to some workers in a vineyard and his donkey nibbled on the vines. That year those vines produced the best crop. From this, the workers discovered the benefits of pruning. Nowadays, according to tradition in some areas pruning does not start until after the feast of Saint Vincent.

So here is a selection of Spanish wines to honour Saint Vincent this weekend!

Gran Vendema Rioja Crianza
After spending 12 months aging in oak, this Crianza has plenty of oaky vanilla notes on the nose mixed with raspberry and strawberry finished off with a soft palate.

Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Blanco
This white Rioja has an impressively aromatic nose of apple and pear with a touch of floral notes, following with a fruitful palate with a delightful freshness.

Marqués de la Concordia Rioja Reserva
Aged for 24 months in oak barrels this wine has a complex nose blending ripe fruits, spices and cedar. With black fruits dominating the smooth palate which has hints of coffee and chocolate.

Martin Codax Albariño
This delicate white wine has hints of spices and sweets fruits on the nose with a refreshing palate of stone fruits with a slight hint of honey and a floral finish.

Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva
Regarded as one of the top examples of traditional Rioja this reserva has been aged for a 26 months in oak, with further bottle aging. Toasted oak combining with vanilla and red fruits on the nose are rounded off with smooth tannins and a fruity palate.

Viña Muriel Rioja Gran Reserva
Oaked aged for 24 months and a further 3 years bottle aging having given this wine a wonderful complexity. Dried fruits like figs and raisins blend with subtle spice notes on the nose and are rounded off by well integrated tannins that add a smoothness to the palate with a lingering finish.

Say hello to Jaymi in Evesham on twitter @majesticevesham

In my opinion, Tuscany is one of the best regions in the world in terms of art, beauty, food and wine! Famed throughout the world for its cultural centres Florence, Pisa and Siena, it is also the home of Sangiovese. The grape is the only one that can be used in Brunello di Montalcino and is the base for the blends used in Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the famous Super Tuscans such as Tignanello and Sassicaia. Prices for the differing styles vary drastically, from low end for basic Sangiovese up to exclusive prices for the best Brunello’s and Super Tuscans.

Of the famous hill top towns in Tuscany (the region is undulating, one factor which makes the scenery so stunning) I’ve been lucky enough to visit both Montalcino and Montepulciano. My trip to Montalcino wasn’t solely wine related: I was there (along with a few thousand others) to watch the finish of a Tour of Italy cycling stage on a day where the weather was Biblical, with torrential rain, wind and a shroud of mist cowering over the town. Just walking around you could feel the importance of wine in everything in the town, and a real pride in their wine. The same can be said of Montepulciano, with stunning views from the town across the rolling vineyards. A fair few of the producers have their own shops off the quaint square, so I managed to have a look in a few, including Poliziano, my personal favourite.

I’ve decided to showcase a couple of examples of the differing styles of Sangiovese from this area.
The first is the Banfi Mandrielle Sangiovese, on offer at £5.99 if you buy 2 or more, down from £8.99. This is a soft, ripe and juicy expression from the acclaimed Banfi stable, with plenty of ripe cherry flavours making this a perfect partner to Tomato based Pasta dishes.

The second is the Avignonesi Rosso, the house wine of the Montepulciano based Avignonesi estate. Comprising of Sangiovese blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this wine displays more body and weight along with a complex cherry and blackcurrant flavour. Complimenting Beef dishes, this is excellently priced at £7.99 when you buy 2 or more, down from £9.99.

Say hello to Stefan on twitter @majesticwor to find out more about his trip.

Choosing wedding wines? The post wedding follow up. Guest blogger The Graped Crusader saves the day….

People warned me how fast your wedding day tends to pass, but I was genuinely surprised by the sheer speed that it was all over. I’d barely had time to nip round the tables to check how the wine was going down before I was muddling my way through my first dance then found myself in a cab at the end of the night!

It wasn’t without incident of course. We’d decided (as a slightly ironic touch) that given I’m a wine nut we’d name the tables after ‘cheesy’ wines. We therefore had, to name a few, Blossom Hill, Liebfraumilch, Asti Spumante and Mateus Rose tables. Each table had a bottle of each wine for purely decorative purposes. What we hadn’t bargained for of course was the guests gamely cracking into these bottles as well as the wines I’d carefully chosen! There’s nothing quite like seeing your family downing a 1.5 litre bottle of room temperature Liebfraumilch to convince you that you should have spent less time choosing the ‘real’ wines….

Thankfully, given it was my main job, the ‘real’ wines all went down very well indeed. We started off by toasting the marriage outside in glorious November sunlight and balmy 13 degree heat. The Lindauer Special Reserve Blanc de Blancs NV was perfect for this and the guests did a sterling job in only just leaving enough for the post-meal toasts. As I said in my earlier piece, it’s a very easy drinking and pleasant sparkling wine. Five guests came up to me to enquire where they could stock up for themselves and by now I imagine they have done just that. For big occasions where the budget needs to be respected I think it’s a near perfect choice.

With the meal came the arrival of the red and white wines. To recap these were the Fairhall Cliffs Sauvignon Blanc 2010 from Marlborough and the Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel 2007 from California. I wasn’t worried about the Sauvignon Blanc. Us Brits have a ferocious appetite for the stuff and it was very well received. The star of the show though was my risky wildcat choice; the Zinfandel. This went really well with our hearty food and made for very pleasant drinking without food before and after the meal. It was the first Zinfandel many of the guests had had and they were impressed with the quality and the price. I suspect some of them will have sought out other examples in the weeks following the wedding. Having had dinner with Joel Peterson, the founder of Ravenswood, a few days before the wedding I was very pleased that I’d chosen the Ravenswood. It fitted the brief perfectly.

With the guests having enjoyed the first three wines so much the Concha Y Toro Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2007 from Chile was expected to go down well, and so it proved. I’d deliberately chosen only a moderately sweet dessert wine and it worked a treat. Ardent haters of sweet wine were caught tucking in with gleeful abandon and I’m delighted that I stuck to my guns in the face of my now wife telling me that non-one would drink dessert wine!

So there you have it, proof that you can provide decent wedding wine on a budget. If anyone finds themselves in a position where they need to do just that I’d urge them to pop down to their local Majestic store where they have the experience and the range to help you on your way. Just hold fire on the Liebfraumilch…..

You can read the first part of Richard’s Wedding Wines blog here

Richard Saxton AKA The Graped Crusader is a wine writer / blogger who writes wine columns for Emerald Street (Stylist), Good Bottle of Wine Magazine and Browse Bullring, amongst others. His website can be found at thegrapedcrusader.co.uk

A quick look back at Majestic in 2011…

Will, Online Community Advocate

January is naturally a quieter month for the wine business after Christmas and New Year, but the Ravenswood parcel proved a success to staff and customers alike topping up their wine racks after the winter snow relented. Throughout the year other wine parcels were eagerly snapped up too, especially the German Schafer wines, Baysridge Sauvignon Blanc, and the McGuigan Shortlist wines, which also had their UK launch with Majestic staff at Kensington Roof Gardens. Watch out for more exciting web exclusives in 2012.

The pennies are still being counted for Maggies, our Charity of the Year in 2011. Fundraising highlights included the gruelling Marathon du Medoc in September and the charity raffle at the Majestic Christmas ball. Majestic also helped raise money for Wine Relief (part of Comic Relief), putting together a mixed selection of wines with 10% of sales going to the Red Nose cause.

March saw the first of a handful of award wins; Majestic, picked up two gongs at the Retail Week Awards 2011. We followed this up with another two wins in September -  the IWC High Street Chain of the Year and the Decanter Readers’ National Wine Merchant of the Year. Thanks again to all you Majestic people who voted for us!

One of the main reasons for being shortlisted for these awards is our exciting calendar of in-store events. If you visited your local Majestic in 2011, you may have been invited to one of our free Wine Events.  In 2011, we added Wine Walks to our events line-up, which complement the already popular Wine Courses and Wine Evenings. If you haven’t yet been to a Majestic Wine Event, you’re missing out on a free, fun and easy way to enjoy and learn about wine! Have a look at the videos below:

For Fine Wine lovers, the choice  available at our Fine Wine Centre and local Majestic stores has grown ever more diverse, and the introduction of the Fine Wine Plan is a new and easy way for you to start your own Fine Wine collection. No room under the stairs? No worries, storage is taken care of at Vinothèque, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to professional storage of fine wine.

One of the biggest events for 2011 came over the Winter period when we broadcast our first ever  TV adverts, revealing what Majestic is all about to people who may not have been to one of our stores before. Here they are if you missed them:

Finally, we opened 16 new stores in 2011 from down on the Isle of Wight right up to Dundee, meaning we’re able to bring our innovative wine range, knowledgeable staff and exciting wine events to even more people across the UK.

2012 promises to be even bigger with new stores and new wines!

You can follow me on twitter @majesticwine, like Majestic on Facebook, and add me to your circles on Google+

Every 15 minutes in the UK, someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer; this is nearly 40,000 men and women each year. Bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer death in the UK. But it shouldn’t be: the disease is highly treatable if caught early. Sadly, over 16,000 die of the disease annually, which is why early diagnosis is so important. Bowel Cancer UK is dedicated to saving lives by raising awareness of bowel cancer, campaigning for best treatment and care, and providing practical support and advice.

Over 2012, we will be raising awareness and money for Bowel Cancer UK through collection tins in stores, mobile phone and printer cartridge recycling and staff fundraising activities. We’re hoping to continue to build on last year’s fantastic work for Maggie’s, our Charity of the Year 2011.

“Bowel Cancer UK is absolutely delighted to have been chosen as Majestic Wine Charity of the Year 2012. As a small charity tackling a big disease, this will make a huge difference and allow us to reach more people with life-saving messages. We are very excited about working with your staff and customers to raise much-needed funds and awareness.”

Deborah Alsina, Chief Executive, Bowel Cancer UK

For more information about Bowel Cancer UK, please visit their website bowelcanceruk.org.uk

Registered Charity No. in England & Wales 1071038 and in Scotland SC040914

Hello and welcome back to a new wine year on the Majestic Blog: Grape to Glass!

What would you like to see this year to make the Majestic Blog even better in 2012? Polls, Reviews, Critique, Video, Photo, Food & Wine, Guest blogs… Add your choice in the comments below.

Christmas and New Year are over for another year, and the January sales are coming to an end in most shops. At Majestic all our strongest festive offers are the same all the way through January, so no need to worry about last minute January wine sales shopping. Have a look online or browse what wines are open to try on your local Majestic’s tasting counter. Enjoy!

Will
Online Community Advocate

by Lizzie Kamenetzky

We’ve teamed up with deliciousmagazine.co.uk in the run up to Christmas to find the perfect wine matches to some of the UK’s favourite dishes. In 4 weeks, we’ll feature 4 easy to make delicious. dishes, each matched to a selection of wines, making it as easy as possible for you to choose your festive wines this year.

Week 4: The final recipe! Impress the whole family this year by making this divine turkey recipe the star of the show for Christmas lunch

Serves: 8 with lots of leftovers
Takes: 30 minutes to make, 2 hours 10 minutes – 2.5 hours to cook, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 5kg free-range turkey (take out of the fridge at least 45 minutes before cooking)
• 200g butter
• Good pinch of saffron threads (optional)
• Bay leaves and rosemary for the cavity (optional)

For the stuffing

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100g pancetta, chopped
• Knob of butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 25g fresh breadcrumbs
• 200g sausagemeat
• 100g pork mince
• 100g soft dried apricots, finely chopped
• Small bunch of fresh parsley and 6 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

Method

1. First make the stuffing. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then fry the pancetta until starting to crisp. Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Lower the heat, add the butter to the pan, then the onion and cook for 10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the onion and garlic to the pancetta, then mix in the breadcrumbs. Set aside to cool completely. Stir through the sausagemeat, mince, apricots and herbs. Season well.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Using your fingers, prise the skin away from the neck end of the turkey, being careful not to tear the skin. Fill the pocket with the stuffing, pull the skin back over the stuffing and secure the skin underneath. Season the bird inside and out. Weigh and calculate the cooking time (20 minutes per kg, plus an extra 30 minutes).
3. Melt the butter and saffron (if using) in a large pan, add a 50cm square piece of muslin and, with tongs, turn to soak in the butter. Remove and lay over the turkey, then place in a large roasting tin. Stuff the body cavity with the bay leaves and rosemary (if using).
4. Roast for 30 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4 and roast for the rest of the calculated cooking time (see above), basting occasionally with the juices from the tin. Remove the muslin for the final 30 minutes of cooking to crisp the skin (keep an eye on the stuffing and cover with foil if it starts to brown too quickly). The turkey is cooked when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh and the juices run clear. Rest the turkey, loosely covered with foil, for 30 minutes before serving on a warm platter.

Nutritional info: Per serving: 518kcals, 27.3g fat (13.2g saturated), 59.4g protein, 8.6g carbs (5.3g sugars), 1.4g salt, 1.4g fibre

Tip: Covering the turkey breast with buttered muslin prevents it from drying out and the saffron gives a wonderful colour, aroma and flavour.

Majestic Wine Pairings

Grand Ardèche Chardonnay Louis Latour, Vin de Pays des Coteaux de l’Ardèche

A buttery Chardonnay from the South of France oozing warmth and whole hearted delight.

Why this Wine?

Full in body and buttery all over this wine stands up perfectly to the multitude of big flavours served up with the Christmas roast.

Château Caronne Ste-Gemme Haut-Médoc

A well rounded and moreishly savoury Bordeaux, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon.

Why this Wine?

Roast Christmas lunch would not feel complete without a bottle of Bordeaux on the table. This Caronne Ste-Gemme hits all the right notes, and is even more than palatable on it’s own too.

The harvest was all but over by the time we arrived! The estate just had one plot left to be harvested. Using mini scythes, about the size of a tablespoon, we worked in pairs along the rows of wines cutting off the ripe bunches of grapes along with a number of spiders scurrying around (I didn’t scream once!). Proper pickers work 8 hour days for up to a few weeks – my back had had enough after just a couple of hours. By the time the plot was clear we’d picked about 1200kg of Gamay grapes. These grapes are used in the production of the chateau’s Beaujolais wine; Pascal the winemaker felt they were too ripe to produce a satisfactory Morgon.

Whilst we may not have had many grapes to pick, it did give us plenty of time for wine-tasting and a tour of the region. The greater Beaujolais region is a little bigger than the Isle of Wight, but what really surprised me is how small an area the 10 Beaujolais Cru cover. It seems everyone’s a winemaker here, and there were plenty of opportunities to stop for tasting.

It’s only about 20kms from Brouilly in the south to St Amour, the most northerly Cru, but because of the varying rock and soil types, each Cru produces subtly different wines from the same grape. Morgon & Moulin-a-Vent lie on granitic soils; their wines tend to be muscular, fuller-bodied, spiced and slightly tannic. Fleurie, lying on sandy soils, produces lighter, silkier wines. Due to the tannins, Morgon can age well. We sampled 2001, 1994 & 1988 vintages of Morgon from Chateau Pizay. The older wines had developed more savoury, almost gamey flavours, reminiscent of red burgundy, compared to the fresh fruit characters of the 2009 & 2010 vintages. Beaujolais red wines are often better enjoyed at cellar rather than room temperature.

We also spent a bit of time in the winery. Many producers in Beaujolais use a process called carbonic maceration to start fermentation. Whole bunches of grapes are put in the vat, which break under their own weight releasing the juice – naturally occurring yeasts trigger fermentation. We emptied a vat where carbonic maceration had finished – the wine was siphoned off leaving a knee-deep layer of grape skins & stalks, known as the must. We had to climb down into the vat to shovel out this grapey mulch, soon feeling rather light-headed due to the CO2… Still, it was nothing a glass of Pizay’s finest couldn’t sort out.

Find out what Becky and the Majestic Isle of Wight team are up to on twitter @majesticisleofw

On the twelfth and final day of…. the Alternative Majestic 12 Days of Christmas…. How to serve Champagne! John takes the sensible approach and shows us how to open and pour in the proper fashion for Christmas, New Year and in fact… any time of the year…

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