By Proprietor Jane Walker

I have only recently discovered the Chenin Blanc grape, which is a great alternative to the better-known Sauvignon Blanc. It’s ideal for spring with a real zesty feel to it but a bit more weight than its more famous cousin. As an old-world wine it is not as heavily fruity as, for example, an Australian Chardonnay would be which makes it the ideal tipple to go along with the recipe in this newsletter - or any salad, for that matter. With its light texture and crisp notes, it allows the asparagus and the pink grapefruit to be the stars of the meal and even accentuates their flavours. Also, the wine’s acidity compliments the acidity of the salad dressing and it’s light enough to enjoy a glass with your lunch.

Yves Lambert’s wines are another recent find for me and I am quickly becoming a huge fan of his whites and especially his sparkling rosé wine (more later about it because I think I might just be on to the next big thing).

Although the Loire Valley has been producing quality wines for centuries this small winery was started only in 1996 after Lambert decided to swap his high-flying career in the financial industry for a new challenge. Since then, his wines have gone from strength to strength and we are proud to be serving them right here, at The Stockbridge Restaurant.

I promised to tell you more about why I think Yves’ Sparkling Rosé might just be the next big thing. Why is that? Well, for a start, although the wine was made in France it is not from the Champagne region so is not allowed to carry the title but also doesn’t have a champagne price tag which makes it the perfect sparkling wine for a weekend lunch – even when you feel you don’t want to splurge too much. Its taste is superb and I guarantee if you give it a try, it’ll become your summer favourite 2008.