I am at the age where the first wave of marital splits is hitting my peer group, my own separation included. These are not all sad affairs; in fact, I went to my first ever Divorce Party this summer and it was an unexpected hoot to drink “Gin & He’s Toxic” as we cracked up over ‘red-flag’ bingo and bashed a pinata filled with tiny bubble-wrapped bottles of vodka.
However, it is rather wonderful to celebrate long lasting love and that ever-increasing anomaly of the 50th Wedding Anniversary of a happy couple, so I was delighted to be included in a surprise party for the parents of a good friend.
The hostess opened the door in a kaleidoscopic mish-mash of anniversary-themed gold sequins and directed me towards some babycham glasses of booze – left over from her own first wedding (See? It’s all the rage!) – while her boyfriend diligently tended the BBQ.
Piles of beefburgers and sausages surrounded him, a welcome sight as I had brought a juicy, spicy red wine for the afternoon. The Arabella Reserve Shiraz Viognier (Naked Wines, £12.99, Angel price, £9.99) comes from one of my favourite wine countries, South Africa, where a braai is considered a national pastime.
The rich dark fruits and spice of a South African Shiraz are ideal with grilled meats but what makes this wine stand out is the addition of the white grape Viognier. Not a partnership anyone would have naturally imagined – but one that works incredibly well, the dash of voluptuous peachy Viognier tempering the punchy black pepper of the red. Like a good relationship, these contrasting elements harmonise to compliment and balance each other. What could be more perfect for an anniversary party?
Pouring myself a generous glass I go over to congratulate the couple of the moment. “It’s harder to stay married now,” muses Mrs T. “Women have jobs, they’re emancipated, they have options, there’s less reason to settle and stay”. I may have looked a bit surprised as she quickly adds, “Oh, I didn’t mean me, I’ve always worked! That’s not why I’ve stayed”.
A sympathetic nod to my own marital demise then, a way to understand why fewer marriages go the distance now. I pick up a brownie with a young Mr & Mrs T’s face printed on it and split it in half, wondering which parent it is more acceptable to eat. In the end I decide to devour Mr T and offer his wife to Significant Other, who looks a little thrown chomping into our friend’s mother. I’m happy to note the Arabella Reserve, with its silky whispers of vanilla, also goes well with the chocolate and, topping up my glass, I decide to ask the lovebirds what the secret is to decades of marriage.
“Escape,” grins Mr T. “Make sure you escape each other”. That doesn’t sound especially romantic, so he continues: “Be independent, go away from each other, do your own thing, then come back together”. This I can understand, the value of remaining yourself as an individual while voluntarily choosing to return to the other to share what you have experienced.
Mrs T adds that “It’s about being able to laugh together.” And laugh they do. Gusts of laughter sweep over them and the guests as wine is poured, children and grandchildren play, numbers are swapped, brownie-faces are eaten, and I even capture them having a cheeky smooch in the garden. Here’s to you Mr & Mrs T – long may the kisses continue!
A Naked Pairing: Baked Camembert & Cremant de Bourgogne
One of the best pairings in the entire world – and I realise I am building this up but that is how confident I am – is a bloom cheese and a sparkling Chardonnay-based wine like Champagne or Crémant de Bourgogne.
Bloom cheeses are those creamy, soft cheeses with the white rind, like a brie or camembert. When pairing a cheese and a wine the two main things to consider are texture and depth of flavour and Chardonnay, just like this style of cheese, can range in the intensity of its taste. The difference between a crisp young Chablis and a big, tropical-fruited Australian Chardonnay, for example.
The effervescent bubbles and natural acidity in a sparkling also help to cut through the gooey, mouth-coating cheese and cleanse the palate after each bite.
Here I paired Naked’s delicious Benjamin Darnault Vignerons Wife Cremant de Bourgogne Brut (£19.99; Angel price £16.99, nakedwines.co.uk) with a baked Camembert, a super speedy starter that is so easy but makes you look incredibly sophisticated.
I am an air-fryer zealot, but you can do this in a normal oven by adding five minutes to the cooking time.
Unwrap the cheese and pop it back in half of the wooden box, cut some slashes in the top and stick in a couple of sliced up garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme, glug a couple of tablespoons of the wine over the top and bake at 180 degrees celsius for 15 minutes.
Eat with crusty bread, toast, crackers, your fingers… and that fantastic Crémant. Superb.
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