Paprika
Paprika Pronounce it: pa-preek-ah A spice that’s central to Hungarian cuisine, paprika is made by drying a particular type of sweet pepper, then grinding them to a fine, rich red powder. Its flavour varies from…
Tayberry
Tayberry Pronounce it: tay-berree Like the loganberry, the tayberry is a cross between the red raspberry and blackberry. It is a cone-shaped fruit that can be 4cm (1½ inches) long. It has a strong aromatic…
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer Pronounce it: guh-vurts-trah-mee-ner A seductive charmer Gewürz is the wine student’s favourite – it’s the first grape variety you learn to recognise because of its exotic aroma. Depending on the style it is a…
Balsamic vinegar
Balsamic vinegar Pronounce it: bal-sam-ick vin-ee-gah True Balsamic vinegar is an artisan product from Modena, in Emilia Romagna, Italy, and is made with grape must (juice) that is simmered to make a concentrate, allowed to…
Riesling
Riesling Pronounce it: ree-zling Wine writers’ favourite Ask wine writers for their favourite variety and the one many will name is Riesling. The reason is its capacity to produce great wines across the world, all…
Merlot
Merlot Pronounce it: mer-low The crowd pleaser Merlot is the red that has come racing up the popularity stakes. It’s the variety – especially if it’s made in the New World – that you can…
Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris Pronounce it: pee-no gree Wine bar favourite While the grape is basically the same, wines that call themselves Pinot Gris are usually richer in the elegant Alsace (French) style. A wine that calls…
Colombard
Colombard Pronounce it: co-lom-bah Wine-blender’s favourite Colombard will never be in the first division of wine grapes. Instead it is a stalwart of the supermarket bargain bracket, being relatively easy to grow. As it does…
Negroamaro
Negroamaro Pronounce it: negr-ah-mah-ro Southern Italian speciality Negroamaro means literally ‘black, bitter’ and that more or less describes the grape. The pleasure of Italy for the winelover is discovering its several hundred native grapes and…
Swiss chard
Swiss chard Pronounce it: swiss shard Also known as plain chard, Swiss chard has large, fleshy, tender, deep green leaves and thick, crisp stalks. Although they’re unrelated, chard is similar to spinach, but with a stronger, more…