Sherpa’s Pairings

By: Michelle Ozier

Ordering in for the night? Shanghai’s most popular delivery service not only has food – there’s also a load of wine that they’ll bring straight to your door. Sherpa’s wine consultant Michelle Ozier dishes on what wine pairs well with your order.

To stay warm in these wintry months Sherpa’s is giving you a couple good reasons for keeping it red by offering two exceptional wine deals for alternate weekends throughout February. The first is the smooth Reserve Guillaury that was named Sherpa’s Wine of the Month in January, an unbeatable value Bordeaux at just RMB 92 per bottle (or RMB 82 per bottle for a two bottle purchase if you catch the deal) that pairs exceptionally well with grilled meats (think beef souvlaki from Greek Taverna or a mushroom burger from Blue Frog).

The second is a dependable merlot landing in the same reasonable price zone at just RMB 84 per bottle (likewise just RMB 74 per bottle for the two bottle promotion). The Argentinian Yllum (pronounced “ee-lee-um”) merlot is a splendid pop and drink accompaniment for most dinners. It’s great value and won’t let you down on taste. This young merlot spent six months in stainless steel tanks before bottling, and despite its youth shows a lovely depth of berry fruitiness and a pleasing roundness of tannins. We decided to try the Yllum with food from one of our favourite Italian places, Pizza Marzano, and started by sharing a thin crust margherita pizza. The wine added elements of plums and prunes with subtle spices against the sweet tomato sauce of the pizza and we were most impressed with its smooth texture. Next, as we admired its rich ruby palate we tucked into a delicious penne al’arrabiata. The fiery arrabiata sauce lived up to its passionate name, and we were pleased that the Yllum continued to show itself as our palates warmed up, without losing its berry notes, and stood strong to the dish. Our cooling side house salad was the perfect cleanser as we lingered with the satisfaction of our last glass. With Valentine’s Day upon us, we are certainly feeling the love with these two reds.

Remember to look for great deals on your Sherpa’s homepage including the RMB 20 discount being offered at weekends for every two bottle purchase of the above reds, alternating throughout February.

Web: www.sherpa.com.cn