Drinks with olive dishes
There’s more to olives than oil! In this week’s WEEKEND magazine, Olly pairs the drinks for scrummy dishes celebrating the tangy, versatile fruit!
Cod with mixed olives, tomatoes and chorizo
Olly’s wine pairing: Casanova Costa d’Oru Corsican Rosé 2021 (12.5%) £7.50, Co-op
This is a magical rosé from off the beaten track that you can pour all summer long, such is its value. Gorgeous aromas of strawberries and honeydew melon abound in this masterpiece that’s spot on with both cod and tomatoes.
Pasta Salad with black olives, broad beans and feta
Olly’s wine pairing: Tesco Finest Gavi DOCG 2021 (12.5%) £9
With all the wonderful Mediterranean flavours in this dish, seize the moment to pour a classic Italian white that won’t break the bank. This grapefruit-tinged wine feels as pure as if it’s been carved from a glacier – you can expect real definition and breathtaking freshness to work with the salty feta and olive bite. A wonderful drop.
Marinated olives with orange and chilli
Olly’s wine pairing: Waitrose Manzanilla Pasada El Benito (17%) £11.99
When tucking into olives, it’s hard to beat the refreshment of an ice-cold glass of Spanish manzanilla. This version is aged a bit longer, which develops the richness to handle the heat of this chilli. It’s a brilliant all-round aperitif.
Focaccia with olives, tomatoes and rosemary
Olly’s wine pairing: Terre di Faiano Organic Nero di Troia 2020 (13%) £9, Sainsbury’s
Focaccia offers the chance to pair a lighter red such as this lesser known beauty from Puglia in southern Italy. I love its fruitiness and classy tang to the finish. On a really hot day you could even serve this red slightly chilled.
Quick olive, caper and anchovy tapenade
Olly’s wine pairing: Asda Extra Special Palacio de Vivero Rueda 2021 (13%) £5.50
What a bargain! Fruity and precise, there’s a tropical twist to this wonderful Spanish verdejo, along with an intensity that’s perfectly pitched for the olives in the tapenade. This award-winning white also has plenty of citrus verve to tackle the saltiness of the anchovies.
