GRAEME PALMISTER
63 Tay Street Restaurant, Perth
www.63taystreet.com
Red wine is most commonly chosen to drink with lamb, and I tend to stick to a fruity merlot or a spicy shiraz. However, if your lamb dish is served almost as a salad with fresh peas and herbs, you could bend the rulebook slightly and stretch to a sauvignon blanc, but go for a New World bottle.
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PAUL KITCHING
21212, Edinburgh
www.21212restaurant.co.uk
Lamb loves spices, so you should opt for a strong, peppery, spicy red wine.
FRASER ALLAN
The Pompadour by Galvin and Galvin Brasserie de Luxe, Edinburgh
www.waldorfastoriaedinburgh.com
www.galvinbrasseriedeluxe.com
We currently have a dish on at The Pompadour that showcases the lamb very well. We serve a simple garnish of pommes boulangère and Niçoise sauce with a piece of confit lamb flank and roast lamb rump. The flank melts in the mouth and has a wonderful deep flavour whereas the rump is a beautifully tender and moist cut when served pink and allowed to rest well.
We pair this dish with our Galvin Rasteau. The wine has body, complexity, warmth and spice which lends itself well to the lamb.
DEREK JOHNSTONE
Golf Inn, Gullane
www.golfinn.co.uk
Traditional Scottish Lamb stew with pearl barley which can be served in the colder months accompanied by a large glass of Argentina Tempranillo is a perfect pairing.
FRED BERKMILLER
L’escargot Bleu and L’escargot Blanc, Edinburgh
www.lescargotbleu.co.uk
www.lescargotblanc.co.uk
Wine is a very personal choice but I would be tempted to recommend a light red wine with a young lamb and something with a bit more body and spice for an older animal.
SCOTT DAVIES
The Three Chimneys, Skye
threechimneys.co.uk
My wine of choice would be a fine Chateauneuf-du-Pape. We list an excellent Chante Cigale Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vintage 2012 from the Southern Rhone.
NEIL FORBES
Cafe St Honore, Edinburgh
www.cafesthonore.com
With a dish full of flavour like a slow-braised lamb shoulder I would suggest a pinot noir, medium bodied, with fruity and herby notes. Or a classic côte du rhone, orwhy not even try a good beer with your lamb? I adore Innis and Gunn Original, or try a heather ale.
PHILIPPE LARUE
l’Art Du Vin in Dunfermline
www.aduv.co.uk
Spain is a country that I love for many reasons; the people, its fantastic gastronomic scene and of course, the diverse selection of wines produced throughout the country. During my career in the wine trade I have frequently travelled to Spain and I always look forward to sampling the local cuisine of the regions I visit.
One particular meal that stands out in my memory consisted of lamb chops cooked in a traditional wood burner with old vines. The Rioja Reserva 2008 from Bodegas Altanza is really the perfect match for dishes like this. The oak notes of the wine match the chargrilled flavours of the meat, while the lovely, fresh acidity of the Tempranillo grape cuts through the richness of the lamb.
For more robust lamb dishes such as stew, I would recommend a heartier wine exhibiting more savoury tones. Wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the southwest of France are often an ideal pairing for rustic lamb recipes.
The Cuvée Atal Sia from Chateau Ollieux Romanis, France, displays all the best assets of the terroirs in the region of Corbieres. The lovely garrigue notes of bay leaf and rosemary almost act as an additional seasoning to the lamb. Further hints of tobacco leaf and pepper create what I am sure you will agree is a perfect match.
• This article was produced in partnership with Quality Meat Scotland
