Winning Wines for Wimbledon

Until Andy Murray's triumph in Jubilee year to give us our first winner in many a decade, each year, in the run up to Wimbledon, I still think my only visit to this hallowed ground, when in the late 1990s, I went to see Virginia Wade play on No. 1 court. Her opponent was,, or indeed what the result was. I just remember the excitement of being there, the strawberries and cream, and the bubbly, of course; whether the real McCoy, or a lesser sparkling wine made in the traditional style, from outside the Champagne region.

Both the tournament and the unbeatable taste of a fresh, sun ripened, English strawberry for me sum up a perfect English summer, when even the rain can’t dampen our spirits.

Matching wine with fresh fruit is not always as easy as it might at first seem. I find that a refreshing, gently fruity style can be a good bet, and most wines with some residual sugar, rather than bone dry, will be a good match for strawberries, but do avoid going for full-on sweet wines.

In the line up of festive bubbly suggestions to keep our spirits up over the two weeks of play, these three wines are made by what is known as the 'traditional method' used for champagne, with a second fermentation in the bottle. This helps to produce a superior wine, with longer lasting bubbles.

I wouldn’t normally dream of bringing up the thorny subject of Sir Cliff’s PR stunt, when he entertained the Wimbledon crowd during a typical downpour, except that as an avid tennis fan, and with his own vineyard in Portugal, it would seem remiss of me to exclude one of his wines in my recommendations.

Of those available, the Vida Nova Espumante, £13.50, 12.5% alc., made from 100% Syrah grapes, has a bold berry fruit character, with a touch of sweetness and a crisp finish. Available from Wells Wines (contact@wells-wines.com Tel. 01903 691911).

As with almost all sporting events these days, Wimbledon is supported by a number of sponsors. On the alcohol front you can’t get a much better partner than a fine champagne house, in this case, Lanson, which has had a lengthy relationship with the tournament. Lanson NV Rosé, £38, 12.5% alc. It was one of the first rosé champagnes on the market and is made from a blend of the three approved champagne grapes, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, and is much sought-after for its characteristic freshness.

At the other end of the sponsorship scale is Jacob’s Creek winery in Australia. They seem to have cornered the market for tennis tournaments across the globe, except in the USA; this is as one would expect, given the fierce competitiveness between Aussie and American winemakers for a share of our market.

The Jacob’s Creek NV Sparkling Rosé, £10.50, 11.5% alc. Is made from a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, giving a delicate fresh strawberry and redcurrant character, and is soft on the palate.

This, like the Lanson, is readily available in most supermarkets.

If bubbly is not to your taste, then a long, thirst quenching glass of Pimm’s, and another win for Andy, might just do the trick.

At this time of year who could ask for anything more? Perfect.