Wine expert and winner of ‘Best Sommelier of the World’ Andreas Larsson shares his top wine choices for celebrating the King’s Coronation.
Get ready to raise a glass for the King! On Monday, 8 May 2023, many royal enthusiasts worldwide will gather together for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration as they prepare for the long-awaited Coronation of King Charles III.
Whether you’re celebrating with a big party at home or hosting a small group of friends, there’s no better way to toast to the new monarch than with a glass of something special. However, choosing the right wine for you and your guests can be tricky as there are so many choices.
So, in honour of this momentous occasion, luxury appliance brand, ASKO, has asked world-renowned sommelier Andreas Larsson has shared with us his top wine recommendations for hosting Coronation celebrations. Here’s what he had to say:
Luxurious Magazine: Andreas, in your opinion, what is the perfect wine to celebrate The King’s Coronation?
Andreas Larsson: Selecting the right bottle of wine for such a significant celebration requires great care and consideration. It needs to be a bottle that is both elegant and sophisticated, and with English wine reaching a high quality over the years, why not celebrate the special occasion with a bottle of 2014 Nyetimber blac de blac – very elegant and royal.
Alternatively, if you want to opt for something different that you know your guests are guaranteed to love, you can’t go wrong with a high-quality bottle of Champagne. Champagne is doubtlessly the number one crowd-pleaser and will always be.
LM: You’ve mentioned English wine reaching a good quality level over the years. Can you tell us a little bit more about other varieties and styles you recommend impressing your guests with?
Andreas: Traditional English sparkling wines are tremendously good and considered an established style. One of my favourite producers is Gusborne, who produces lovely pure and stylish wines similar to Nyetimber with a superb range of bubbles.
However, if you prefer a still wine, I recommend Chapel Down and Hush Heath, as they produce some spectacular tasting bottles too. There is so much going on in the English wine world, so keep your eyes and tastebuds open!
LM: If you’re throwing a dinner party or celebration, can you give us some of the best wines to pair with party favourites?
Andreas: A great cheeseboard is always a hit at parties, so be sure to impress your guests and elevate yours to the next level by accompanying each of your cheeses with a complimentary glass of wine.
If I had to choose, my top three wine and cheese pairings would be a fantastic French goat’s cheese such as Valencay with a Pouilly-Fumé, Tomme des Pyrénées with a red Bordeaux and finally, an excellent old stilton with a vintage Port.
LM: What wines would you recommend serving with canapés?
Andreas: English sparkling, of course! It’s a wonderful style of wine which has reached a very good quality level and is the perfect accompaniment for a celebratory canapé.
LM: What are the best wines to accompany a charcuterie board?
Andreas: For a Spanish Charcuterie board, I’d suggest a modern fruit-driven Rioja; however, for an Italian, I’d recommend either a Langhe Nebbiolo or a Provencal rosé- especially in summer.
LM: When serving wine to your guests, what’s the most crucial thing to avoid?
Andreas: The worst thing you can do as a host is serving your guests a warm glass of red wine. In fact, the old myth about room temperature wine should be buried and most definitely completely ignored as it’s my number one No/No!
In order to get the best out of your red wine, the bottle should be served anywhere between 12˚C and 18˚C. Although, feel free to add an ice cube to your white wine. I do, especially if I’m enjoying an aperitif outside.
LM: How should I store my wine?
Andreas: A vital factor to consider when serving wine is to ensure the drink is stored correctly. Not only is the temperature important to control but also the humidity. The storing environment should correspond to the humidity of a natural cellar, free of vibrations and light.
Andreas Larsson credits ASKO’s Wine Climate Cabinet as being a perfect option for consumers to store their wine.
“The benefit of having a wine climate cabinet is to be able to store your wine under perfect conditions. What I really like about the wine climate cabinet is the serving area. It lets you keep the bottles at the right temperatures and even store your glasses and utensils.
Plus, you can set the light, change the warmth, the colour and the intensity to fit your mood to fit your environment. And this means that you can put the wine climate cabinet anywhere in your home.”
The recommended temperature for serving red wine is between 12˚C and 18˚C whereas the ideal temperature for white wine is between 8˚C and 12˚C.
ASKO’s Wine Climate Cabinet is the perfect addition to help you store your wine, as it contains three temperature zones for different types of wine, each of which can be meticulously controlled. Not only does it chill drinks perfectly, it also features a Virtual Sommelier feature – allowing you to learn more about your wine’s provenance and tasting notes, so you always have an Andreas Larsson at hand to share top tips.
Looking for something a little smaller?
ASKO has recently added to its impressive collection with its new Under-Counter Wine Cooler. It offers high quality, sleek, and minimalistic finish, and is a secure home for your precious wine collection, storing the bottles in the best possible conditions. It’s also an excellent option for consumers looking to save space.
For more information about ASKO or to view their complete product portfolio, please visit www.asko.com/uk/, or contact [email protected].
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