Break bread and drink wine

There can’t be many other foods other than bread and wine which can claim to be at the basis of civilisation when it comes to sitting down to eat. They have been equally paired in importance over the centuries, both metaphorically and spiritually. To place them side by side though as the main food stay of a meal may not feel as natural however with bread usually seen as food to sit at the side of meal rather than be at the forefront of the taste matching with a bottle of wine.

The concept then of pairing bread and wine together may not be something many wine  – or bread – lovers would ever think about, but take some freshly baked sourdough from Dunn’s Bakery and pair it one evening in front of an open fire with a dry, red wine from the Cotes du Rhone and you’ll feel the taste of the soft doughy centre of this bread with origins which stretch back as far as the first wines ever produced gently soak up the robust flavours of the centuries old French classic.

Fruity, lunchtime delights from this proud North London bakery based in Crouch End include the egg and butter-rich Brioche, full of the perfect combination of classic French-originated bakery ingredients and the decadent sensation of the melt in the mouth fresh dough. The perfect way to enjoy this as you relax in your garden is with a glass or two of something fizzy such as a good Italian spumante as the bubbles will complement the texture perfectly.

For a wine to accompany a classic baguette made from milled French wheat, look no further than a pinto grigio or sancerre to really set the taste buds going.

Weekend afternoons in the late summer mean that a picnic is a must to take in the last of the sunshine, so take your favourite bottle of rose and mix with thinly sliced and mild-tasting Sunflower Cob or to really fill you for the afternoon as you watch your friends play tennis, enjoy with a small GI bread from their range.

Cricket matches and long afternoons in the field mean bringing out the big guns, so it has to be a really hearty red such as an Italian nero D’Avola and then drink it as you tear pieces from a loaf of Redemption Ale. A bread made from beer brewed in Tottenham, you’ll be hit for six by this combination of bold red and locally made delight.

Looking for a sweet treat to tempt and seduce that special someone as you spend a romantic evening together? Start the evening with your favourite cakes and a bottle of Madeira and then move to slices of thickly buttered Californian Raisin Malt Loaf to really get your teeth into something sensational. A family favourite at tea time it may be, but it’s perfect with a very grown up wine for a grown up evening.

The more you think about it, the more bread and wine make the perfect partners. Experiment with your favourite tipple and one of the many soft and unctuous loaves and you’ll soon wonder why you didn’t discover this culinary match made in bakery heaven before.