Cheese and wine special with Helen McGinn and a listener Q&A

Nick and Angela welcome a wine expert to Dish HQ.

Helen McGinn is an award-winning author, drinks writer and TV wine presenter. Having cut her teeth as a supermarket wine buyer, she went on to found a blog, The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club, which has since become a best-selling book. Helen is the much-loved wine expert on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen and writes a monthly wine column for Waitrose Food Magazine.

In this episode, Nick and Angela skip the main course and head straight to the cheese. Helen brings a selection of wine and cheese to the dish table to inspire you this festive season and starts with a bottle of fizz from South Africa, Graham Beck Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut NV, which our trio tastes with a pecorino and a Cornish Cheese Co. Cornish Brie (available in-store at the Waitrose cheese counter). Next up is a white wine from Bordeaux, Dourthe Roqueblanche Sauvignon Blanc, which Helen pairs with the Clara goat’s cheese, also available at the in-store counter. To follow, a malbec rosé from Argentina goes perfectly with Highmoor, a washed rind cheese from Oxfordshire. Helen pours a red from South Africa, Reyneke Organic Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, which Nick and Angela try with a Godminster organic vintage cheddar. And finally, Helen recommends a sweet wine, Carte Or Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise NV, which she pairs with the No.1 Colston Bassett Stilton.

Having enjoyed their cheese and wine tasting, Nick and Angela tuck into some of your questions: stay tuned for their TV snack choices, their most memorable meal with their partners and what they most admire about each other.

Just so you know, our podcast might contain the occasional mild swear word or adult theme.

All recipes from this podcast can be found at waitrose.com/dishrecipes

A transcript for this episode can be found at waitrose.com/dish

We can’t all have a Michelin star chef in the kitchen, but you can ask Angela for help.

Send your dilemmas to dish@waitrose.co.uk and she’ll try to answer in a future episode.

Dish is a S:E Creative Studio production for Waitrose & Partners.