Wine with Haggis

The Magi, The Three Wise Men, have come and gone leaving their Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

So I can just about imagine the cry going out - Off with the Magi and prepare for the Haggi!

Each year on 25 January, Robert Burns' presumed birthday, Scots everywhere take time out to honour a national icon. Whether it's a full-blown Burns Supper or a quiet night of reading poetry, Burns Night is a night for all Scots - and just about everybody else.

Haggis is an essential component of Burns night - and the days after.

I first tried Haggis just over a year ago when I was told that it was spicy and I thought that my refreshingly sparkling wines could well go with it. I was sceptical beforehand but gave it a go. And was pleasantly surprised both with Haggis and with the match with my wines.

Haggis on its own is mildly to medium spicy - really peppery rather than chilli hot. So I found my very dry Viceroy White great with a mild vegetarian Haggis, quite dry Raja Rosé quite a good match with a traditional meaty Haggis. Now for the really modern, with a spicy Haggis Pakora or Haggis Dhosa or Curried Haggis I recommend my off dry Rani Gold.

I love a good malt whisky, the traditional drink with Haggis, but with something spicy the high alcohol level of whisky exaggerates the spice rather than complements it. My wines are semi-sparkling and served cold to be refreshing - which a whisky however good is not.

In any event I am not a great believer in matching a local food with a local drink. That was fine in the days before boats, planes and trains. But now we can match a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with fresh Fish and Chips. And my Catalan semi-sparkling wines with Glasgow (or Brummie or Southall or Brick Lane) Chicken Tikka Masala.

So Wine for Spice with The Haggi!

PS I understand that the plural for Haggis is Haggisses not Haggi. You see the Romans didn't manage to conquer Scotland. Julius Caesar did not get to exclaim "Veni, Vidi Vinci" in relation to the lands North of Hadrian's Wall.

But since we are talking "Vino" - I prefer the term Haggi.