The wine you should be drinking at the cricket this summer
Our wine expert pairs Laithwaites’ firm favourites with a glorious summer of Tests, T20s and one-day cricket matches
Geoffrey Dean 17 July 2024 • 2:50pm
A wonderful season of international cricket in England and Wales is upon us, with three different formats to enjoy from 10 July to 29 September.
For the men, six Test matches come first, with three against West Indies in July followed by three against Sri Lanka over the last 10 days of August and the beginning of September; then three T20s against Australia between 11-15 September; and five one-day internationals against the Aussies between 19-29 September. The women’s side have already completed a T20 series victory over New Zealand and have a one-day international series against Ireland in September.
And a wonderful summer of international cricket requires a wonderful summer of wine. And what better way to combine the two than to delve into Laithwaites’ extensive wine cellar to select the perfect trio of bottles for each form of cricket? The year’s cornucopia of cricketing action gives wine drinkers lots of opportunities to act as their own summer sommelier by matching different labels to each format. Here are some of our perfect pairings:
Wine pairings for Test cricket
The oldest international form of the game has been played for 147 years, and is in itself so complex, with all its subtle twists and turns, that it demands wines of similar depth and intrigue.
So we suggest the refined Domaine Dampt Petit Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2022 (£19.99) produced from old vines by a leading vintner in the region. The high-quality Chardonnay fruit comes from the Petit Chablis appellation, which was introduced in 1943 and consists of vineyards just outside the main Chablis appellation. This wine is such good value for money, being elegant and refined, with hints of minerality to accompany vibrantly fresh citrus notes. It is a delicious bottle to drink either as an aperitif or with lunch.
If it’s a glass of red wine you would like, a refined, classy label is the Clarendelle Bordeaux Inspired by Haut-Brion 2016 (£19.99). This is a wine for the traditionalist – a classic Bordeaux blend, being predominantly Merlot (84 per cent), with 10 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and six per cent Cabernet Franc. 2016 was one of the best recent vintages in Bordeaux, and the wine is already drinking well, its tannins velvety and the fruit generous, with blueberry and blackberry notes. Suave and polished like many top-order Test match batsmen.
If it’s Cabernet Sauvignon you prefer, a high-class red from Spain, which is predominantly made from that varietal (with a dash of old-vine Graciano thrown in), is the Señorio de Sarria Vendimia Seleccionada 2017 (£28). From Navarra, next door to Rioja in the north-east of Spain, this has been aged in barrel and bottle for six years before being released. What is a harmonious yet complex wine, with enticing red fruit and serious concentration and length, is very approachable now thanks to its fine, soft tannins.
Wine pairings for the one-day internationals (ODIs)
If Test cricket is better suited to wines for sipping over a four or five-day stretch, ODIs demand wines for the here and now. One great offering is the Bees Knees Chenin Blanc Viognier 2024 (£10.99) from South Africa, which produces some of the best-value mid-market wines in the world. This one, with its zesty freshness and peach and lemon notes, is made by the Journey’s End winery near Somerset West, just east of Cape Town. Its British owners, the Gabb family, derive all their energy needs from solar panels and do a lot for the local disadvantaged, providing 30,000 meals a week to them. A swarm of bees on the label makes the bottle easy to pick out.
Another easy-drinker while enjoying the fours and sixes of a one-day match is the Mirlo Merlot 2023 (£11.99) from the Cariñena denomination to the south-east of Rioja. Ripe red cherry and summer berry fruit on the palate, along with beautifully integrated tannins, make this a delight to quaff, and a perfect ODI accompaniment on its own or with nearly any type of food. It doesn’t try to be complex but is suitably fun.
At 100 overs, if the match goes the distance, ODIs still require a bit of viewing stamina, so a quality white wine is called for. Limoux’s high, hilly vineyards in Roussillon are an area renowned for superb chardonnay, and La Voûte 2023 (£17.99) is one such. Intensely flavoured citrus and grapefruit notes are apparent, along with notable concentration and length, making the wine an apt choice for ODI fans with an appreciative palate.
Wine pairings for the Twenty20s
The target audience for T20s has long been younger people, parents and kids – along with escapees from the office keen to get some fresh air and fast excitement at the end of the day.
Those in the audience of drinking age might like to kick off with some Britpop Brut NV (£25), an impressive English sparkling wine. Who should be behind it but the bass guitarist in one of Britain’s most successful pop groups – Alex James from Blur. Made by the traditional method – as is employed for Champagne production – this is a really good-quality bubbly with its biscuity notes as well as vibrancy and freshness. Perfect for the often explosive start to T20 matches.
As the match unfurls, and things quieten down a little after the big-hitting powerplay overs, a thirst-quenching New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is ideal for mid-match consumption. The Dry Lake Cricket Club Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (£16.99) takes its name, so the story goes, from a group of growers in the Awatere Valley at the northern end of the South Island who like a game of friendly, impromptu cricket, but rely on a dried-up riverbed for a pitch. There is lively gooseberry fruit and refreshing acidity in this pleasurable Sauvignon Blanc.
Finally, when later during a T20 match you need a full-bodied red to accompany some food, there is an Aussie blend with another cricketing name that fits the bill beautifully. The Black Stump Durif Shiraz (£12.99) is a deeply coloured red with velvety tannins and some gorgeous fruit from the Riverina region in south-east Australia. Durif, also known as Petite Sirah, notably in California where it is widely grown, is renowned for masses of intense dark fruit with flavour and concentration. Marrying well with the spice and pepper of Shiraz, it is a very appealing blend, and ideal for the razzmatazz of T20s.