67 Pall Mall launches food and wine pairing book

Wine-centric private members’ club 67 Pall Mall in London has launched its first book – a guide to some of the best food and wine pairings on the planet.

Called Wine and Food. The Perfect Match, the book was co-authored by the club’s head of wine, Ronan Sayburn MS, and head chef, Marcus Verberne.

Aimed at all levels of wine enthusiast, the tome features a comprehensive study of the world’s great wines, how to drink them and what foods to pair them with.

Serving as both a coffee table book and a cookbook, the first half of the tome is dedicated to wine, and aims to unravel the mysteries of terroir, while guiding readers through the world’s most important grape varieties and where they grow.

Arranged into chapters on sea and river, land, garden and sweet, the latter half of the book focuses on food and features 100 dishes created by Verberne.

Dishes run the gamut from classics like cassoulet de Toulouse, to the Asian-inspired Thai octopus salad, and quirky creations like saffron-poached apricot and almond tart with Roquefort ice cream.

“Wine is such a vast subject that it is always good to have an expert on hand, and this book is that expert,” Clare Smyth, chef-patron of Core in Notting Hill, said of the tome.

Wine writer Hugh Johnson OBE, described the book as “a saga of salivation”.

Published by Jacqui Small, Wine and Food. The Perfect Match has gone on sale via 67 Pall Mall’s website, priced at £40.