Spears of Destiny

May 6 2009 By Huddersfield Examiner

To be really patriotic, opt for an English wine with your homegrown greens. Try Chapel Down Bacchus - the UK’s sauvignon blanc, made from grapes grown in Kent and Essex - available from Waitrose and www.everywine.co.uk, priced around £9.

If you prefer the real thing when it comes to Old World sauvignon blanc, try Les Montgolfiers Sauvignon Blanc Gros Manseng (£6.99 at Tesco).

It might seem like sacrilege but last week we sat in the sun eating a simple asparagus frittata accompanied with a few choice beers.

The orange zest and coriander flavours of Blue Moon, a cloudy US wheat beer, made it a refreshing start to the evening, but I preferred the champagne elegance of Kasteel Cru - a French lager brewed with champagne yeast. Blue Moon (5.4% ABV) is available from Sainsburys (priced £1.99), while Kasteel Cru is found in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Booths and selected Tesco stores, priced from £1.99.

DRINK THIS: Beer drinkers should consider cracking open a bottle of the classic Belgian blonde Duvel with their next asparagus feast. This is a strong contender for my beer hall of fame - but it’s wise to remember that this golden beauty packs an 8.5% ABV punch. It’s available nationwide, priced from £1.58 a bottle.

My absolute favourite dish is asparagus with eggy, buttery Hollandaise, and some fab crusty bread to mop up the sauce when the spears are gone. Try this with Tesco Finest Chablis Premier Cru 2007 (£12.99).