The Bread & Butter of Wine
Bread & Butter has been shaking the wine market up with winemaker Linda Trotter at the helm. After the ABC (Anything but Chardonnay) attitude towards the end of the 20th century, largely aimed at poor quality, oak-laden styles of wine, Bread & Butter have brought them back into the market stronger than before with much improved quality, ripe flavours and pure simple winemaking.
The philosophy of Bread & Butter
California alone is the 4th largest producer of wine globally where European varieties were
originally introduced by Spanish missionaries. Famously, California came onto the wine map through a blind tasting against French wine in the 1970s and won the majority of the tastings! This quality comes from a mixture of the warming Californian sun with the cooling Pacific Ocean and mountain ranges, resulting in quality wines. Bread & Butter’s core range blends across regions to achieve balance in their wines, picking from both cooler and warmer regions to gain tropical, ripe flavours and also retain the necessary acidity to keep the wines fresh and lively, ensuring they are always the quality we have come to expect. They also have some regional ‘Reserve’ wines designed to reflect the quality and style of different areas within California.
Their mission is simple: “WE BELIEVE GOOD THINGS SHOULDN'T BE COMPLICATED”. And that’s why the name Bread & Butter is so apt too. Their wines are a classic new world style, not holding back on ripe and explosive flavour, with a mix of tropical fruit, berries galore and unashamed oak integration. So, if you love big and bold flavour, or want to explore a traditional New World style of wine, you’re in for a real treat.
Having led winemaking across the globe, Linda returned to her home of California where she now heads the winemaking at Bread & Butter. Her simple, yet effective rationale is that “a good wine is a wine you like” and uses that mentality to create wines for Bread & Butter that people love and adore. Linda is an award-winning winemaker, boasting the 2018 North Bay Business Journal Napa Valley Winemaker of the Year award and many other prestigious accolades.
Originally exclusive to Majestic Wine in the UK, and of course sold all over the states, Bread & Butter wines have quickly been recognised by the market and are now growing in availability all over as the trend for big, flavoursome wines continues. The mainstay of the range includes a rich, buttery Chardonnay, a vibrant, juicy Pinot Noir and a velvety, fruity Cabernet Sauvignon.
Styles of Bread & Butter Wines
Bread & Butter Chardonnay is the most loved wine in the range that has put oaky chardonnay fondly back in style. The grapes are from two regions: Carneros, which is known for more restrained, delicate flavours and Arroyo Seco, for bolder, bigger wines, making a full bodied, full flavoured wine yet remarkably fresh.
Bread & Butter Pinot Noir is the second key wine in the range. It bursts with red berries, fresh fruit and soft oak to create a juicy, smooth wine with an undercurrent of sweet vanilla.
Bread & Butter Cabernet Sauvignon is robust and silky smooth that displays mocha, cranberry, blackcurrant, toasted oak and rich vanilla. It is like sipping red velvet cake.
Bread & Butter Rosé is a more striking style than Provence. Strawberry, melon and rose petals are lifted by juicy red fruit and zingy acidity with a surprisingly decadent finish.
Bread & Butter Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon dials it up a notch. It’s from Napa Valley, the seat of many of America’s finest reds, and is a lush, expressive wine with mocha, blackberries, black cherry and savoury baking spice to deliver a luxurious finish.
Bread & Butter Reserve Pinot Noir hails from the cool Russian River Valley and is exceptionally silky. Cherry, rhubarb, and strawberry combine with Burgundian-esque notes of forest floor and oak-induced baking spices. It is kept firmly alive by bright acidity that makes it extremely refreshing.
Bread & Butter Reserve Chardonnay is very well rounded and robust. It oozes creamy decadence and toasted oak with vanilla and coconut, lemon meringue and a nutty undercurrent.
Matching Food with Bread & Butter Wines
The Bread & Butter range of wines are characterised by their intense, bold, ripe flavours and fresh, vibrant character. They are all capable of standing up to hearty meals, but here are some ideas:
Chardonnay – the buttery character and creamy body are a no-brainer to match with equally creamy pasta dishes or a Chicken parmigiana. If you’re feeling decadent, a buttery lobster dish will be particularly delicious.
Pinot Noir – silky and juicy Pinot with a vanilla overtone can be a great partner to roast duck, or indeed all game. Umami dishes with lots of mushroom will also help this wine shine.
Cabernet Sauvignon – Such a rich, velvety wine can only really pair best with one particular meal. Steak. It will stand up to the strong flavours pound for pound and even a blue cheese sauce on top.
Rosé – Generally a less obvious pairing wine as Rosé does so well on its own, it is still a great choice for light lunches such as Bruschetta or salad in the garden.
Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – If you saved the standard Cabernet for the Sirloin, prep this one for the chateaubriand. The best cut demands the best wine.
Reserve Pinot Noir – Much like the Reserve Cabernet, save this one for the prime game. Hog roasts, pheasant and even Christmas dinner are on the menu with this.
Reserve Chardonnay – Fruit forward and luscious, it demands flavoursome food to keep the wine from overwhelming it. A dish with herb butter would be a treat, from grilled salmon fillet to scallops and steak.
This blog was written by our wine expert, David Andrews. Read his Instagram blog @oinosattheoikos
Updated 11th July 2023