Comments - Lucy Clements

Lucy Clements is not only the head winemaker at Chapel Down, she's also in charge of the wine list at the winery's restaurant, Richard Philips at Chapel Down. Here she explains why Bacchus can give your wine list a bit of a boost.

As an Australian in the UK (having arrived only a year ago) it has taken me some time to get to grips with the eccentric nature of the English people. As lovely and quirky as it is, eccentricity is not a trait that you find too frequently in Australia. And it seems that many English winemakers have managed to infuse their wines with a bit of eccentricity as well.

Take the variety Bacchus, a German hybrid that is a cross of Riesling X Sylvaner and Müller Thurgau. This variety was originally planted in the UK for its ability to reach ripeness in cooler climates, and is becoming increasingly popular as a still wine. Over the course of the past year I have sampled versions made by a number of producers, and the wines vary in style from the dry and austere to fuller-flavoured, juicy, fleshy versions. The underlying character of Bacchus is a lightly spiced Elderflower note - a particularly English twist.

Due to variety of styles, there are some very English food and wine matches to be made with Bacchus-based wines. The crisp styles, which echo Bacchus's Riesling parentage, make great alternatives to Pinot Grigio and Riesling. These wines match terrifically well with fish, seafood and spicy flavours. Try the 2007 Camel Valley Bacchus - crisp, fresh and grapey - with poached smoked Haddock.

These citrus-scented styles can also match beautifully with deserts, highlighting the zest and punch of a traditional Lemon Posset. It's a refreshing alternative to traditional desert wines.

Alternatively, the juicier, fuller-flavoured styles are easily interchangeable for Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs - some even echo the gooseberry aromatics that are so widely admired by the English consumer. This fuller palate structure and a touch of residual sugar can carry more complex flavours of food. Try the 2007 Chapel Down Reserve Bacchus, with its rose petal and green pea aromas and a citrus backbone, with slow-cooked pork belly and braised cabbage.

Better still, these full-flavoured wines will hold their own with rich desserts like treacle tart served with lime clotted cream. The wines have enough natural acidity to cut through the cream and to balance with the sticky sweetness of traditional English puddings.

If you are searching for some quirky wines to add interest to your wine list, then an eccentric English Bacchus may well be your answer. I think the UK should be more vocal about its adopted Bacchus; a variety that expresses terroir remarkably well.

And, in the context of a market full of mass-produced, overly blended wines, English Bacchus is a rare treat. Initially I was sceptical that these wines had a true future, but I have now come to appreciate their pleasant simplicity. Their producers are just making what their vineyards give them - and what could be a truer expression of terroir than that?

• Sommeliers