Discover Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh

Jules loves nothing better than enjoying a beautiful glass of wine whilst cooking a delicious meal for her family (or if you're a control freak like Jules, making the family sit and watch with glass of wine in hand, while she cooks to perfection!).

"For me, food and wine transport you to somewhere else... the world that we're living in at the moment - it's really tough, and I think that food and wine can just make you forget about that for a little bit."

The Jules Taylor Pinot Gris is a great crowd-pleaser of a wine and has a lovely textural balance and tropical notes that pair really well with the spice and freshness of Vietnamese cuisine.

So with that in mind, we have partnered with our UK distributors Decorum Vintners and gourmet foodies A Cook's Tour With Rocket, to take a culinary trip around Vietnam, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh, in this delicious masterclass. You can watch the full taste/cook along below, and our mates at Rocket have provided the recipe for the Pho' which starts at around 1.07.30 in the video. They reckoned was a stellar match with the Pinot Gris.

So crack open a bottle, sit back and relax, and transport yourself to a palm-fronded restaurant on one of the tropical beaches of Vietnam...

Phở 

Serves 2

Ingredients
• 200g thin rice noodles (vermicelli)
• 1200ml homemade chicken or beef stock
• 2 tbsp soy
• 2 gel set boiled hens eggs (7mins from fridge)
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 shallots, minced
• 2 star anise
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1.5inch ginger into matchsticks
• 2 onions
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 300g beef mince/sliced steak (roll mince into meatballs)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lime, into cheeks
• 4-7 thai chillies, se-seeded and minced
• Big handful of fresh herbs, washed, left with stem on (basil, coriander, chervil, mint)

Method
1. Soak rice noodles in hot water to cover.
2. Meanwhile, combine stock, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, onion in a saucepan, turn heat to high. When mixture boils, turn heat to low, and cover. Let cook, undisturbed, for 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how much time you have, and return to saucepan, turn heat to medium. 
3. Bring a pot of water to boil. Drain noodles, add them to pot, and boil for 30 seconds, drain well. Warm 2 large bowls by filling them with hot water; discard water Divide noodles among bowls.
4. Turn heat under soup to medium, and add beef, stir once, and then turn off heat. 
5. Add fish sauce and soy sauce and plenty of pepper to the soup. Taste, and add salt or more seasoning, if necessary.
6. Top noodles with broth and meat, and then bring to the table. Serve, lime wedges, shallots, chilies, and herbs at the table, so that everyone can add them to taste.