FOOD TVOlly Smith

Wine expert Olly Smith takes us to taste heaven with his food and drink combinations

Does Olly Smith have one of the best jobs in the world? Given that he spends his days jetting to fabulous vineyards around the globe, quaffing vintage vino which he then tries to match up with heavenly food, we think so. No wonder he likes to be known as ‘Jolly Olly’!

"Yes, I think I probably have got the best job in the world. I’m extremely lucky," grins Olly, who’s the wine expert on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen and recently 'had a hoot' presenting C4’s frantic cookery contest, Iron Chef UK.

"To me, it’s all about finding taste sensations and the most explosive ones occur when you match the right food with the right wine. A shepherd’s pie on its own is great, but match it with the right wine – a soft red, like a Willunga Grenache, for example – and it boosts the taste to a whole other, incredible level.

"My mission is to invent recipes to match the wonderful flavours busting to get out of my drinks cabinet."

Olly’s infectious enthusiasm and encyclopaedic knowledge of wine and food is earning him an army of well-fed, well-quenched fans, which will only grow with the release of his new book, Eat&Drink.

Packed with recipes inspired by his travels and the women in his life – 'Granny Smokey and Granny Pip inspired my endless love of eating and drinking,' he explains –  Olly guides us to taste heaven with chapters divided into flavours, including citrus, spicy, sweet and creamy.

"It’s all about combinations," he enthuses. "Get the right one – such as a sip of Cognac with a frosty bite of a Magnum for a DIY Baileys, or eating a slice of Stilton with a glass of chilled Hungarian Tokaji – and honestly, you are making magic."

Olly’s interest in wine began as a student when he noticed free wine tasting at his local off-licence. "I thought, 'Free, brilliant!'" he grins. "I started working in wine shops hoping that learning what drink goes with what food would impress my girlfriend, and it worked – we’re now married!"

After winning a competition called Wine Idol, Olly started knocking on TV producers’ doors and now the offers are rolling in with his own C4 show, Secret Supper Club due to screen this summer, as well as another series of Iron Chef UK.

"It’s insanely exciting, but mostly I want to help people achieve great partnerships," he says. "Get the right food and drink combination and memories will be made."

FOOD TVRecipe

Full Recipe: Olly's Sicilian orange farfalle