Archive for April, 2011

Bringing a bottle of wine to a dinner party as a gift to the host is a common occurrence. Make it a memorable one by bringing a bottle that reflects the taste of the host, as well as the style of the party. Make it a bottle that the guests will enjoy, and you’ve got a winner.

Before going to the store and staring blankly at the rows of wine before you, which is not recommended, try to get an idea of the menu that will be offered at the party beforehand. If a full menu cannot be disclosed, an assumption based on time of the party, mood, number of people, and occasion may assist you in at least selecting a type of wine before hitting the store.

There are two simple rules to remember when pairing wine with food. Keep light bodied wines paired with lighter foods, such as small appetizers. This way, neither the wine nor the crudités will overpower the other. Reserve the red, more fuller bodied wines for heavier dishes, such as Filet Mignon. So if the dinner party you are attending is going to be a party of various appetizers or small dishes, a white wine, perhaps a sweeter wine like a Riesling, is a sure bet.

Should you be unable to procure a menu from the host, there are other viable alternatives to selecting an appropriate wine. Price is mitigating factor in these considerations. How well you know the host, how much you have to spend, and the type of wine you desire to purchase will all play a role here.

More tips on professorshouse.com

The Kumkani Cabernet Merlot is a great and versatile wine  to bring to a dinner where you know red meat will be served.

In selection criteria of wines for the annual Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction have been revised to boost creativity and achieve greater diversity of wines crafted exclusively for this Auction.

In terms of the new criteria adopted by the Guild this year, the final selection of the auction line-up will no longer be at the behest of tasting panels alone, but all 43 members will be able to have a wine on auction, provided it is free of technical defects and meets the highest standards of wine health measurement.

“We look forward to creating the most exciting and varied selection of fine wines available on auction by harnessing the exceptional talent of every one of our members to raise the quality and international ranking of South African wines,” says Guild Chairman Louis Strydom, who believes the new selection criteria will encourage members to be bold and to experiment in terms of terroir, cultivar and wine styles.

All wines will still be subjected to tastings by Guild members and chemical and microbiological analysis to ensure they meet the Guild’s high standards; but contrary to previous Auctions, the final decision now lies with the Guild member submitting the wine.

The Guild’s management committee introduced these changes after it appeared that the Auction wine selection process had the unintended consequence of encouraging the production of wines that would please the tasting panel and therefore created an averaging effect to the detriment of more unique and unusual styles.

Recognised as South Africa’s leading auction of rare wines open to the liquor and restaurant trade as well as the general public, the Guild Auction will remain unique in offering small quantities of wine, specially crafted to showcase the potential of South African wines to the trade and private buyer.

The 27th Nedbank CWG Auction will be held at the Spier Conference Centre in the Stellenbosch Winelands on Saturday, 1 October 2011.

For further details and to attend the Auction tastings, visit www.capewinemakersguild.com

Source: wine.co.za

South Africa looks set to maintain its eco-focused global leadership in wine, after last year’s launch of the world’s first industry-wide sustainability seal to guarantee the production integrity of its bottled wines.

WOSA recently launched this sustainability seal video at Prowein, Dusseldorf Germany.

King of South African wine , Kumkani , supports this WOSA  initiative and all Kumani wines have the Sustainability seal.