Archive for April, 2012

‘What is better than to sit at the end of the day and drink wine with friends, or substitutes for friends?’
-James Joyce

With so many lovely wines, one needs to appreciate them to the fullest. There are plenty factors that can alter the taste of a wine. So, here are a few tips to help optimize the taste of your wine…

 (1) Serve the wine at the right temperature

Though it is common wisdom that red wines are to be served at room temperature and white wines chilled, this will not give you the best tasting wine.

A bottle of wine opens up and releases its richest bouquet of aromas at a particular temperature. This particular temperature differs for each wine, depending on the grape variety and region.

Typical temperature for storing red wine ranges from 11°C-18°C, and 7°C-10°C for white wines. Generally speaking, serve more intense, fuller-bodied wines at higher temperature. For best wine tasting, do refer to a serving temperature by grape variety chart.

(2) Aerate or breathe the wine:

Aeration can make younger wines more balanced and smoother by rounding their tannins. In addition, airing helps get rid of bottle stinks — the unpleasant odor that emerges when the bottle is opened.

Uncorking a bottle of wine and letting it sit for an hour is surely the worst way to aerate the wine. Not only must you wait an hour to drink the wine, but also the method is ineffective. Even after many hours, the narrow bottleneck still prevents much air from opening up the wine.

Most wine lovers use a decanter, a glass pitcher with a wide opening. The increased surface area allows faster aeration. If you don’t want to invest in a decanter, swirling the wine in the glass helps aerate it.

The key to aeration is timing! A young, intense, tannic red might need up to 2 hours to open up. An hour is great for a mature, full bodied, complex red. As for aged wines (older than 15 years), they are highly volatile. Do not aerate them for more than minutes!

Read more… 100bestwines.com

Many discussions have been held about how balanced a wine is. It’s a term very often used. Here is a short definition of what a well balanced wine is…

It’s a wine that incorporates all its main components—tannins, acid, sweetness, and alcohol—in such a manner, that no one single component stands out. Wine not in balance may be acidic, cloying, flat or harsh etc.

Here are a few expert opinions on balanced wine:

Karen McNeil, The Wine Bible: “A wine that incorporates all of its main components – tannins, acid and alcohol – in a manner where no single component stands out.”

Robert Parker: “One of the most desired traits in a wine is good balance, where the concentration of fruit, level of tannins, and acid are in total harmony.”

Emile Peynaud, The Taste of Wine: “A wine is said to be harmonious when its elements form a pleasing and well proportioned whole. In a good wine, everything should be harmonious; quality is always linked to a subtle play of balances between tastes and smells.”

Kumkani has many perfect examples of well balance wines , like the fantastic  Kumkani Pinotage.

Source: princeofpinot.com

Here is a great roast rib recipe go compliment the changing of the weather and a glass of Kumkani. Nothing says mouth watering best as a perfect red meat dish. Enjoy…

Ingredients

• 3kg beef rib, on the bone
• beef dripping or olive oil
• 6 chopped carrots
• 6 chopped parsnips
• 2 onions , cut into quarters
• 1 garlic bulb, cut in half
• a couple of large sprigs thyme
• 1 bottle Kumkani Cradle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
• 500ml beef stock , powder, cubes or fresh

Method

Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Season the joint heavily with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, rubbing it into the fat and flesh.

Heat the beef dripping or olive oil in a roasting tin and sear the meat quickly on all sides, including the ends, until you get a nice dark brown colour then remove the meat and set aside.

Make a bed of the carrots, parsnips, onions, garlic and thyme in the bottom of the roasting tin and sit the meat on top. Roast for 20 minutes then turn the oven down to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and continue to cook for 20 minutes per 450g for medium or 15 minutes per 450g for rare.

Take the roast meat out of the tin, wrap it in foil and rest it on a plate for a good 30 minutes.

To make gravy, put the roasting tin over a medium heat, tip in a bottle of good red wine, scraping the crunchy bits off the base of the tin. Bubble until reduced by at least half. Add the stock and the juices you have caught on the plate beneath the beef, then sieve to remove the veg.

Source: bbcgoodfood.com

Here’s an easy recipe for the weekend to come. Whether it’s rainy weather or just a lazy Sunday, add a glass of Kumkani along with the stew and have a fantastic time. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1-1.3kg oxtail pieces
1 large onion chopped
2 cups beef stock
1 cup water
2 cups of a robust red wine
1 garlic clove finely chopped
2 large carrots chopped into big chunks
3 sticks celery chopped
50ml tomato paste
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf

Method

Season the oxtail pieces and brown them over a high heat in a cast iron casserole if you have one or in a large pot then remove them and set aside.

Cook the onions until soft, add the meat, stock, water, salt and pepper to taste and wine, bring to the boil.

Place the cast iron casserole covered in the oven or transfer everything to an ovenproof casserole dish at 200 Celsius and cook for 3 hours.

Add the vegetables, tomato paste, garlic, thyme and bay leaf and return to the oven for at least another hour.

When you remove it from the oven there will be fat floating on the top, just remove it with a spoon and let the stew sit for a while. The meat should be easy to take off the bones and the sauce should be fairly thick. If it is a little watery take 1 tablespoon of flour in a little water and add it. Mix it in well and place in the oven for another 15 minutes.

Served this with brown rice boiled potatoes and veg of your choice.

Source: cookbook.co.za

Pairing food and wine is always a treat. Entertaining guests while experimenting, working out the menu for both the wine and food and appreciating all the aromas. There are many guidelines surrounding this, so here are a few easy tips for the newcomer…

1. Match the Style – The style and weight of the wine you pick should match the food on your plate. For example, a robust Cabernet would pair well with a hearty Steak. Similarly, food with intense flavor like blue cheese should be paired with a flavorful wine like port. For lighter dishes like fish, choose more delicate wines, like Chardonnay.

2. Don’t Worry About the Color of the Meat – It’s often said that white meats like chicken, pork, and fish should go with white wine, and red meats like beef and lamb should be paired with red wine. However, you should think about the dish as a whole. Chicken served with a flavorful tomato-based sauce could easily go well with a lighter red wine.

3. Stick to the Same Region – Dishes that come from a certain region almost always pair well with wines from the same region.

4. Avoid Oaky Wines – Unless you really know what you’re doing, a big oaky flavor can overpower the food it’s paired with. In general, wines with less oaky notes are easier to pair with food.

5. Add Salt – Salt will not only add flavor to your food, but it will also help your wine complement the dish. Salt can make wines taste milder, fruitier, and less acidic, which tends to be pleasing to the palette.

Recommended wine: Kumkani has a wide range of wines which will suite every wine palate.

Read more:  wine.co.za

Like human beings, a wine’s taste is going to depend a great deal on its origins and its upbringing.  ~ Linda Johnson-Bell

Here’s a fantastic ostrich recipe for next time you have guests over. This is a perfect started to be enjoyed with the fine Kumkani Pinotage.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Ostrich Fillet
• 1 – 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 30 g parmesan cheese, thinly sliced

Method: Grill ostrich fillet in pan or on an open fire. Seal fillets first before rubbing meat with black pepper. Braai until it’s rare or medium rare.

Remove from fire and place in a casserole. Leave until cold. Place in the fridge for 5 – 8 hours.

In the meantime, prepare the herb sauce and then cut the fillets into paper thin slices.

HERB SAUCE

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup light olive oil
• ¼ cup virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons French mustard
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped marjoram

Method: Mix first three ingredients well and divide equally. Pour into two small bowls. Add mustard and mayonnaise to one bowl oil/vinegar and mix with a small wire whisk. Do not use an electric blender it may cause the sauce to curdle.

Pour this sauce on the base and near the rim of the platter. Place the thinly sliced ostrich fillet (overlapping) on top of the sauce in the platter. Whisk herbs and remaining oil/vinegar mix together and pour over meat.

Decorate with slivers of parmesan. Serve hot or cold with a variety of breads and salad.

Source: ostrichsa.co.za