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In the romantic month that is upon us, it’s essential to embrace our senses. Walking through a market, we are overwhelmed by the smell of flowers, brand new teddy –bears and helium filled plastic hearts.

How to truly appreciate ones senses, is to pair the two most important things in life – Wine and Chocolate. Some might think the pairing should be handled only by experts, but it’s easy and fun to do it yourself.

So, if you want a quick escape from this month’s busy festivities and do a wine and chocolate pairing from the comfort of your own home, here’s what you do.

Firstly keep in mind, you won’t necessarily find the perfect matches straight away, but that’s the best part. You have to keep on experimenting, which means more wine and chocolate.  A general tip is to match lighter chocolate with lighter-bodied wines and the stronger the chocolate, go with a more full-bodied wine.

Here are a few simple hints to get you started.

Try a Sherry with a nice buttery white chocolate.

A Pinot Noir or the medium bodied Merlot’s will compliment milk chocolate, a creamy mousse or even a chocolate accented cheesecake.

Muscats do wonders with mild milk chocolates.

The Kumkani Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot   is a marvelous match with dark chocolate.

To end things off, appreciate a well aged Port with a dark chocolate dessert or a truffle.

That’s the basics. So invite someone over, get creative and enjoy your palate.

South Africa’s Rainbow Nation title refers to the incredible diversity of its people, from the original Bushmen inhabitants of the land to the people who migrated and settled here over the years. There is hardly a nation on Earth that is not in some way represented in this diverse country.

The term Rainbow Nation of South Africa found popular appeal from the moment Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu first used it to capture the multicultural nature of our country.

It is not just the people that are diverse in this amazing country. South African climate, soil and wine growing conditions are different from region to region as the wide range of bio-diversity affects wine production.

It has often been noted that the Cape winelands are probably the most scenic in the world. For this reason wine tourism is one of the country’s growing industries. Offering a range of topographical pleasures ranging from high, snowy mountains to arid plains, arrangements for tourists are becoming more and more sophisticated in the various regions

Iconic and award winning Kumkani wines exemplify the rich traditions and cultures of South Africa. The grapes are mainly produced in the Darling and Stellenbosch areas and cellar tastings can be done at our Welmoed cellar.

Source: southafrica.net

The company of wine people TM is pleased to announce a restructure of its Kumkani brand as a Black owned business with a strong commercial focus to grow sales in both the local and international markets.

Allison S Adams-Witbooi, a former winemaker at Stellenbosch Wine Services, has agreed to form a 50/50 partnership with the Company to grow the brand and take it in a new direction. Her co-ownership of the brand will make it a Black owned brand within the wine industry, allowing it access to the network of Black owned businesses with its resources to grow in international markets.

Adams-Witbooi (30) has demonstrated considerable leadership capabilities and an entrepreneurial spirit while employed at the company of wine peopleTM and its Board feels her demonstrated enthusiasm and personality are key in her steering Kumkani to new heights. In addition, her winemaking background is an important capability in dealing with wine buyers, consumers and the media.

“We believe the Kumkani brand, with its positioning of African sophistication, is the ideal vehicle for such a partnership,” says CEO of the company of wine peopleTM, Hermann Böhmer. “This new development also demonstrates our strong commitment to empowerment as well as the entrepreneurial development of the talent within our company.”

Adams-Witbooi has an extensive background in working in the wine industry. She completed harvest seasons at Rustenberg, Grootte Post and Hartenberg, and worked in cellars and tasting venues while still a student. After graduation, she also worked for The Winery of Good Hope, Meinert Wines and Wines of South Africa (Wosa). Stints overseas at wineries in Northern Italy and the South of France gave her some insight into the international wine scene. She was appointed at the company of wine peopleTM in 2009.

“This road has lead me to get to know the industry, its players and consumers of the product,” she says. “I’m looking forward to this new challenge. I see a lot of potential for growth and I want to ensure a consistency in Kumkani’s quality.”

One thing that will not change, is the brand’s South African identity. “Kumkani is uniquely South African and it is going to remain so, from the varietal choices to the packaging. My vision is that people will be proud to drink the wine and be associated with it.”

The venture will be called Kumkani Wines and it will be operated as a division of the company of wine peopleTM, who will serve as a mentor to Allison. She will, supported by the Company, be responsible for all sales and marketing and be the primary face of the brand to wine buyers, consumers, industry bodies and the media. Initially, her sales focus will be on the South African market. In turn, Wine People will take responsibility for all financial and administration functions. She will work closely with the winemaking team and be involved in approving the wine styles in the brand’s portfolio.

the company of wine people TM expresses its confidence in this new partnership to present Kumkani to both the local and overseas market as a modern, intriguing, top quality wine with pedigree and status. Click here for more information on Kumkani

Christmas in South Africa is a summer holiday. In December, the southern summer brings glorious days of sunshine that carry an irresistible invitation to the beaches, the rivers, and the shaded mountain slopes. Then the South African holiday season reaches its height. Schools are closed, and camping is the order of the day. In South Africa there is no snow, but it has many flowers, many beautiful varieties of cultivated and wild flowers being in their full pride.

In the cities and towns carolers make their rounds on Christmas Eve. Church services are held on Christmas morning. Christmas Eve celebrations in larger centers include “Carols by Candlelight” and special screen and floor shows.

Homes are decorated with pine branches, and all have the decorated Christmas fir in a corner, with presents for the children around. At bedtime on Christmas Eve, children may also hang up their stockings for presents from Father Christmas.

Many South Africans have a Christmas dinner in the open-air lunch. For many more, it is the traditional dinner of either leg of lamb, roast beef, mince pies, or suckling pig, yellow rice with raisins, vegetables, and plum pudding, crackers, paper hats, and all. In the afternoon, families go out into the country and usually there are games or bathing in the warm sunshine, and then home in the cool of the evening. Boxing Day is also a proclaimed public holiday usually spent in the open air. It falls on December 26 and is a day of real relaxation.

The Kumkani Merlot Pinotage will complement the traditional beef or lamb dishes and will complete the uniquely South African Christmas dinner

Source: santas.net

December is commonly associated with summer, holidays and an abundance of festivities all leading to an increase in opportunities to socialise. It’s also often the time that people tend to throw caution to the wind and indulge themselves.

From cocktails overlooking the beach to a couple of beers at the braai, alcohol consumption during the December season generally increases. While everyone deserves the opportunity to occasionally let their hair down, that doesn’t mean having to endure the often negative consequences.of overindulging.

So when partaking in the celebrations take note of the following useful tips from the Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA).

Tips when drinking with friends and family:

• Pace your drinking consumption, it’s not a competition
• Avoid drinking with partners who are prone to aggressive behavior
• Always eat before drinking alcohol and try to eat while drinking – choose foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates, i.e. burger and chips
• Don’t swim when you’ve had alcohol
• Drinking on the beach is against the law and can be very dangerous, as can drinking
at the river or the dam for those who live inland

Take note of the following tips when drinking in a bar or restaurant:

• Avoid lifts from strangers, especially when intoxicated
• Make sure you know who pours your drink
• Don’t accept drinks from strangers
• Club together with your friends to hire a car or mini-bus with a driver – rather than pay
bail money for a night of fun
• Always keep the number of a taxi company on your cellphone and ensure that you
have enough money set aside in your wallet for this, should you know you are not in
a position to drive home.
• Make sure that someone always knows where you are

Kumkani Wines support all the efforts and campaigns from ARA (Association for Responsible Alcohol Use). Ensure this December is filled with only wonderful memories and no regrets.

Source: wine.co.za

South African wine website, wine.co.za has launched a great initiative. The campaign  is calling on every South African living abroad to share a drop of sunshine with a local on 16 December.

We would love every South African out there to open up a bottle of South African wine,
and show your mates just how good our wine is – taste some sunshine, sunshine!

We have chosen the 16th December as it is a very special day for us South Africans, and it is right in the middle of the northern hemispheres winter…
just when they need a little bit of sunshine in their lives – so spread a little bit of our sunshine, sunshine!

Get a great bottle of South African wine and sit down quietly and taste it with your mates.
Let them taste some of our sunshine. And of course, you don’t have to stop there…you could even open up a second bottle and then not so quietly share some of our sunshine.

And for those ex-pats out there in the land of OZ, or down the south of America, they might not need the sunshine, but you have to agree…
they do need to taste some good wine for a change, so get them to taste what makes us shine.

Then, please take some pictures and videos, and show us all what you did by posting them on the social networks (#tastewinesunshine) and at wine.co.za

And please tell us at wine.co.za so that we can organise this again next year.

So sunshine, what great South African wine are you going to taste this year !

South Africans abroad can serve the king of South African wines, the multi award winning Kumkani wines.

Picking out the right wine for someone during the holidays could prove as challenging as buying a present for the in-laws who have everything.

Which varietal? How much to spend? Go bold – or delicate? Is a bottle of Sherry the ultimate insult?

These questions become particularly difficult when you don’t know the recipient’s wine taste. Steer clear of giving wine to anyone who you’re not certain drinks alcohol.It could become awkward if the person is a recovering alcoholic or for religious reasons doesn’t drink.

But if they do, the trick is in the pairing. Experts have a lot of tips, everything from matching personalities to wine to finding clues in the foods and beverages they drink.

Tim Hanni, a Master of Wine, has his own theories about people’s likes and dislikes based on how many taste buds they have on their tongue. While it might be a little presumptuous, and definitely strange, to ask your boss if you could get a look inside his or her mouth, Hanni says there are other hints to follow.

Coffee clues

“How they drink their coffee could be a telltale sign,” says the wine master. “If they prefer their coffee black and strong, their wine preference will more than likely lean toward intense wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, old-vine Zinfandels and many Meritage wines (usually a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes).”
Hanni says cream-and-sugar coffee drinkers are more likely to show a preference for moderately sweet wines, such as Muscat and Riesling. Sparkling wines are also an option. He says to look for labels that have 2 to 6 percent residual sugar levels.

People who salt their food heavily are also likely to go for the sweeter wines, according to Hanni. Same goes for folks who gravitate to sweet cocktails such as mojitos and pina coladas. He says Manhattan, martini and classic margarita drinkers would probably appreciate Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Merlot and Chardonnay. For the whisky, Cognac, Tequila and Scotch crowd, try big, bold reds and oaky, expensive Chardonnays.

Don’t have a clue about what kind of cocktails the person you’re buying for likes or how he or she takes coffee? Hanni suggests going with personality traits. A man with a strong personality who is good at math would probably prefer a wine that’s received a high rating from Robert Parker. If he’s more artistic and a little disorganised, go with Pinot Noir, dry Riesling and wines you would describe to your merchant as delicate and expressive.

For a strong woman, Hanni suggests Shiraz, Pinot Blanc, Viognier and Chardonnay. For an artistic woman, go for something sweet, like a fruit wine, he says. “Of course these are all generalisations,” says Hanni. “But in my experience, they tend to work.”
If you don’t know someone well enough to judge their wine taste, get something festive that they can share with other people. Good choices are Champagne, sparkling wine, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc – it goes great with food.

Recommended wine: The multi award-winning Kumkani Cradle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect gift for any wine lover.

Source: sfgate.com

Merlot food pairing is a simple task to master, you only need a few basic background rules. Number one, forget everything you hear about how only certain wines go with certain foods. Wine connoisseurs aren’t the only people who can enjoy wine, normal people can too and you don’t need a wealth of knowledge to do it. Here’s a few tips to get you started with merlot food pairing:

1. Choose your wine, then choose your dish to accompany it. This may sound backwards, however, if you truly want to match the finest of flavours, this is the way to go. Merlot is probably the most popular red grape wine in the world. There are many varieties and flavours to choose from. You will find wine with hints of robust plum and chocolate flavours to wines with hints of pepper and spice. Once you choose a wine, start creating your main course.
2. Match merlot wines with fatty or heavy meats. Perhaps this is the only supposed wine pairing “rule” you may want to adhere to. The full-bodied merlot is robust enough to stand up to heavy meats such as t-bone and porterhouse steaks, and you often see it paired with duck as well. Merlot and red meat food pairings go hand in hand.
3. Don’t shy away from pastas. Like heavy meats, merlot can also stand up to pastas with heavy sauces such as Alfredo and Bolognese. Think hearty foods when you practice merlot food pairing.
4. Think merlot and cheese. Yes, merlot food pairing extends to cheeses and fruits too. Again, think along the lines of heavy robust flavors like cheddar, brie, and blue cheese. For fruits try prunes, apricots, and red grapes. Fruits served in heavy syrup like pears work well too.
5. Try merlot with spicy ethnic foods. Pungent spices like cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper are great merlot food pairings. The bite of spice, with a swish of a dry, earthy merlot makes a brilliant pair.

A good rule of thumb with merlot food pairing is to try nearly anything once; you never know what flavours you might like thrown together. Try varieties from different regions and price ranges. Experimenting is the wine lovers’ game.

Recommended Wine: The Kumkani Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot is an amazing wine with dense dark red colour. Fresh blackcurrant, ripe berry fruit on the nose with just a hint of mint. The palate is layered with ripe fruit and oak flavours, and a soft tannin structure.

This wine best complements roast beef or a rack of lamb. It is however still suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Source: mademan.com

The stars was really shining on the  king of South African Wines, Kumkani , as the brand achieved a whopping seven 4-star ratings for its wines  in the Platter’s South African Wine Guide 2012.

Leading the way is the immaculate Kumkani Lanner Hill Sauvignon Blanc which scored  4½ Stars.

The other outstanding wines which received a  4-star ratings include the

• Kumkani Cradle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
• Kumkani Triple J Shiraz 2009
• Kumkani Reflections Range VVS 2009
• Kumkani Infiniti MCC 2007
• Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc 2010
• Kumkani Chardonnay-Viognier 2010

Well done to the winemaking team!

Eastern Cape wine lovers will be able to sample this year’s double gold and gold Veritas Award-winning wines, including the Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc 2010.
Guests will be treated to a sit-down tasting event that includes light refreshments at the Squires Legendary Grill in the Boardwalk centre in Beach Road. This event takes place on 15 November from 18h00 to 19h30 and costs R100 per person.

For more info on this event visit wine.co.za

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Wine lovers in the Durban area will be able to sample this year’s double gold and gold Veritas Award-winning wines ,including the Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc 2010.

The tasting event will be held in the Function Room, Deloittes Head Office in Umhlanga on 3 November

For more info on this event visit http://tiny.cc/gmmv9

Wine lovers in and around Johannesburg will be able to sample this year’s double gold and gold Veritas Award-winning wines ,including the Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc 2010.

The tasting and gourmet evening will be held at the Bill Gallagher Room of the Sandton Convention Centre on 26 October.

For more info on this event visit wine.co.za

When it comes to deciding on complementary wines and cheeses, there are a few suggestions to make the choice easier. Soft, strong cheeses tend to go well with white wines, while hard, mild cheeses work well with red. Sweet wines and fruity wines work with a lot more cheeses,  especially the smelly ones. Of course, there’s also the issue of which variety of cheese goes with which variety of wine. For example, there are several types of mild cheddar, Stilton and Gouda, so how’s a poor dinner party hostess to know which one to choose?

Some suggest pairing cheese with wine from the same region, as the flavors will almost certainly be complementary. Brie and Chardonnay, Parmesan and Chianti – these are a couple of suggested pairings. You could try Shiraz with a mature cheddar or the Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc  (a the recent Veritas Gold Medal winner )  to accompany goat’s cheese. And a salty Blue Cheese is best accompanied by a drop of Port. With hundreds of wine and cheese varieties, it can get difficult to choose, so perhaps you shouldn’t. Instead, place a selection of wines and cheeses on the table and leave it to your guests to choose their own pairings.

Kumkani, the ‘king’ of South African wines, showed its royal pedigree this weekend after scooping up six medals at the 21st annual Veritas Awards ceremony, including a gold, two silvers and three bronze.

The Veritas Awards is South Africa’s biggest wine competition, and is widely regarded as its most highly esteemed indicator of quality, market-ready wines.

The Veritas Gold medal was awarded to Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc. Sourced from the coastal regions of Darling and Stellenbosch, the grapes were chosen for optimal quality to produce this fresh and well-balanced wine.

Bursting with crisp, fruit-driven flavours and characterised by aromas of ripe gooseberry and underlying notes of grass and green pepper, this refreshing wine is makes an exceptional food partner, especially for green salads, asparagus and shell fish.

The Veritas Silver medals were awarded to Kumkani Cradle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 and the Kumkani Shiraz 2009. Bronze medals were awarded to the Kumkani Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, the Kumkani Pinotage 2009, and the Kumkani Inifiniti Brut 2007 – which was also ranked 4-stars in the 2011 Wine Magazine Amorim Cork Cap Classique Challenge.

Kumkani wines – which are renowned for delivering exceptional value and quality – are available from just R49 per bottle directly at the cellar door or at chosen wine outlets nationwide.

Join us at the upcoming Cape Wine Europe show, taking place today at London’s The Brompton Hall in Earls Court.

Our expert team will be showcasing a selection of our top wines at our stand (#38), including the Veritas Gold medal winner , the Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc 2010.

For more info on this event visit capewineeurope.com

The uniquely South African wine brand Kumkani (derived from the Xhosa word for ‘king’ ) were awarded a gold medal at this year’s Veritas Awards.

The impressive Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc 2010 received a gold medal while five other Kumkani  wines were also in the medals.

Here is a summary of the Kumkani wine which received medals at this year Veritas Awards

GOLD

• Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc 2010

SILVER

• Kumkani Cradle Hill Cab 2005
• Kumkani Shiraz 2009

BRONZE

• Kumkani Infiniti Brut 2007
• Kumkani Shiraz/Cab 2009
• Kumkani Pinotage 2009

About the competition:

Out of the 1,739 entries, 42 double golds were awarded, 158 golds, 609 silvers and 619 bronze.

For more information you can visit www.veritas.co.za

Heritage Day is celebration of the diversity and uniqueness of South Africa and all our people and traditions.

The government has described Heritage Day as an opportunity to celebrate “aspects of South African culture which are both tangible and difficult to pin down: creative expression, our historical inheritance, language, the food we eat as well as the land in which we live”.

Braai is such big part of our traditions and culture and that’s why this coincides with the National Braai Day.

What would be the ultimate South African braai , which celebrates our uniqueness?

A braaied Ostrich Kebab (sosatie)  , with roosterbrood and koeksister for dessert will probably be as uniquely South African as you can get. This meal, served with the iconic and uniquely South African wine Kumkani will be the ultimate heritage braai meal.

The Kumkani Pinotage will complement the Ostrich Kebab and will also contribute to give this heritage braai an even more South African flavour.

Recipe: Ostrich Kebabs

Ingredients:

• 500 g Ostrich Fillet/Steak, cubed 300 g small brown mushrooms
• pieces of green and red peppers
• 150 ml coconut milk
• 50 ml beef stock
• 30 ml chopped fresh coriander
• 30 ml brown sugar
• 20 ml red curry paste (Thai)
• 50 ml fish sauce (Thai)
• 20 ml oil
• 5 ml lightly crushed coriander seeds
• Skewers

Method: Place the cubed ostrich meat, wiped mushrooms and chopped peppers in a marinade dish. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the meat. Marinate for 2 – 3 hours.

Now thread meat, mushrooms and peppers alternately onto skewers. Grill over glowing coals for ± 5 minutes – the meat should be medium rare.

Source: ostrichsa.co.za

September is Heritage Month in South Africa, and what better way to celebrate than with a traditional South African recipe that’s as tasty as it is easy to prepare?

“Potjiekos” (literally meaning pot food, pronounced “poy-kee-cos”) has been part of South Africa’s culture for many centuries. When the first Dutch settlers arrived in the Cape, they brought with them their ways of cooking food in heavy cast iron pots, which hung from the kitchen hearth above the fire. Long before the arrival of the early settlers in the Cape, the Bantu people who were migrating into South Africa learned the use of the cast iron cooking pot from Arab traders, and later from the Portuguese.

Whether you’re using a cast iron pot, or any other kind of pot, sample a taste of traditional South African cuisine with this quick and delicious lamb stew recipe:

Recommended wine: The uniquely Kumkani Merlot/Pinotage will complement this ‘heritage dish’. This wine has a multi-layered palate with undertones of spice and vanilla. Beautiful balance between primary fruit aromas and secondary oak matured flavours.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 750g lamb steaks (top round or shoulder), bones removed and meat cut into 5cm pieces
• salt and black pepper
• 4 carrots,
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 400g can diced tomatoes, drained
• 100g green beans, cut into small pieces (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until medium-rare, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate.
2. Add the carrots, onion, and the remaining oil to the pot. Cook until beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and scrape up any brown bits.
3. Add the broth, tomatoes, and beans. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the lamb, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve immediately.

Source: realsimple

Red wine lovers like different wine styles but what are the main differences between the major red wine varietals?

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz are probably the most popular red wine cultivars in the world. Although there is a lot of resemblance between these red wines the differences is evident.

Cabernet and Merlot originates from Bordeaux while Shiraz’s origins are from southeast France.

Cabernet wines are normally bold, tannic and with a strong taste.

Shiraz has a spicier nose and taste with a darker colour.

Merlot is more moderate and less acidic with a herbal characters.

Getting the right combinations to ensure that these characteristics of the grapes balance and complement each other,  are one of the many challenges winemakers face.

The Kumkani Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect example of great blended wine. The spicy undertones from the Shiraz and the complex yet soft tannin structure of the Cabernet Sauvignon is magnificently broad together to create  a masterpiece.