Archive for the ‘Uniquely South African’ Category

Women’s Day in South Africa commemorates the national march of women on ( August 1956 to petition against legislation that required African persons to carry the “pass”, special identification documents which curtailed an African’s freedom of movement during the apartheid era.

These women showed courage in their act of defiance against laws which degraded humanity. Other women also and also made a huge contribution to help build the Rainbow nation.

Iconic South African brand , Kumkani, salutes all women who makes a difference and who helped in creating our amazing country.

Happy Birthday to our beloved Madiba. Here is a great South African pudding recipe to celebrate his birthday.

A typical South African dessert the Peppermint Crisp Fridge Tart is incredibly rich and decadent, but hugely popular all the same. It must also be one of the easiest pudding recipes on the planet – you can whip this pudding up in 10 minutes! Follow this easy recipe and create a dessert that’s always a winner – in no time at all.

Ingredients:

2 packets of Tennis biscuits
500ml cream
1 tin caramel
peppermint crisp chocolate

Method:

1. Beat the cream.
2. Mix in the caramel.
3. Layer the Tennis biscuits and the cream.
4. Sprinkle peppermint crisp on top.
5. Place in fridge to set.

Source: justeasyrecipes.co.za

Uniquely South African Bobotie

Bobotie is a uniquely South African meal and its origins can be traced back to the eastern influence on South African culture and cuisine. The Cape Malay society is famous for cooking this dish and it is usually served with yellow rice.

Ingredients

1 kg minced lamb
125ml milk
1 thick slice of white bread, crust removed and soaked in milk
2 roughly chopped onions butter
Salt
1 tablespoon of curry powder (mix the hot and the Cape Malay versions for a good flavour)
1 chili, finely chopped (optional and only if you like your food quite hot)
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of chutney
8 -10 crushed almonds (optional)
3 eggs
1 clove of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
6 bay leaves
1 orange, sliced in wheels
1 lemon, sliced in wheels
Oil for cooking

Instructions on how to make it

Heat the oil in frying pan and add the garlic, onion and curry power. Cook over medium heat for three minutes, then add the mince meat. Fry until the meat is almost done, then using your hands, squeeze the milk from the bread. Discard the milk and add the bread, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and chutney to the mince. Fry for a minute or so and then remove from heat.
Take a pie dish and place three bay leaves, two wheels of orange and two wheels of lemon at the bottom. Now scoop the mince mixture into the dish. Decorate the sides of the dish with the rest of the lemon and orange wheels, wedging them between the mince and the sides of the dish so that only a third protrudes. If you are using almonds, push them into the mince. Beat the eggs and 125ml milk, and pour over the meat. Put three bay leaves on top of dish. Place the dish uncovered in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes at 160 deg Celsius.

Serve with a plain green salad or chopped tomato and onion, sprinkled with a little vinegar. Make sure you have

some chutney near at hand. Serve piping hot with the yellow rice.

Recommended wine. The uniquely South African Kumkani Pinotage will pair well with this truly South African dish.

Source: rainbownation.com

When entertaining friends and family sometimes it’s best to go back to the basics. Nothing beats this good old-fashioned roast beef recipe, which is guaranteed to have guests asking for seconds!

Ingredients:

4 small onions, quartered

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 1.8 kg boneless rib or roast

Method:

Heat oven to 190° C. In a roasting pan, toss the onions, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Push the onions to the edges of the pan. Season the beef with 1 teaspoon each and pepper and place in the center of the pan.

Roast the beef to the desired doneness, 65-80 minutes for medium-rare (remove from oven when the internal temperature registers 50° C).

Transfer the beef to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the onions.

Recommended Wine: This dish goes well with big wines like the multi award winning  Kumkani Cradle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.

Source: Real Simple Magazine

A few of our wines received medals at this year’s Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show.

The Welmoed Heyden’s Courage 2009 (white)  and the Kumkani Cradle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 received  silver medals.

The Arniston Bay Bushvine Pinotage and Chenin Blanc both scored a bronze. Congratulations to the winemaking team.

Here is the full list of winners-  winemag.co.za

We’re having another Market Day wine sale at our Welmoed cellar door in Stellenbosch.

Dates: 2 June -5 June 2011

Venue: Welmoed Cellar door. Directions to Welmoed

The following wines will be on sale:

If you’d like more details regarding the sale, please contact the Zoliswa at our cellar door on 021 881 8062

For every one acre planted to vineyards in South Africa, the growers now have 1,27 acres on the farms and estates in conservation status.

These are the latest figures released by the World Wildlife Fund’s Biodiversity and Wine Initiative, a pioneering partnership between the South African wine industry and the conservation sector. The 314 500 acres under conservation are being restored to the indigenous vegetation, and as this process happens, growers are finding that natural water resources return, along with a myriad of wildlife.

South Africa has approximately 250 000 acres under vine. Recent reports that South Africa has had a net decline in vineyards and is facing a wine shortage within 5 years are overstated, said Su Birch, CEO of Wines of South Africa, the generic industry organization. The net reduction in vineyards since 2007 has been less than 1%, and the vineyards that have been removed were largely virused red vineyards that had been too hastily planted during the period when total exports from South Africa absolutely boomed.

Iconic South African wine brand ,Kumkani , salutes the efforts of WOSA in this regard and we support their conservation and marketing efforts.

Read more on wine.co.za

The Gugulethu Wine Festival is new and exiting event on the South African wine calendar.

The Gugulethu Wine Festival is the brainchild of Lungile Mbalo and Mzoli Ngcawuzele.

Mzoli is best known as owner of the successful restaurant called Mzoli’s Place and as a property developer constructing the first mall to be built in Gugulethu – The Gugulethu Square Mall..

Join Kumkani Wines  for a glass of wine at this year’s festival 27 – 28 May.

For more info about the event visit gugulethuwinefestival.co.za

South Africa is a weird and wonderful place, and has spawned some truly gifted pioneers and inventors, as well as possessing some unique and marvelous, biological and geological attributes.

Below is a list of some interesting facts about South Africa

1. South Africa is home to the world’s smallest succulent plants (less than 10 mm) and the largest (the baobab).

2. There are only 12 countries in the world that supply tap water that is fit to drink, and South Africa is one of them. Our tap water quality is third best overall in the world.

3. The Tugela Falls is the second highest waterfall in the world, where the water tumbles down 850 metres. First place goes to the Angel Falls in Venezuela at 979 metres.

4. There are 18 000 indigenous vascular plant species in South Africa of which 80% are uniquely South African.

5. Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world – and the largest green one. The Grand Canyon in the US is the biggest, and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia the second, but both are dry as bones.

6. South African grasslands have 30 species per square kilometre, greater than the biodiversity of rainforests.

7. According to recent studies, the star-watching town of Sutherland in the Northern Cape is one of the most geologically stable places on Earth, yet it has a 66-million year old volcano, not yet officially extinct.

8. The only street in the world to house two Nobel Peace prize winners is in Soweto. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu both have houses in Vilakazi Street in Soweto.

9. Walt Disney serves South African wine exclusively at its 73-acre Animal Kingdom Lodge in the United States.

10. South Africa has the longest wine route in the world, the R62 wine route

11. South Africa is the world’s largest producer of macadamia nuts and the nuts and oils are exported to countries across the world.

12. South Africa is the only country in the world where you can order something called monkey gland steak at a restaurant without the risk of a real internal organ being placed before you. It was invented many decades ago by overseas chefs as a pointed insult, aimed at the brash inhabitants of Johannesburg who poured Worcestershire and tomato sauce over everything.

13. No other country eats as much kingklip as South Africans do (also known as Congrio, Ling and Rockling in other parts of the southern hemisphere).

14. The world’s first heart transplant was done in South Africa in 1967 by South African Dr Chris Barnard.

15. South Africa also has the world’s most progressive and admired water legislation, and it is making a real difference on the ground. Since 1998 when the so-called “Blue Revolution” began, four million more poor people have access to clean water.

16. South Africa is ranked number one in the world for its floral kingdom

17. South Africa’s Coastal Management policy is one of the best in the world with the country being the first outside Europe to gain Blue Flag status for its coastal management.

18. South Africa is the sole producer of the Mercedes Benz, C Class, right hand drive vehicles

19. General Motors South Africa will be the only manufacturing site outside of the United States to build the Hummer H3 vehicle.

20. South Africans are natural inventors, giving the world those breakwater dolosse and the automatic pool cleaner.

21. The Population is 45 million.

22. Gauteng has the most advanced infrastructure in Africa.

23. South Africa has the third highest level of biodiversity in the world.

24. South Africa is the second largest exporter of fruit in the world.

25. South Africa is five times the size of Japan and three times the size of Texas.

Source: southafricalogue.com

Wine enhances the flavour of the food, makes the table look nice and can liven up a meal. But many people find it confusing. There are too many choices, it requires a special tool to open, and there’s the whole culture around wine supposedly dictating what goes with which food and what’s cool to drink.

Here’s a quick primer on how to incorporate wine into your social events without hassles and embarrassment, and what basic items you need to present your drink perfectly.

The No. 1  rule is drink what you think tastes good, and have a couple of other offerings available that others might like.  Your palate is about as individual as your fingerprints. What you like, someone else might avoid and vice versa, but that doesn’t mean the wine is bad. So serve a couple of wines and keep your bases covered.

Secondly, serve it in decent glasses.  The shape of the glass really can affect the taste of a wine.  It has to do with how the bowl of the glass channels the aroma – which is a big component of taste – to your nose.  This is what wine lovers refer to when they are talking about the bouquet of a wine. Use a clear glass so you can see the wine. It’s worth the second or two to raise the stem toward light and just take a moment to appreciate the colour.

Next, get a good corkscrew. A flimsy old corkscrew can be a hassle and an embarrassment.  Corkscrews are really not expensive and, ideally, you should have more than one in your home.

Now all you need is wine. I recommend the multi award winning Kumkani Cradle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.

South Africa is an extremely diverse and unique country with a wide array of cultures, wildlife and vegetation. The wines are a product and a representation of this diverse and vibrant uniqueness of this amazing country.

 A culture of our own, uniquely influenced by people and places from all around the world. You can experience the fusion of cultures through our warm and welcoming people.

You can taste diversity of the country it in the vibrant dishes and exceptional wines produced in this beautiful country.

Derived from the Xhosa word meaning ‘king’, Kumkani is an award-winning wine that celebrates South Africa’s rich heritage, eclectic mix of people and abundance of natural resources. Thanks to the fertile soil, suitable South African climate and winemaker’s excellence, Kumkani is worshipped by wine lovers.

Source: southafrica.net

South Africa is triply blessed. A long and varied coastline supplies us with an astonishing amount and variety of seafood; our fertile soils and wonderful climate work together to produce an enormous range of agricultural products; and our chequered history has endowed us with a population with such diverse cultural backgrounds that fusion is hardly anything new here.

Of course, you will find a whole range of restaurants serving anything from hamburgers to sushi, but let’s concentrate on our specialities.

Our seafood is legendary, and is best sampled at one of the West Coast’s open air restaurants – not much more than simple shelters on the beach. As well as mussels, fish stew, grilled fish and lobster, you may be offered pickled fish – a well-loved dish which you’ll also find in some traditional Cape Malay restaurants.

Other Malay specialities include fruity, spicy but not overpowering curries, smoorsnoek (a fish dish not unlike kedgeree), koeksisters (a sweet, syrupy treat), bobotie (a spicy mince dish), and some Indian specialities, such as rotis and samosas, with a local twist.

But our cuisine truly is multicultural, and nowhere is this more apparent than at a typical South African braai (barbecue). Now braais are assumed to be the domain of the Afrikaner male, but the reality is not nearly so simple.

Yes, there is an awesome amount of meat, most notably the very Afrikaner boerewors (a spicy, fatty sausage), but there will almost certainly be sosaties too. This is a lightly curried meat kebab, not unlike an Indonesian satay, which was brought to this country by the Malays hundreds of years ago.

And of course, no braai is complete without pap en sous, which is the staple diet of most of Africa. It’s a grits-like maize porridge, cooked up stiff, and served with a relish of vegetables, usually tomato and onion at a braai, or wild spinach (merogo or imifino) in a traditional African environment.

You’ll get the opportunity to try this at most cultural villages, or at one of the many African restaurants which are scattered all over the country.

And of course, all this food is made even more delicious when paired with a good glass of wine. Embodying South Africa’s rich heritage, cultural diversity and natural beauty, king of South African wines, Kumkani, seems the ideal choice regardless of the cuisine.

Read more on southafrica.info

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.

 

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 South African wine industry is at the forefront of sustainable, eco friendly and ethical production. Initiative by various organisations are not just advocating green, they are practising it.

The key initiatives, in terms of moving a little further along the path of sustainability, are the IPW (Integrated Production of Wine) and BWI (Biodiversity and Wine Initiative). The new one – SWSA (Sustainable Wine South Africa) – allies these two and links into the authority that governs and approves South African wine – the Wine Standards Board.

The Board is responsible for the wine of origin scheme, which confirms the vintage, variety and South African origin of the wine. A seal is printed on every bottle of South African wine that conforms to the wine of origin scheme.

From last year’s vintage the Board has confirmed which wines have been made by certified IPW producers. A new, ‘sustainability’ seal was introduced to show conformance to IPW. To qualify for this seal every part of the production process must be IPW accredited – the farm/vineyard, the winery and the bottling plant. The sustainability seal is only available to wines bottled in South Africa.
The industry-wide IPW scheme has been running since 1998. It is similar to integrated farm management schemes that exist in Europe, in that it aims to reduce industrial inputs into the farming (in this case vine growing) system, reduce carbon emissions and introduce a more integrated approach to pest management, health and safety of workers, conservation of biodiversity, and treatment of waste water. The scheme requires accurate record keeping of actions in the vineyards.

Iconic South African wine Kumkani salutes the efforts of these organisations and supports all the suitability and eco friendly campaigns.

For more info visit swsa.co.za.

South African wine leads the world in environmental sustainability and regulated production integrity. This is due one of the most technically advanced wine industries with coherent institutions (like WOSA) and governing organizations regulating all aspect of the wine industry.

The Wine of Origin Certification process was introduced in 1973 and the Wine and Spirits Board are monitoring these guidelines which ensure that the wine is what it claims to be.

South Africa also launched the first ever Fairtrade wine and has currently more Fairtrade brands than any other country.

South Africa is unique in that the wine industry has established WIETA , the Wine Industry Ethical Trade Association, an independent, non-profit , multi-shareholder organization committed to ethical trading, and improving and safeguarding the working conditions of employees in agriculture.

The wine is also produced in harmony with nature, as the conversation footprint allows vineyards to flourish alongside the natural habit.

Kumkuni Wines embodies these uniquely South African aspects. Derived from the Xhosa word for “king” these wine salute and celebrates our lovely and diverse country.

Source: WOSA-DNA SA

South Africa winemakers mix and match grapes with success on par with that of the French. This is according the Jim Clark the wine writer of Forbes Magazine.

He writes that South Africa is, properly speaking, part of the New World, but it has an unseemly predilection for blending that evokes Old World winemaking-think of France’s Chateauneuf-du-Pape, where some wines have 13 different grape varieties contributing to a single wine.

Clark believes that blended wine is more difficult to sell in America because the American consumer are programmed to order by varietal, so if one dominant grape doesn’t show up on the label, their minds file the wine under “troublesome.” European wines go under regional monikers instead, but they’ve got history working for them (though, even there, many lesser-known regions would be glad to stick the grape name on the label if local law didn’t prohibit it).

He adds that many of the South African blends are among the country’s most critically acclaimed, in-demand wines. Blending, after all, is a great way to get lots of complex flavors and textures into the bottle.

Clark concludes by asking “So where do these guys get off, asking sommeliers to memorize their blends and shoppers to read their back labels? Well, they may be New World, but they’ve been growing wine grapes for 350 years, so their wine industry is actually older than many of the famous chateaus of France. Maybe blending is something that comes with age and experience.”

A great example of one of these amazing South African blended wines is the Kumkani Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot. This wine has a dense, dark red colour. Fresh blackcurrant, ripe berry fruit on the nose with just a hint of mint.

Source: forbes.com

South Africa has become a very popular Valentines destination as the beauty and the amazing weather enchant romantic visitors.

An international website indicates that ‘South Africa is a beautiful country with the right mix of flora and fauna. As if this was not enough, South Africa also offers good food and wines to complete your Valentine’s Day celebrations with beautiful memories.

South Africa is indeed the country to visit if you want to have a splendid Valentine’s Day. There are several beautiful places which will lure your senses.”

Apart from the natural beauty,  South Africa also has interesting cuisine and produces excellent wines. These two elements are also key aspects of making a great Valentine’s event.

The multi award winning Kumkani Infiniti is an iconic South African MCC sparkling wine which will be the perfect partner , for you and your partner , this Valentine’s Day.

Source: mydearvalentine.com

The Rainbow Nation, South Africa, is an extremely diverse and unique country with a wide array of cultures, wildlife and vegetation. The wines are a product and a representation of this diverse and vibrant uniqueness of this amazing country.

The vegetation of a small part of this country embodies the diversity and variety of the land.

The Cape Floral Kingdom is the smallest and richest plant kingdom on earth. The Table Mountain National Park alone has more plant species within its 22 000 hectares than the whole British Isles or New Zealand.

A stretch of land and sea spanning 90 000 square kilometres, or 0.05% of the earth’s land area, the Cape floral kingdom contains roughly 3% of the world’s plant species – at about 456 species per 1 000km².

Of the 9 600 species of vascular plants (plants with vessels for bearing sap) found in the Cape floral kingdom, about 70% are endemic, ie occur nowhere else on earth.

Wines of South Africa ( WOSA )  indicates that the diversity in soils, matched by the diversity in climate and geography, create a treasure trove of winemaking possibilities. The result is a huge array of flavour and aroma profiles in South African wines.

Kumkani wines embraces and celebrates South Africa’s rich heritage, eclectic mix of people and abundance of natural resources.

Source: southafrica.info