Archive for the ‘Wine & Dine’ Category

Having a few guests and in need of an interesting spread recipe? Look no further as here a great uniquely South African idea.

Deliciously creamy with a uniquely South African taste, a Biltong Pate makes an excellent spread for crackers or breads

Ingredients:

• 200g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 50g butter
• 100g biltong , finely grated
• 250g  cream cheese
• 250g whipping cream, lightly whipped

To Serve

• fresh watercress
• wafer thin slices of biltong

Method

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the mushrooms and onions and sauté until soft. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
2. Once cold, place the onion mixture in a food processor together with the grated biltong, cream cheese and whipping cream and blend well.
3. To serve, garnish with watercress and wafer-thin slices of biltong.

Recommended wine: This South African spread will pair well with the uniquely South African Kumkani Pinotage.  This well balanced wine has a ripe berry fruit nose and French oak aromas adding vanilla and spice with an excellent finish.

Source: recipesworldwide.org

New Year’s for many of us means champagne. Whether you are planning a quiet, private affair with a special person or a party with your 50 closest friends, champagne or another good sparkling wine will add zest to the festivities.

Champagne is the main sparkling wine of France, as Cava is of Spain, Spumanti of Italy and Sekt of Germany. The rest of the wine world refers to their bubbles as “sparkling wine.” Champagne, and all of the best sparkling wines, are made by a process called “methode champenoise.” The South African equivalent of this wine style is called Methode Cap Classique (MCC) .

This means that the bubbles are produced by a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The grapes are pressed and fermented, just like any other wine. Then the wine is bottled, sugar and yeast are added, and the bottle is capped. The carbon dioxide gas produced by the second fermentation has nowhere to go and dissolves into the wine.

A few tips: First get the sweetness of the wine you and your guests want. About 90 percent of sparklers are labeled as “Brut” this means dry. For a sweeter taste look for “Extra Dry.” I know that isn’t logical, but that’s the way it is. For a dessert style, try “Demi-Sec.”

Next, the proper serving temperature is about 45 degrees. Much as we associate the “pop” of the cork with sparkling wine, it is a mistake. You lose the bubbles that you have paid for. Open the bottle by loosening the cage (six turns) and place a cloth napkin over the top with the cage in place.

Hold the bottle with one hand around the napkin and cork and the other hand around the bottom of the bottle. Twist the bottom of the bottle and allow the pressure inside to slowly eject the cork.

Finally, pour the wine into flutes, straight down the middle. Don’t tilt the glass or you will lose the bubbles. When the mousse (foam) subsides, top off each glass. Hold the stem, look your friend in the eye, and say, “May your only pain be champagne!”

The Kumkani Infiniti is the ideal New Year’s bubbly. This wine is one of South Africa’s best MCC sparkling wines and recently won the best vintage prize at this year’s Wine Magazine and Amorim Cap Classique Challenge.

Source: azstarnet.com

For a great way to enjoy the festive season before making your New Year’s resolutions about getting into shape and losing the Christmas kilos, try some of these delicious puddings made with wine. These delicious recipes will ensure an unforgettable traditional Christmas meal as it’s all about indulgent decadence

It’s important to remember that not only is wine the key ingredient in these recipes, but you also have to pair your puddings with the right wine. A good rule of thumb is to ensure that the wine is sweeter than the dessert it will be accompanying. If you have a tart pudding, try an acidic wine to bring out the flavour.

It isn’t an easy task matching wine and desserts as the desserts have a diverse variety of flavours. Here’s a simple guide:

• Custard – pair with a sparkling wine or MCC
• Fruity – pair with a Sauvignon Blanc
• Cream based tart or pie – pair with a spicy red like a Pinotage

Tip: Balance is key
Acidity and sugar levels must be balanced in both the food and wine. If not balanced, the very sweet dessert will make the wine seem more tannic, less sweet and more acidic. Work with the aromas and flavours of the wine to get a good match for pairing desserts.

If you aren’t into pairing puddings and wines, here are some recipes that have wine in them so the job is done for you!

Fruit and wine: Fresh fruit simmered in wine

Ingredients:

• Fresh fruit (pitted cherries, sliced strawberries, blueberries etc)
• Red wine – try: Kumkani Pinotage
• cinnamon sticks and cloves in cheesecloth sack
• sugar to taste

Method:
In a large pot, cover the fruit with the wine. Bring to the boil, the reduce heat to low simmer. Add the spices. Continues to simmer until fruit becomes slightly tender. Remove spices and serve warm or refrigerate overnight, then remove spices and serve cold. Sprinkle sugar on top to sweeten and taste for something decorative add sugar syrup to the plate and serve with wafer biscuit.

Blanched Almonds

Ingredients:

• Finely ground almonds
• powdered ginger spice
• sugar
• salt to taste
• pastry dough
• oil
• honey
• a slightly sweet white wine – try: Arniston Bay Reserve Chenin Blanc

Method:
Mix almonds with sugar, ginger, and a little salt – this should be a sweet, slightly spicy blend. Roll out the pastry dough. cut out circles of dough, placing filling in the middle, and folding into a half-circle make sure the edges of the pastries are securely sealed.

Fry the pastries in hot oil until lightly browned; remove from oil and let drain.

In a pot, bring the honey to a soft boil, and then reduce heat. Skim off the residue as it rises. Add just enough wine to make a thick sauce. Thoroughly coat the pastries in the wine sauce, and then place on a baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven for several minutes. The pastries may be basted with additional sauce during baking or immediately afterward.

Serve with a dollop of cream.

Wine bread pudding (update on the classic bread pudding)

Ingredients:

• Macaroons
• sponge cake
• 500ml white wine – try: Welmoed Heydens Courage White
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 teaspoons of sugar
• 3 egg whites
• ½ cup of chopped walnuts

Method:
Place sponge cake into an ovenproof dish (½ full). Add a few macaroons; heat the wine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix the cornstarch and sugar together and slowly add the wine. Beat the yolks of eggs and add to wine mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes. Pour over the cake and let cool. When its cool cover with the stiffly beaten egg whites and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake at 180ºC for 5 minutes until golden brown. Serve cold.

Wine prices:
Welmoed Heydens Courage White – R38.99 per bottle
Arniston Bay Reserve Chenin Blanc – R46.99 per bottle
Kumkani Pinotage – R66.99 per bottle
All wines available at Checkers.

South African artist John Botham’s Cape Winelands exhibition will be held at Welmoed on 12 November. Join us for a glass of wine.

Inspired by the South African countryside with its dramatic colors and abstract shapes, John Botham dedicates his days in studio to transforming these images into oils on canvas.

He paints the beauty of landscape, of creation, and of simply magical moments, such as the break of day.

 Info about the artist

South Africa plays host to another World Cup as the best sommeliers in the world gather in the Cape winelands for the finals.

The world’s best sommeliers will gather in South Africa this weekend when they take part in the WOSA 2010 Sommelier World Cup finals to be hosted by Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl. 

The 12 finalists, representing various countries from around the world, will be hosted in South Africa for a week-long tour of the winelands, visiting some of the Cape’s most prestigious wineries.

The eight month long competition (which has held heats world-wide) will culminate with the final on the October 16th at the Grande Roche Hotel and Restaurant, where all sommeliers will be put through their paces by an esteemed panel of judges.

Iconic South African wine brand , Kumkani , congratulates all the finalists and we hope they enjoy their stay in our amazing country.

Source: food24.com

South Africa has a rich wine tradition stretching back more than three and a half centuries. But it seems that in the past decade the wines have received the global recognition it deserves and more and more world citizens are treated to proudly South African wines. 

In a recent column by in Wine Spectator magazine it is stated that “There’s something for everyone these days from South Africa. The Cape’s wines continue to improve, at both the top end and with its values. Diversity is on the upswing too, as grapes such as Cabernet Franc along with Rhône and Mediterranean varieties are being used by increasing numbers of the Cape’s winemakers.” 

 South Africa winemakers have the luxury of great soil, weather and diversified cultivars to make exceptional and interesting wines. 

One such a  wine is the Kumkani VVS white wine. This wine consists of Viognier, Verdelho and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.  All the components were fermented separately before blending to make a really great and interesting white wine. 

Source: winespectator.com

It is common knowledge that red wine is meant to be served at room temperature, but the problem with that rule is that it was established in the 19th century.

That was long before insulated walls, fitted carpets, double glazing and central heating. The living rooms of modern houses are often maintained at around 23 degrees, which in wine terms is just a little too hot.

Ideally most red wine should be served at a temperature between 15 and 19 degrees. If served too warm, reds can taste very “soupy” and lack in taste and aroma and South African room temperature, especially in the summer, can be much higher than 19 degrees.

So sometimes it can be a good idea to pop the bottle in the fridge for 10 minutes just before serving it.

Great South African red wines like the multi award-winning Kumkani Cradle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon will best be served in the 15 to 20 degrees range.

Source: living.stv.tv

For some people the indecisiveness when choosing the wine for an event is sometimes unbearable.  Picking the right wine for any occasion is easier than you think. Just be logical and think a bit about the dynamics of the event and the people that will attend.

The first thing about selecting the wine is to relax and to realize that this is a live or death decision. The wine choosing process is supposed to be fun and part of the enjoyment of the event.

The second thing that you must take into account is the dynamics of the social event or when and how will the wine be enjoyed. Is it for a dinner and the wine will probably be discussed? Or is it a party or an informal gathering where the bottle will only be one of a few that will be opened by the guests? In the latter case it would we unwise to buy expensive, rare or unique wines.

Dinner with snobbish business partners (or your boss) will call for a different wine budget than a casual evening with friend or family.

What do you do when you are “Stuck in the middle”? This is where you can not decide which wine, because the guests are diverse or you do not know their wine preferences.

The trend is your friend so go for the most popular choices within your budget. In a South African context I will go for Cabernet Sauvignon (maybe Merlot) for red wine and Sauvignon Blanc for white wine.

Just remember to relax and make a decision because indecisiveness creates unnecessary stress.

Source: modbee.com

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? 

I think a braaied Ostrich Kebab   , 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

Have you ever wondered why people get so ‘clever’ after a glass or two of wine? A recent study found that moderate wine drinking stimulates the brain .

This Norwegian study made some interesting findings but as a wine lover I can add that wine set the mood for great conversations. So it can be the wine or the guests or even the great host that make dinner parties a relatively intellectual affair.

So for a great ( and informative) evening invite interesting people , open a bottle of the iconic  South African wine , Kumkani , and relax.

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The ever popular Stellenbosch Wine Festival has taken a different format this year as festival goers will be visiting the farms. The wines from the company of winepeople^TM have arranged a lovely programme and activities for festival goers.

Bring the family and come and enjoy some of the best wines in one of the most beautiful parts of the county.

Arniston Bay, Kumkani, Versus and Welmoed will the wines that will be showcased at this great festival.

Here are some more details about what we’re planning for the Stellenbosch Wine Festival:

• Kiddies corner: Face painting, jumping Castle, colouring in fun
• Tickle your tummies: Spitbraai/ potjiekos. The Duck Pond restaurant will be open daily.
• Free wine tasting!
• Specials on selected wines daily
• A complimentary cool de sac with every case of wine purchased, and other POS materials on sale.
• Foosball fun
• Massages for the ladies
• A jazz band
• A magician

For more info about the Stellenbosch Wine Festival please visit wineroute.co.za

South Africa is buzzing with tourists and World Cup visitors who are enjoying and experiencing our amazing country. An American Soccer tourist asked me the other day how I would describe South African cuisine? My answer was something like this.

South African cuisine is based on numerous influences from both the indigenous populations of South Africa and immigrants or transient workers from the colonial period. The Khoisan and Xhosa, Zulu- and Sotho-speaking people’s cuisine relied heavily on wild game, milk products, and local fruits and vegetables. To this day the ingredients and method of cooking can still be found in some aspect of local cuisine enjoyed by all South Africans. From the colonial period, those from Afrikaner and British descent, India, and Malaysia, brought some of the flavours, spices, and cooking techniques, that turned South African cuisine into a mesh of international flavours yet still greatly retain local traditions.

Braai, the traditional South African method of barbecue consists of a variety of cuts of meat and the local sausage favourite boerewors, as well as sosaties, kebabs, marinated chicken, pork and lamb chops, steaks, and other sausages of different flavours. Monkeygland sauce is an extremely rich and tangy condiment that goes along well with these meats.

Bobotie, what many call one of the more popular national dishes of South Africa, is a savoury meat dish with hints of sweetness due to the addition of sultanas, or raisins.

To add to this lovely cuisine South Africa also has great wines. The iconic Kumkani is one of the award winning wine brands which personifies the South African tradition and heritage.

Source: world-recipes.info

Stand a chance to win double tickets to The Wine Show Jo’burg which will be held at The Coca Cola Dome from 4-6 June 2010.

If you want to win the tickets and you’re living area and able to attend, all you have to do is leave a comment on our  Facebook page or upload a fan picture.

For more info about show,  visit www.wineshow.co.za

Wines of South Africa (WOSA)  received the trophy for Best Consumer Campaign at the 2010 Drinks Business Awards, held during the London International Wine Fair.  WOSA beat some very prestigious companies, including Hendricks, Hardys and Champagne Lanson, to take home the prize.

The award was given for their sustainability campaign, which included the Great South African Wine Trail – a sampling tour of eight major UK cities, with an eye-catching, carbon-neutral, green bus – and their work with Kew Gardens.

Iconic South African wine brand Kumkani, congratulates WOSA for winning this award and for their efforts to promote South African wine. 

Read more on www.wosa.co.za

The modern South African kitchen is international. But there are some typical South African traditions and dishes.The most important of these culinary traditions is the “Boerekos“. This “farm food” stems from the Boerish settlers and is characterised by hearty meals with a lot of meat.

Very much alive is the Braaivleis tradition, a barbecue of lamb, beef and/or pork with sweet vegetables and salad. On warm evenings you can smell the grill fumes everywhere in the country. A fish barbeque, especially the “Snoek-Braai”, is a speciality of Cape Town.

From the days of the Voortrekkers originates Potjiekos. Lamb or any other meat is stewed for hours with lots of vegetables in a round cast-iron pot on three legs over a fire.

A simple meal, which is eaten daily in the entire country, is “Pap met Wors”, maize mash with fried onions and beef or sheep sausage, the “Boerewors”.

Also the “Melktart” (Milk Tart) and a “Waterblommetjie Bredie” (Waterflower stew) are typical dishes of the Boerekos.

Unique is the Cape Malay kitchen. The Malays who were forcefully taken as slaves to the Cape, brought their cooking methods with them and modified them with local ingredients such as raisins and pumpkin.

Typically, a Cape Malay dish contains lots of turmarin, here called “Borrie”, kardamom, cinnamon, ginger, garlic and raisins. Except for pork and wine, any local ingredient is used. Typical dishes are “Bobotie”, a mince meat/raisin bake with lots of cinnamon and laurel leaves, and “Roties”, wheat flour pita bread with a filling of deliciously spiced vegetables and meat.

Kumkani Brand News

To complement your South African dish you must try the king of South African Wines, Kumkani. This multi-award winning iconic South African wine ranges have a wide range of wines to suit any connoisseurs palate.

Read more on www.southafrica-travel.net

Two South African restaurants are again on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list.

S. Pellegrino released their highly anticipated yearly list of the World’s Best Restaurants  and El Bulli, after four years at the top has been knocked off its perch by Denmark’s Nomu.

The big news for South Africa however it that Constantia Uitsig’s La Colombe has moved up 26 places since last year to take a very impressive  number 12 spot.  Another regular South African restaurant on the list, Le Quartier Français, moved up 6 positions to number 31.

A huge achievement for both these restaurants in a very important year for South Africa.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy compiles this list of restaurants. The panel includes 806 people including top chefs, gourmands, restaurateurs and food critics.

Iconic South African wine brand Kumkani,  congratulates these restaurants for their achievement and for setting the standard.

Read more on news24

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

Kumkani Brand News

The Kumkani Cabernet Merlot 2007 is a great and versatile wine  to bring to a dinner where you know red meat will be served.

Cape Town is set to draw thousands of tourists in the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Visitors to Cape Town will be able to explore the beauty of the mountains, the winelands and will also be able to see and experience the cultural melting pot that is Cape Town.

One of the place that will attract tourists is the colourful Cape Malay Quarter, namely the Bo-Kaap.

Bo-Kaap, aka Schotsche Kloof (Scottish ravine), belongs to one of the most interesting parts of Cape Town. With its picturesque houses lined along steep and winding roads, you’ll find it on the itinerary of most visitors to the city. But the Cape is vast and beautiful – so what exactly makes Bo-Kaap so special – could it be the rich heritage or the tantalising food? Why don’t you explore and decide?

Taking a step back…

Bo-Kaap is the oldest Malay settlement in South Africa. It is nestled below Signal Hill where you’ll find the historically significant Noon Gun. Most Capetonians are accustomed to its loud bang at midday but the tradition began in the late 1800s to signal to farmers that ships had docked and were ready to trade. The hill is also the resting place of Tuang Guru, originally a prince from the Ternate Islands and believed to be the founder of the Cape’s Islamic community. A hallmark of the Cape Malay people is the warm hospitality they extend to all their visitors, which brings us to the exciting part – the food.

The Bo-Kaap neighbourhood is not your average food destination and its Southeast-Asian ties mean the menu is anything but bland. The Cape Malay’s fusion of Asian, European and Mediterranean flavours are available at many high-end as well as local authentic restaurants around Cape Town.

The Cape Malayan dishes like Bobotie and  Biryani  pairs well with spicy wines like the Kumkani Shiraz Cabernet . This wine has interesting summer berry aromas with  spicy and toasty flavours.

Read More: gotravel24

South Africans celebrate Easter in different ways and some are following American traditions in serving smoked ham while others prefer a family braai (BBQ).  But for dessert a trifle will be served in many South African homes as this is seen as a festive family time dessert.

Here is a traditional South African festive trifle recipe.

Servings: 6-8 portions

Ingredients

1 pt green jelly
1 pt red jelly
1 tin pears or peaches
1 swissroll (bought or home made) Jam or Chocolate
sherry or rum to taste
2 cups thick custard
1 cup pecan nuts – crushed
125ml cream
glazed red cherries – chopped (to garnish)

Instructions

Dissolve jelly according to package, separately. Leave overnight to set. Drain pears or peaches – keep syrup. Cut in pieces. Cut swissroll and line a round glass dish with 1/2 of cake. Sprinkle over some fruit syrup as well as some sherry or rum. Cut jelly in small blocks and spoon over some green jelly. Spoon over a layer of custard and some fruit and nuts. Spoon over some of the red jelly. Repeat layers with cake, green jelly, custard, fruit, nuts and red jelly till all finished. Beat cream till thick and garnish trifle with cream and red cherries.

Suggested wine

The iconic and uniquely South African wine , Kumkani will complete your traditional South African Easter meal.I suggest the Kumkani Merlot / Pinotage or the infamous Kumkani Infiniti MCC sparkling wine.

Read more on www.epicurious.com

Opening a bottle of bubbly has always been a thrill for me. But this guy has taken opening bubbly to a new level.

A restaurant manager in Sandton, Andrew Duminy, has successfully set a new Guinness World Record for opening the most sparkling wine bottles in one minute using a sabre according to the traditional ceremonial sabrage.

Sabrage is a lavish ceremonial technique whereby a champagne or sparkling wine bottle is removed with a sabre or sword. The force of the blade causes the cork and collar to shoot off the neck of the bottle in a show stopping display of bubbles and blasts.

The world record attempt began at exactly 5:00pm on Valentine’s Day at The Bull Run Restaurant. Exactly one minute later at 5:01pm Andrew Duminy had successfully opened 27 bottles of Pongrácz with his sabre, smashing the previous record of 21 bottles set by Canadian Andre Saint Jacques in 2005.

Read more on food24.com