This wine, for that dish
So much wine, so little time. Here are some standout wines to try this October, paired with delicious recipes from our magazine.
Steenberg 1682 Pinot Noir MCC 2016, R210
This has to be one of the best pinot noir led MCCs on the market—each vintage delivers a precise, faultless Cap Classique. The 2016 opens with aromas of wild strawberry, red cherries and almond biscotti, juicy red fruits on the palate include raspberries, cranberries, cherries and cut red apple. Like a delicious summer tart it all comes together with a buttered element of freshly baked brioche. The mousse is creamy and fine, with the bright fruit continuing on the lengthy finish.
Pair with: Fresh tuna, strawberry, cucumber and onion seed skewers
WIN! One lucky reader will win a Steenberg 1682 Pinot Noir MCC 2016 as well as a three-pack of Steenberg’s latest releases: a trio of wines that were named after three tall ships in the Royal Navy fleet that defeated the Dutch in the Battle of Muizenberg in 1795. The total value of the prize is R566. Click here to enter.
Allée Bleue Brut 2013, R150
This MCC from Franschhoek estate, Allée Bleue is a classic blend of pinot noir and chardonnay. The fresh packaging immediately draws you in—the perfect accompaniment to a summer table. Once popped the spirit of refreshment continues with a fragrant, citrusy nose, with some lemon-drop and blossom. Things get richer on the palate, with toasted nuts and buttery brioche flavours. The creamy palate is tied up with a zippy, lemony finish.
Pair with: Calamari salad cups
Waverley Hills Chardonnay 2016, R100
Chardonnay lovers here’s something different for you to try. The small percentage of sémillon in this wine gives it a flinty character on the nose along with a citrus melange of lemon and orange zest, which evolves into just-ripe tropical fruit on the palate such as mango, paw-paw, with a leesy, biscuity mid-palate. It’s an intriguing wine that keeps doing different things as you sip it.
Pair with: Burrito bowl
Diemersdal Eight Rows Sauvignon Blanc, R160
The wine gets its name as it was made from grapes grown on eight rows of an old vineyard on the Diemersdal farm. Extreme care has been taken with the making of this wine, and it’s not at all your usual sauvignon blanc. The grapes were night harvested, after which skin contact of 24 hours was given. To add to the complexity and texture of the wine, post-fermentation lees contact of five months was given with the lees being stirred up once a week. The wine was bottled unfiltered. What a wine! Expect concentrated aromas of lime, green melon and white peach, which lead to flavours of spicy kiwi fruit and nectarine. It has a mouth-coating creamy texture, balanced by fresh acidity.
And… The Eight Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2017 is one of the first SA wines to bear the legend WO Origin Cape Town.
Pair with: Fish tacos
The Fledge & Co ‘Katvis’ Pinot Noir 2016, R175
The owners say they named this wine after the ‘truly resilient catfish – a most unexpected fish.’ And what an unexpectedly delicious wine! Fermented in traditional lagars with a portion whole bunches, it was then matured 9 months in old French barrels, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. On the nose punchy aromas of red and black fruit with some violet and fynbos scrub, the palate offers a bright core of pure fruit, underscored by some earthy tertiary flavours, complemented by fine tannins and a refreshing acidity.
Pair with: Pan-fried sirloin with shaved pear, pecan and brown butter
Written by Malu Lambert, food & wine writer
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
