Bovlei Winery, situated at the foot of the majestic Hawequa Mountain near Wellington, is the second-oldest cooperative wine cellar in South Africa.
Here are some facts about their award winning wines.
The Bovlei Centenary Shiraz-Mourvedre 2005 was awarded Gold and selected as the best Shiraz Blend from the South African wine regions at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London. At this year’s annual SA Terroir Wine Awards the same wine was selected as the Top Red Blend out of the entire Paarl wine district, and the Bovlei Centenary Merlot 2005 was chosen as the Top Merlot from the Paarl wine district.
The Bovlei Centenary Merlot 2005 also garnered a Gold medal at this year’s Veritas Awards and the Bovlei Centenary Shiraz 2005 was awarded three and half stars at WINE magazine’s 2007 Pick ‘n Pay Shiraz Challenge. The standard Bovlei range also produced a winner with the Bovlei Pinotage 2005, which obtained a Gold medal at the 2007 Michelangelo International Wine Awards.
Nobody knows these wines better than Cellar Master Frank Meaker, and these are his suggestions for food and wine pairings:
Bovlei Centenary Shiraz/Mourvedre 2005
Dish – Corn pancakes with foie gras and bacon
Use basic cornmeal recipe and add some corn niblets. Cook in a normal way. Pan-fry fresh foie gras in a red hot pan, forming a crust on each side. Dribble the fat from the foie gras over the pancakes and serve the foie gras on the side with some crisp bacon.
Food and wine combination
The foie gras plus bacon’s smokiness will stand up to the wine’s composure, giving it a sweet mouth feel. The richness of the dish plus the subtleness of pancake balances with the wine. The wine is rich, full-rounded and very spicy from the Shiraz and Mourvedre, plus the sweetness on the edge of light Portyness, due to its high alcohol and fullness, a mélange of soft sweet tannins.
Bovlei Centenary Shiraz 2005
Dish – Roast veal kidney with wild mushroom
Clean and remove the excess fat from veal kidney. Place whole calf’s kidney in the oven and roast at high temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, rest for 10 minutes.
Panfry mushrooms with garlic, shallots cream and add gratin of bacon.
For an addition of confit, prepare a confit of onions and some of the Shiraz to baste the veal kidney while roasting. Collect sauce and add to mushroom pantry.
Food and wine combination
The Shiraz is very subtle on the nose the fine textures mingels with the wine’s smooth velvety mouth feel. It brings forth a creamy-meaty aftertaste, which is strengthened by the wine’s slight tannic backdrop and a touch of sweetness.
Bovlei Centenary Cabernet Sauvignon
Dish – Gemsbok rump pimento skewers
Marinate gemsbok rumps in a honey/ soya (sweet). A dash mustard and coriander grounded, pinch fresh garlic, salt / fresh pepper grounded and a dash of balsamic for 24 hours.
Gemsbok has a unique wildness and this marinate subdues this into a more subtle gamey sweet fresh meat. Cut meat into skewer portions, place pimento in between with odd pickle onion piece.
Flame grill on very warm heat to rear seal quick. Serve on rice with Mediterranean vegetables.
The food and wine combination
The meat has a slight wildness of the Kalahari, with the combo of marinate sweetness of the grill plus soya basting. The wine’s nose will add more fruit composition of berries succulent fruit.
The meat is very soft, in textured slightly sweet, it should dissolve in your mouth.
The wine brings forth a strong backdrop of structure, fruit roundness, subtle fruit and wood tannins, giving texture to mouth feel.