If you’re going away this weekend with friends and family or even if you’re having a lovely time at home, here are 6 wines to suit all tastes and most pockets which will go perfectly with Easter food. Prices are cellar door.
Essential Bubbles – Lanzerac Blanc de Blanc MCC 2013 R220
Who doesn’t love fizz? Everybody I know loves it, that’s for sure and this is a good entry to an increasingly popular market slice. Made from 100% Chardonnay, it spent 12 months on the lees so it’s at that perfect point between freshness and savoury which makes it a crowd-pleasing option for an Easter aperitif.
Every-day-Red – Leeuwenkuil Shiraz 2013 R45
Bargain alert! Bargain alert! I so nearly didn’t tell you all about this wine in case you snapped it all up and I was left with none. This is a ridiculously-good price for a highly-regarded and much-awarded Shiraz which is sure to please everyone who tries it. Bright black berry fruit with some leather and lots of spice – try it with steak or springbok.
Push-the-boat-out-Red – Haute Cabrière Pinot Noir Reserve 2012 R200
The tuna is running – just in time for Easter! And there is no better wine to go with tuna steaks than this Pinot Noir – believe me, I’ve tried a few. This is full of berries with a lovely gamey/savoury edge and has soft-ish tannins and good acidity – all things making it the perfect match for a seared Tuna steak with wasabi mayonnaise.
Every-day-White – Barista Chardonnay 2013 R70
I hate coffee. All forms of it. Can’t bear it. So it was quite a stretch to get me to try this wine and I initially feared the worst. But the only coffee part of this wine is the name – the rest was surprisingly fresh and appetising, filled with lots of lemons, green melons and just a tweak of oak and is worryingly easy to drink. I really enjoyed it – finally a ‘coffee’ I can understand!!
Push-the-boat-out-White – Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R141
Not a normal Sauvignon, this one has had the red carpet treatment throughout its time in the careful hands of the KZ winemaking team. Some skin contact, but most importantly, 14 months on the lees (dead yeast cells) has given it richness, creaminess and weight in the mouth making it an excellent choice with food. Loved it.
Strandveld Suikerbekkie 2012 Noble Late Harvest 2012 R210
An unusual sweetie to finish up your wine box, this comes from one of the most remote wine-producing areas in SA, way down in Elim on the South Coast. Made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, only a few of which attracted the delicious botrytis needed for this style, it is less sweet than other NLH’s and all the better for it in my opinion. Try it with blue cheese and pâté rather than overly-sweet desserts.