Following on from our good value Vin-atics last month (click here to see how much fun we had!) we decided to go a bit weird this month and choose a selection of lesser-known grape varieties. Very often, people stick with the traditional grape varieties – Sauvignons, Chardonnays, Cabernets and Shirazes – but there is a world of different wines out there, with different flavours and structures and most of them were developed specifically to go with food so we thought we’d try out a few this month.
Before we start – are you signed up to Vin-atics yet? No? Well click here to get our free newsletter and all the details on how you can win R500-worth of wine from Cybercellar this month!
The Wines
As well as coming from a series of lesser-known grape varieties, we have also managed to keep the costs down as well. So buying 1 bottle of each of these wines will only set you back just over R300! Value and variety – what more could you want?
• 2009 Flat Roof Manor Pinot Grigio
• 2010 La Capra Viognier
• 2009 Neethlingshof Gewürztraminer
• 2010 Kleine Zalze Gamay Noir
• 2009 Merwida Barbera
• 2007 Tierhoek Grenache
The Food
These grape varieties all originate in Europe where wine and food are inseparable partners, so Chef Caro has paired some exciting goodies using lots of seasonal ingredients. Check out the recipes here:
• Angel Hair Pasta with Bacon and Sage
• Smoor Snoek with Moskonfyt
• Cardamom Pannacotta with Spiced Apricots
• Warm Duck Salad with Black Cherries
• Italian Lamb stew with Anchovies, Tomatoes and Olives
• Strawberry and Baby Spinach Salad with Goats’ Cheese Crostini
What makes Chef Caro think these pairings with work? Click here to find out, and to agree/disagree or make other suggestions in the comments section below…
The Main Event: Thursday 21st October at 7pm.
We’ll be cooking the dishes and tasting the wines – and we want you to join us too!
You can follow us on Twitter at @Vinatics, @SamWilson1, @CathyMarston @chocky33 and see what we get up over the course of the evening. This month we have invited persistent @WomanofWine, Mariska (flattery gets you a dinner invite!), SA Blog Awards finalist, Luke Power from AfricaBespoke and Zorgvliet winemaker and tweeter, Neil Moorhouse.
So – if you want to try something a little on the off-beat side this month –why not hold your own Vin-atics dinner party and stand the chance of winning R500-worth of wine as well? All you have to do is
• pick a couple of the dishes
• choose a couple of the wines (or tell your friends to bring them)
• invite a couple of mates to join you on the night
• take some pics, tell us how it all went and the best report will win a R500 voucher from Cybercellar.
Our winning entry this month comes from Janet Meyer – see her entry here – but make sure you also check out our runner-up, Dominique ‘The Flour Child’ by clicking here. Winning is very easy so have fun and happy drinking!