The KWV Classic Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2011 is a fresh and fruity little number which is crying out for summer to begin – aren’t we all? Full of bright tropical fruit with a mouth-tingling acidity and note of green peas and asparagus, this is a great summer tipple with a pleasingly-low alcohol too. Means you can drink more!
Dinner Party Drop-in Line – Sauvignon Blanc is one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon (the other one is Cabernet Franc)
Sauvignon and seafood is generally a good match so Caro has gone for some Stuffed Calamari with Basil and Peppers – the peppers should also pick up similar notes in the wine.
KWV’s Classic Collection Chenin Blanc 2011 is the epitome of summer. There are plenty of summer fruit notes in here – yellow gooseberries, crisp apples and ripe pears – all balanced out by good acidity and a nice weighty mouthfeel.
Dinner Party Drop-in Line – Ken Forrester (aka King of Chenin) says that Chenin Blanc is better value for money at every price level than Sauvignon Blanc.
Chenin is a great food partner and can handle quite rich dishes because of its lively acidity. Caro feels that these Roasted Aubergine and Feta Fritters should be a great match with the tangy cheese and meaty veggies providing a perfect foil for the wine.
Chardonnay is enjoying a bit of a renaissance in recent months with the trend being towards to more lightly-oaked and fruitier styles. This is a great example – only 40% has been near wood and then blended back into the tank making for an oak-kissed stunner with elegance and balance.
Dinner Party Drop-in Line – did you know that Chardonnay was the best-performing category at the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show this year?
The hint of oak on this wine makes it fuller and rounder in the mouth so Caro has gone for a full-flavoured Garlic Chicken Kebab dish as a match, intending the citrus notes in the wine to balance out the tangy meat.
Quintessential Cabernet might be a better name for this wine rather than Classic Collection – it is everything you would expect a Cabernet to taste of all nicely wrapped up with soft, juicy tannins. Plenty of black berries, vanilla and cream – great wine.
Dinner Party Drop-in Line – there are five red cultivars allowed in Bordeaux and the best-known of these is Cabernet Sauvignon
The ripeness of the fruit in the wine means it can handle a touch of heat so these Spicy Lamb Meatballs should be just the thing! Meaty lamb with fragrant cumin and coriander – what’s not to love?
Pinotage has gone on quite a journey over the last few years from bitter bananas, to chocolate/coffee and now finally to a savoury, black-fruited red wine of real elegance and interest. This version is definitely in the latter category – great flavours at a very good price.
Dinner Party Drop-in Line – the KWV Mentors Pinotage just got voted into the Absa Top Ten this year – a great achievement.
This isn’t a classic tapas dish, but Caro feels that these Steak Strips with Bearnaise dipping sauce are an interesting modern take on the genre and certainly a good match for this fruity, full-on wine.
Shiraz is a great wine to match to food, particularly tapas with its love of chilli and spice. This is a medium bodied wine with lots of raspberry and black cherry aromas all rounded out by dark chocolate. Plenty of pepper, spice and well integrated tannins.
Dinner Party Drop-in line – cool climate Shiraz is all the rage at the moment as the long, slow ripening enhances those prized peppery notes.
Lots of spice in the wine – and lots of spice in the food too! This classic Patatas Bravas with its wonderful oomphy Chorizo will go down really well with this tasty, tangy, rich red wine.