Wine and food pairing in Stellenbosch
Helena’s Restaurant in Stellenbosch offers a delectable wine list, with the best of Stellenbosch on offer. Wines listed are delectable varieties of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, La Motte, Sparkling Wine, Dessert Wine, and Port. All these wines are available in various vintages.
We sampled a wide variety of white wines with delectable meals. We paired the Mezze platter with the Lanzerac Chenin Blanc 2016/2017, the wine is packed with stone fruit flavors of apricot and peach, supported by ripe pineapple on the mid-palate. It was awarded the Double Gold Award at the 2018 Japan Women’s Wine Awards.
Another divine wine is the Sauvignon Blanc Bartinney 2017, it is a dry medium-bodied crisp and clean wine with lovely sweet honeyed fruit notes, hints of grass and apple sauce which we paired it with the Slow roasted pork belly with a homemade mini pumpkin pie. Due to the steep incline and soil variations of the Sauvignon Blanc block, harvesting commenced in three stages at different Ballings and pHs. The grapes were handpicked in small bins and stored in a cold room for 3 days before crushing and destemming began. The free-run juice was inoculated with cultivated yeast cultures and fermentation commenced in stainless steel tanks.
We paired the Braised shoulder of Karoo Lamb with cumin-infused lamb gravy with another award-winning wine. L’Avenir Provenance Pinotage 2015, this rich red wine unravels with layers of floral notes, vanilla, dark berries, and tempting toffee. After being hand-sorted, destemmed and only lightly crushed, the grapes remained in a tank for three days of cool maceration, before fermentation started through natural yeasts. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks, as well as French oak barrels. The wine was matured in 300-liter French oak barrels.
Another great pairing was the award-winning Tokara Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, the nose has dark aromas of cocoa powder, cassis, and mulberries with the Chalmar Beef fillet with dukkah spice, red wine, and bone marrow jus. The grapes were destemmed and then crushed directly into stainless steel tanks and wooden upright (foudre) fermenters. They must be cooled to between 10 and 15°C for a cold soak before fermentation started naturally. The wines spent a total of eighteen months in 20% new French oak and the rest being older French oak barriques. During the maturation, the components were left on the gross lees for around 8 months before receiving their first racking after which they were racked another 2 times. The wines received a light fining before filtration and bottling.
We finished off the meal with the local artisanal cheeses, fresh fruit, watermelon preserve, fig preserve, homemade oatmeal biscuits and paired this with the divine Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2014 dessert wine.
Winemaking, also known as vinification. is the process used to produce wine. Firstly the correct fruit is selected, then it is fermented into alcohol, and then finally bottled. The quality of the grape will determine the quality of the wine more than any other factor. Wine has been made for many millennia all over the world. The science of wine and winemaking is known as enology. A winemaker is also referred to as a vintner. The growing of the many varieties of grapes is called viticulture. The two categories of wine are still and sparkling. Under these categories are Red wine, White wine, and Rose varieties.
From the centrally located hotel, a visit to the Stellenbosch Winelands is a definite must on any tourist’s to-do list while in Cape Town. The variety of internationally award-winning wines are plenty to choose from. Every taste is catered for on these magnificent wine estates, nestled among the beautiful mountains. Wine tasting is available everywhere to ensure that you get to select the correct wine for your purchase.
