Haute Cabrière - The Mindset Changer

How many times have you heard someone say, "Oh no, I cant drink red wine, it gives me headaches," or "white wine makes me drunk," or "it gives me heartburn," or "I don't like white wine" etc? Its amazing how this becomes a mindset and marvelous wine takes the brunt of it.

There is a common misconception that sulfites (which occur naturally in the process of making wine and are commonly added to wine as a preservative) cause headaches. Wrong! Sulphites are found in a variety of foods such as fruit juice, dried fruit and even added to drinking water. Now I've never heard someone complain of getting a headache from drinking too much water?? Just face it, you probably just drinking too much of it, or perhaps you one of those unlucky bastards who experience allergy symptoms. Allergy symptoms occur when the immune system overreacts to an allergen. If there is an allergy, the immune system acts as if the allergen were dangerous, releasing a chemical called histamine that causes allergy symptoms. The most common symptoms of a wine allergy are: skin rashes, flushed skin, diarrhea, vomiting, shortness of breath, stomach cramps, runny nose and swollen eyes. There are also long-term symptoms of wine intolerance, such as: eczema, headaches, migraines, chronic fatigue and low mood.

Those sulfites have taken me off my original topic here, back to Haute Cabrière. Haute Cabrière is a wine farm located in Franschhoek and known for its delicious Pinot Noir's and Pierre Jordan Cap Classique (bubbly). I decided to write this blog post because on 2 separate occasions, in a short space of time, Haute Cabrière wines have changed mindsets. 

  

It all started when meeting up with Wimpie, an old buddy for a "meeting" at a golf driving range. Whilst browsing the wine list, I quickly learned that he didn't drink white wine because, wait for it, "he doesn't like white wine." From past experience, I don't drink red wine in the sun. So we had a bit of a problem.... To solve this, we could each order and drink our own bottles of wine, or I could just insist we drink a bottle of white haha. He mentioned that he drank bubbly though, but there wasn't any on the list (thank goodness, as that would have appeared very unmanly and romantic haha). That's when the Haute Cabrière Chardonnay Pinot Noir jumped out from the wine list and screamed pick me, pick me! I told him that most bubbly's are made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and therefore he should put his big girl panties on and try it! 

So he tried it and guess what Wimpie bought the following day? Yes, that's right, a case of Haute Cabrière Chardonnay Pinot Noir! 

Occasion number 2... Sometimes whilst working, I get tired of... working. So sushi and wine always sound more exciting. 

I'm going to detract from the topic again quickly (eish, seems like sushi and wine are calling again) Another misconception, is that you should drink white wine with sushi, however, I recently discovered that red wine pairs far better with sushi because of the prominent soy sauce and wasabi flavours. 

Back to my story... I met Karen at our local spot and when ordering the wine, I remembered that she doesn't drink red wine because, wait for it, "It makes her drunk." Another problem, I don't drink red in the sun. What to do?! I decided to look for an easy drinking red, something light and elegant,... that's it,... Pinot Noir! By chance there was a Haute Cabrière Unwooded Pinot Noir available. Perfect! A wooded Pinot Noir would have probably erred on the heavy side due to the oaky flavours and higher tannin levels. Karen, being very hesitant at first, allowed me to twist her rubber arm and we ordered the unwooded Pinot Noir. Guess what is Karen's favourite wine and one that she purchases every single opportunity she gets? Yes, that's right, Haute Cabrière Unwooded Pinot Noir! (Wow, I think Haute Cabrière owes me some commission :) haha)

So, if you haven't tried it yet, get your hands on some Haute Cabrière and perhaps too, can it change your mindset ;) www.cabriere.co.za 

Ps. Haute Cabrière have in no way or form asked or induced me to write this post.

Sources for this article include: 

http://www.naturalnews.com/041402_wine_allergies_symptoms_causes.html#

The Braai Oak

So I've never written a post of this kind before and I doubt it will be a regular subject. Recipes and cooking aren't exactly my forte or passion. Don't get me wrong, I do cook for my son and I, and we are still alive, awesome, and I'll pull off the Don Juan moves by cooking a romantic meal for that special lady, although I will intuitively and smartly use my charm and wine, to somewhat distract said special lady from the meal in order to place the emphasis on the ambiance... (Ssshhh, if the women's network finds out about this, I may experience future challenges).

Lets face it though, wine and food pair, and I've been known to enjoy standing around hot coals and braai, aka barbecue. 

So why is braaing cool?:

• Man make fire, arrr - boost to manliness and ego; 
• You have wine in hand - need I say more?; 
• Braaing is a healthy form of cooking as the fat from the meat drips away through the grill; 
• You're outdoors, who hoo - increase vitamin D intake and finally 
• It's sociable and you get to talk and be silly with your mates. Ps. Invite some mates.

So here's my attempt at a braai and wine pairing, a vegetarian braai I will add, which is extremely unusual for me as I am a carnivore of note.

What you will need:

Large mushrooms

Asparagus

Mielies

Peppers (Red, green and yellow)

Cheese

Butter

Olive oil

Vinegar

Garlic

Coarse salt

Wine, lots of it (Chenin blanc will go down well)

Preparation (Let me reiterate that I am not a chef! So use your own initiative for better preparation and presentation skills): 

• Have a sip of wine
• Turn the mushrooms upside down and drizzle with olive oil, stuff with garlic, butter and cheese. (Mushrooms add meatiness to a vegetarian braai).  
• Drizzle the asparagus and mielies with olive oil and coarse salt.
• Have a sip of wine

Braai:

• If you have a braai such as a Weber or a gas braai with a lid, you can cook the mushrooms in such, if not, bake the mushrooms in an oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and mushrooms are warmed through.
• Put the mielies and asparagus on the grill and turn occasionally until grilled. 
• Put the peppers on the grill and ensure there is a a slight flame to enable the outer skins to burn and blacken slowly all over. Once this is done, allow the peppers to cool down slightly and then place the peppers into a plastic shopping bag. Then tie a knot in the bag and rub the peppers all over with the plastic bag until the outer burnt skin has been completely removed revealing the flesh of the peppers. Rinse slightly with water if there are still pieces of burnt skin on the peppers. Dice the peppers up and together with the seeds, add vinegar, salt and olive oil to create the best damn pepper salad ever!
• Have some more wine.

If you eat fish, add tuna stuffed tomatoes:

• Mix tuna with mayonnaise, chopped onion, salt and pepper. It was suggested to me, thank you to you know who ;) to add lemon zest, dill and a touch of fennel to the tuna which sounds delicious.
• Cut the tops of the tomatoes off, hollow it out by removing the flesh with a spoon and then fill the cavity with the above tuna mixture.
• Get your glass of wine and yes, you know what to do...

So what did I pair this all with?

The trick to pairing wine with food is that both should compliment each other and neither should dominate the other.

I paired the food with Chenin blanc as there was no red meat and therefore a dry white would work well with the vegetables and tuna. The 2011 Simonsig Chenin Blanc was fruity and complimented the food well with its full body which stood up to the "meaty" mushrooms. Chenin blanc is a versatile varietal and can range from fresh and fruity to rich and ripe. See more detailed information regarding Chenin blanc in a previous post I wrote: http://www.thewineoak.com/2011/09/to-screw-or-to-cork-chenin-blanc.html 

Happy Braaing!

Ps. Have another sip of wine...

A Good Evening, A Good Creation

Wine & Food Pairing with Creation Wines at De kloof Restaurant - 14 October

So you enjoy good wine, good food and golf I hear you say? Well then you should visit the new hotspot in Pretoria - De Kloof Restaurant is situated at Waterkloof Golf Estate. So whether you just need to visit the driving range (as do I after yesterday’s frustrating round of golf!) and enjoy a couple of exclusive and damn good quality beers with some mates after, or treat a special someone to fantastic food, excellent wine and a scenic backdrop with amazing sunsets, De Kloof Restaurant is the place to be. I was invited to a wine and food pairing dinner by Charl Whitlock of Dekloof Restaurant, which was hosted by the lovely Carolyn Martin of Creation Wines. People, dine at this place and buy any of the wines in the Creation range and you will be pleasantly satisfied with orgasms in your mouth. mmm... perhaps perfect and fair game for that awkward first date, use it, don’t use it ;)

Right, back to the order of the day - 6 amazing dishes and 6 amazing wines to complement each other:

Luderitz Oysters, cucumber spaghetti, peach & pickled sorbet paired with 2011 Creation Viognier

You know Beechies peach & apricot gum? This Viognier smells exactly the same. Its fruity and smooth, but don’t let its ‘delicate’ nature fool you, it will gladly stand up to food and these oysters are a perfect match. A couple more of these oysters and that first date will be on a different level.

Basil crusted seabass, served with saffron & lemon risotto, asparagus, fennel beurre blanc paired with 2011 Creation Sauvignon Blanc

Complex flavours with passion fruit, granadilla and lots of greens. It’s a young wine and the balance of fruit and acidity will allow this Sav Blanc to age a couple of years. Great with the seabass!

Pan-seared Irish scallops, pear puree, pain d ' epice paired with 2010 Creation Chardonnay

It’s big, smoky but yet lime fresh, need I say more? This is the first time I have had scallops and I have seen Bear Grylls chowing these things on his show. I'm sure he will prefer scallops De Kloof style together with this fresh big Chardonnay. Charl, I think you should Tweet Bear and invite him for dinner. But then again, does he have taste buds left??

At this point we break and have a freakin amazing palate cleanser: Olive oil sorbet. It’s so good and so refreshing. I wonder if this will cure a hangover? I think it actually could... The event so far is great. There is a buzz around the restaurant which is fully attended. Charl and Carolyn have been excellent hosts with everything running smoothly to a tee. Carolyn’s input regarding the wine making process and info about the farm has been extremely interesting and informative.   

Duo of smoked veal sweetbreads & slow-roasted veal brisket, served with a shitake (glad I typed that correctly) mushroom ragout, vanilla pomme cigar, rosemary jus paired with 2010 Creation Pinot Noir

Aah, we onto the reds... this is elegance in a glass with red berries, spice, forest floor and mushrooms. Again beautiful pairing! I'm also starting to wonder if the Chef can do anything wrong? Nope!

Black Olive crusted rack of lamb, fresh broad beans, sun dried tomato & balsamic jus paired with 2010 Creation Syrah/Grenache

Now this is my favourite dish and definitely my favourite wine of the night! A lovely Rhône-style blend which is big and juicy with fruity plums. Its smooth and very versatile. The lamb and wine fit like a glove. I’ll have another round of each please!

Dark chocolate fondant, blackberry (not the phone) & Merlot sorbet, black pepper tuile paired with 2010 Creation Merlot

Red berries in my nose which carry over to my palate too with added savoury & chocolate characters. Drinks easy like I enjoy a Merlot to be. Those that know me know I don’t have a sweet tooth, but the dessert is an explosion of WOW in my mouth. The pairing was interesting and it worked well although a Natural Sweet Wine or a Noble Late Harvest may have been slightly better.

I'm disappointed. Disappointed that the courses are finished and I need to leave shortly. Complements to the Chef! Now let me just get 1 more glass of that Rhône-style blend. Gulp, gulp, gulp...