Mirror Mirror on the wall, which is the fairest Sauvignon Blanc of them all?

It's Wine o'clock in the western Cape winelands as the annual harvest comes to a close and judging by the content look on some of the winemakers faces I do believe the 2010 Vintage will produce some of SA's finest wines to date.

The first wine to touch my pallet at the commence of the 2010 production season has left me and some of my friends in total amazement as it has been unanimously voted as the GREATEST Sauvignon Blanc of all times by our little group of wine lovers, Sitting around my dining room table I opened a bottle of the 2010 Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc which we had bottled the day before and poured for each a sample, Immediately the room was filled with a bouquet of tropical heaven which was met with disbelief that it was a 2010 vintage, even with severe bottle shock this wine displayed itself as a masterpiece.

Everyone that knows me is fully aware that I am not in the habit of being a wine critic, I believe strongly that is the responsibility of the Brand Ambassador and Marketing teams assigned to the individual Brand as each pallet is different from another, Its all about personal preference. Having said that I have decided with the encouragement and the participation of my wine loving friends to seek out and publish the 10 best Sauvignon Blanc's from the 2010 Vintage within the structures of the Wine World Network and the Vineyard Express.The order of these 10 wines will depend on Brand participation and in the order of discovery so as not to portray a biased representation, A first come first serve approach!

Thus the first wine of the season is the 2010 Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc!
Wine of Origin Durbanville.
Back Label description; This Vibrant, classic Sauvignon Blanc presents an alluring fruitiness and crisp acidity and can be enjoyed on any occasion.
Alcohol; 13%

My tasting notes; Refreshingly crisp with an abundance of Guava, apricot and summer fruits. Due to this wines complexity it can be enjoyed with food or on its own and is best served ice cold!

Peter.

Mining the wine lands or wining the mine lands, That is the question!

Tensions are high with the proposed mining proposal which will affect not only the wine farms in question but all the auxiliaries which its weight carries. Tourism is one of the largest industries in Cape Town, It creates jobs and Brand awareness, a fundamental requirement in a first world market, Why then has our leaders not jumped in? Isn't that what we are all striving for? a better country!

Amidst all the smoke and mirrors are our industry representatives who are rallying up support to fight the good fight, there is a clear divide between all parties involved, having followed all the press clutter around the saga it is revealed that only our industry parties are fighting to save what is clearly under threat, they have done this in a legal and transparent manner for all to see yet the mining group and our leaders choose to do everything in wording that is contradictory in every sense of the word.

There comes a time in every Democracy where its people need to stand united against the deliberate destruction of a perfectly healthy industry for personal gain, its a matter of pride and principal. If you would like to get involved email me at peter.wineza@gmail.com

On the more joyful side of things the Harvest is coming to a close, My clients say that volume is down from last year,but the good news is the quality is promising!

TIP OF THE WEEK.

With the winter coming up you want to increase the daily intake of vitamin c, here is a natural way to do just that.

Chillies a a high source of vitamin c but has a rather nasty bite, to remove the burn from a chilli takes around 15-20 min. Remove both ends of the chilli, slice open and remove all the seeds (pips), Cut into strips. Place 1 tablespoon of sugar in a bowl with half a cup white or brown vinegar, mix well and add the chillies, leave for 15-20 minute and you have a chilli that doesn't burn, great for the whole family.
PS: Test a piece before removing from the sugar and vinegar mix, if it still has a twang leave for a little longer.


Peter.

Honey and Ginger Chicken

After many requests here is a little something yummy for those who are building a fire this weekend. I would recommend a light styled wine for this meal, Viognier, pronounced VEE-O-Nier, Chenin Blank or a Sauv/Blanc .

You will need the following:
4 Chicken thighs
4 Chicken Drumsticks
Salt and Pepper
Ground Ginger
50ml olive oil
25ml Honey
12.5ml Soy Sauce
1 Clove Garlic, Sliced

1. Season the Chicken lightly with Salt and Pepper. Sprinkle generously with ground Ginger.

2. Blend the oil, Honey and Soy sauce in a bowl, Add the sliced Garlic.

3.Turn the chicken Pieces around in the Marinade. Leave for around a hour, turning the pieces around from time to time.

4. Cook the Chicken Pieces over low coals, Brush frequently with Marinade until Chicken is Golden and juices run clear when Chicken pieces are pricked.

There you have it, nothing fancy, real easy to prepare and no stove required giving you more time with the family outside.


Enjoy!


Peter.

The Kitchen, A mans place.

Weekends are a luxury for most if its spent doing what you love, my kids are big now and have their own social calenders to uphold, this leaves me in a prime slot on weekends to do what i love, wining and dining! Although I'm big on enjoying the benefits of eating out, nothing comes close to taking over the kitchen in raw style accompanied by a glass of your favorite wine and music.

Fridays bring a sense of excitement, pouring my wine of choice and taking a moment to establish what food will go with it, generally it comes in the weirdest form of something called experiment!Let me first tell you about something i discovered about a year ago, I was given a fruit cake and as with most things that don't do it for me i placed it in the kitchen cupboard, there it lay till the day a friend came over and said he would love to enjoy what i enjoy with wine, Being close to the end of the month there wasn't really much in the line of interesting to offer, that's when i opened the cupboard and saw the fruit cake, Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Being caught unawares to a visit, i never even had time to chill the two bottles of Amani Chardonnay given to me by Carmen Stevens, Winemaker of Amani wines, so i ceremoniously popped the cork and poured us each a splosh, the wine displayed some intense aromas, vanilla being the more dominant one, that's when it hit me, vanilla is used in cakes and most baking, so this has to work, being a bit of a caveman when it comes to being hoity toity i just broke a piece of fruitcake and sampled it with a swig of wine, to my delight it was one of the nicest mouth feels i had ever experienced, I took my friend through all the complexity and he was rather taken back by how this wine and fruitcake came together to form a completely different flavor, The short end of the stick is we polished off both bottles and the fruitcake, it was a beautiful thing to see someone enjoy these life changing moments for the first time, My friend is now a avid wine drinker and has even started cooking, his wife is eternally grateful for what he has learn with wine as it allows her to relax on weekend while he is in the kitchen experimenting his new found passion.

This brings me to what i started out doing, trying to show how it works, never order a wine and then the meal, its always the other way around, first decide what you are eating, establish what the dominant flavors are then pair it to a wine, this is law, well mine anyway! Intensity of food is paired to intensity of wine, spicy with spicy, sweet with sweet, tropical with tropical ie; smoked gamon with ripe Mellon just brings out the flavor, its like adding salt to food, it brings a new dimension to your taste buds, you wouldn't put salt in coffee would you? no, you sweeten it, so if your wine has flavors of coffee then try it with something on the sweeter side, However personal taste is different for everyone, experiment and find what works for you, Here is something to help next time you planning on having a pairing session, hope it helps!

Focus on finding a wine with an intensity that suits your meal, Many people make the mistake of ordering a wine before they have decided what meal they will be having, Therefore, decide what meal you will be having before you look at the wine list! The weight and power of a wine should always be matched to the richness and texture of the food ie: Less intense wines for, say, Thai and Sushi dishes and more intense wines for heavy meat dishes. I have compiled a list of wines in order of intensity to help in making an informed decision before ordering so as to avoid disappointment! These wines are as follows: 1 being less intense than 10!

1) Sauvignon Blanc.
2) Riesling.
3) Chenin Blanc.
4) Ros'e
5) Chardonnay.
6) Pinot Noir.
7) Merlot.
8) Pinotage.
9) Shiraz.
10) Cabernet Sauvignon.

Well there you have it, im off to the kitchen, heres me wishing you all a weekend of taste sensation.

Peter.

Quality Time

Morning traffic, Kids running late, trying to plan your work schedule, sound familiar? The world is becoming faster, machine is becoming more efficient, yet we have less time now than ever before. Everyone is looking for some well deserved quality time, it has sadly taken a back seat due to modern pressures driving us forward like a workhorse with blinkers on. Our quality time is now scheduled in 6 months in advance and is mostly put off due to something coming up, the good news is that you don't need to wait six months to have some Quality time, when last did you set up an old blanket in your garden or balcony and instead of eating at the table or in front of the telly have a picnic with your family or that someone special? It costs nothing but some imagination, Use the empty wine bottle from last Sundays lunch as a vase and fill with something green from the garden, nothing fancy, place some stones here and there and a few branches with leaves in between,that's if you have a tree at your disposal, my point is it doesn't need to cost anything, its all about imagination! Nothing compares to sitting on an old blanket sipping on your favorite wine and eating with your hands, kids love to experience this kind of family time even if its in the back garden, it brings a togetherness unlike in front of the telly, its about bringing all the likes in your life together and sharing it with those you love, create a culture around what you enjoy, and enjoy it!

A Biased representation of our wine industry

Sifting through the maze of industry hype, the writing on the wall by self proclaimed wine critics, or just opening a industry magazine leaves one dazed and confused, This one is saying that, the other saying this, its a hot mess I tell you! Having worked in the wine industry for 15 years and being a consumer myself know there is a lot of smoke and mirrors surrounding most of what goes on, one would think that the industry governing body would put a stop to it as it erodes the integrity of many brands lying vulnerable due to the clutter from every so-called authority who has an opinion. I do believe that this kind of conducted business has placed a huge wedge amongst the interested parties, The SA wine industry has suffered a huge blow and financial down turn due to the ressesion and marketing shortfalls along with escom hikes etc, when will someone step up and take the reins? Perhaps when it is too late? I hope not! Its time this industry stands together, united in a long term solution that will carry our brand industry to the consumer, Having one of the largest wine groups in SA has taught me one thing, people in general are confused as to what wine is all about, there needs to be some type of elementary understanding and this needs to come from a united industry, as with anything in life, if the industry isn't united, the consumer will follow the same trend, It seems that its each man to him self, a poor representation at most,who cares about all the hype anyway? its old school marketing tactic, If a wine tastes good, drink it!

Peter.

Enjoying The Silence

When last have you found yourself standing alone,thoughts running through your head about daily life when all of a sudden your brain becomes numb, your ears tweak in on the silence surrounding you, and, as if you have never heard it before, the busy chatter of the birds caress your soul into a state of contentment?

This is where i found myself this morning standing on the porch of the Kingsbridge Tasting room in Elgin, The massiveness of natural beauty is overwhelming, the slopes are covered in vines laden with grapes ready to be harvested, weeping willows stand proud as if owning the land themselves and to the left the majestic Koeggelberg Mountains displaying cloaks of clouds draping its summit.

Its been a while since i stood back and taken in such beauty, funny how we take things for granted when its in abundance, Our culture is to drive forward and burn ourselves out, yet if we stop for 5 minutes and take in some of natures medicine we are recharged as if having a weekend. Kingsbridge is a place for those wanting to get away from the commercial vibe so often encountered when out on wine tastings, personally its a place I would take that special someone, it allows you to get up close and personal while experiencing the unique characteristics displayed in their wines.

Tomorrow I have been commissioned to make my Famous curry for all the lads here at Valley Green, Im sure their wines will bring a new dimension to the complex flavors of my Durban dish, having said that they will also be presenting a tasting for me which i will comment on after the ordeal of my curry. To view Kingsbridge and the full range of wine available, check out www.kingsbridgewines.co.za


Peter.

Curry Cream Mussels

I'm out at Amani Wines Today, The Cape Town weather has turned pear shaped with dark grey clouds rolling over the mountains and with it the cold and the rain. It brings back memories of last winter sipping on a good red wine and satisfying the winter munchies with something that warms up the soul, The Following Recipe was donated by none other than Rudi Visagie our resident chef on the Wine World Network or as his mates call him The Man with a pan.I asked the charming Carmen Stevens, Winemaker at Amani to pair a wine with this recipe and her recommendation is the Amani 2008 Kamili Chardonnay-Viognier blend which displays the essence of Rose water and white pepper which transforms into a lingering expression of ginger and apricots. To view the full range of wines at Amani browse their website www.amaniwines.co.za


Mussels in curry cream sauce(Served as a starter)

Ingredients needed.

30 g butter
1 onion chopped
30 ml flour
7.5 ml curry powder
200 ml white wine
150 ml water
15 ml chopped garlic chives
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 900g canned mussels in shell
10 ml lemon juice
75 ml cream
1 jumbo egg yolk

Instructions

1) Melt the butter in a pan and saute the onion until soft but not brown.
2) add the curry powder and flour and "mellow" for 1-2 minutes.
3) now add the wine and the water, a little at a time and beating well.
4) add the garlic chives and season to taste.
5) Finally add the drained mussels and gently simmer for 5 minutes

beat the lemon juice cream and egg yolk together, add a little of the hot liquid from the pan and mix well.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg yolk mixture, stir well and return to the heat taking care not to let the mixture boil or it will curdle.
When just heated through, serve immediately with hot crunchy French loaf.

My Introduction to you.

My journey into the wine world started some 15 years ago when the industry was booming, I was included in a venture and had the opportunity to uproot my entire family and move to Cape Town to bottle wines on the many Estates the wine lands had to offer. It was the biggest eye opener as i had never really ventured out of KZN.

Having the opportunity for a fresh start in life I jumped at the challenge and before long I was standing behind a bottling machine trying to make sense of this volatile product they call wine. The high point for me was the fact that i was never in the same place for too long. Most Estates rarely book mobile bottling for more than a week at a time which meant I was being exposed to three sometimes even four or five a week, different places,different faces, who could get bored of that? Before long and many questions later i was starting to understand wine and the complexity of trying to get the same quality product from the cellar into the bottle, For this I am eternally grateful to some of the most awesome personalities in the wine industry, no need to mention names, they know who they are, for those who don't, If I have ever provided a service to you then you fall in that category.

Six years later i had started to develop a deep love for the SA wine industry, I found myself buried in wine books, I wanted to understand my new found passion,and was rather disappointed that the only people I could share it with was those working with wine or in the marketing thereof, the general population just seemed to be switched off the minute you mentioned anything other than it tasted good, If i mentioned anything elitist when describing a wine it was followed by this blank look and the typical SA phrase "JA RIGHT" and I soon learnt that's why so many South Africans prefer a relaxing lubricant that they understand and enjoy without having a chemistry degree to understand what a wine smells and tastes like,my opinion is lets leave that to the winemakers and people working with wine, If you eat a cookie from Woolies you don't sit and discuss its complexity with your neighbor over afternoon tea, You say it tastes good, why should wine be any different? Dont get me wrong, wine terminology is a must for those crafting wines as its a natural product that is based on chemistry, I just believe that's where it should stay, it has no ground in the market place.

To back my theory look at one of the most effective media campaigns in post democracy,this campaign immortalized its brand with the simple, diverse and easy to understand phrase "MET EISH", I don't think there is a South African who doesn't understand it, it fits in with our culture, people can relate to it! I bet my bottom dollar or overtaxed Rand, whichever you prefer, that if it was something technical or elitist it would have never been as effective, to me this makes a whole lot of sense.

This is why i started networking with wine minded people, my facebook wine group (The Wine World Network) grew to 3250 members in 7 short months confirming a general interest in wine on a elementary level, I was trying to find a way to effectively market South African wines to South Africans and even those deprived taste buds overseas without driving them away with the snobbishness so often perceived as part and parcel of our beautiful wine culture,Wine is part of our culture, Our History is based on the vine,I believe that every South African should embrace it, discover a sense of pride, for it belongs to OUR country, these my glass tipping friends are our wines. Join me as we move from one Wine estate to another and discover the shear beauty that lies withing the Western Cape Wine Industry and the personalities that bring SA wines to life.

Peter.