Pick a mix of festive wine
Do you remember the days when the pick a mix – that wonderful assortment of all kinds of candy – was the highlight of a shopping trip with mom?
Leopard’s Leap is now offering you the adult version with a selection of wines for the festive season. With one visit to our tasting room or website, you can choose from a fresh and crispy white for hot summer’s days, a delightful pink for rosy sunsets, mellow reds for lazy evenings around the braai, fine wines inspired by traditional French blends for the dinner table to a decadent little sweet number and an ever so festive Méthode Cap Classique sparkling wine.
While that bright assortment of all things sweet from our childhood might have lost some of its appeal, the concept of pick a mix gets a whole new and exciting meaning when shopping for your festive wine with Leopard’s Leap!
Brand new Culinaria Food and Wine Pairing Introduced
As the 2014 winner in the Drinks International Best Food and Wine Matching experience, our passionate take on all things culinary has made Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards a popular choice for those enjoying a food and wine lifestyle. And now, guests can expect even more!
Join one of our knowledgeable and enthusiastic Wine Tasting Ambassadors on Friday mornings for the Culinaria Food and Wine Pairing – a tasting of the six wines in the Leopard’s Leap Culinaria Collection, each paired with an example of an ideal food partner.
All the wines in the Culinaria Collection are based on traditional French blends and are made with the specific focus of being exceptional partners to food. The Culinaria Food and Wine Pairing shows these wines with food that illustrates the skill of food and wine pairing, offering guests the ideal opportunity to enjoy well-matched combinations while getting to know the fundamentals behind making informed dinner table choices.
A cooperation between Leopard’s Leap’s Chef, Pieter de Jager and Cellarmaster, Eugene van Zyl, the pairing is very informative and while providing guests with the knowledge required for future food and wine choices, the experiences is interactive and entertaining.
Food and Wine Pairings take place on Fridays at 12:00. (Please note that Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards is closed on Christian religions holidays)
The cost for Food and Wine Pairing is R120 per person.
Reservations should please be made 48 hours in advance at reservations@leopardsleap.co.za or +27.21 876 8002.
A Fresh Take On Festive Sweets – Fruit Cake Lollies and Culinaria Muscat De Frontignan
The Leopard’s Leap’s Culinaria Collection celebrates the harmony of food and wine and never is it more fitting than for the festive season when many an hour goes into planning the ultimate festive meal.
The new vintage (2014) of Leopard’s Leap’s Culinaria Muscat de Frontignan is not only a delightful glassful on its own, but a very versatile companion to food – especially to some of the favourite festive ingredients such as caramelised fruit, sweet spice, pastry, berries, dried fruit, nuts, Gorgonzola cheese and chicken or duck liver, whether they come in the form of a terrine, pâté or parfait.
The Christmassy flavours of fruit cake – that intricate mix of fruit and spice – is perfect with the Culinaria Muscat de Frontignan. Try our recipe for Christmas cake lollies below and serve the wine well-chilled in beautiful small glasses for a special festive dessert.
Muscat de Frontignan is a sweet wine made from Muscat grapes – traditionally from the town Frontignan in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region in Southern France. The initial syrupy and very sweet style popular with philosopher Voltaire and American president, Thomas Jefferson, later developed with new trends to be fresher and lighter.
The 2014 Culinaria Muscat de Frontignan was made by allowing the grapes 12-hour skin contact to ensure a beautiful pale salmon colour. The nose offers delicate whiffs of rose water and Turkish delight with a hint of lemon and litchi. The wine is sweet without being syrupy and offers an attractive freshness.
Click here to read more online.
Roast Saddle of Lamb with Saffron Potatoes and Grilled Artichokes
Celebrating Christmas in summer means that your menu options can range from a special cut on the braai to a picnic basket on the beach. There is however something to be said for a traditional candlelight Christmas dinner!
Click here to read more online.
#Festivefeasting – Embrace The Scandinavian Trend!
The Festive season is upon us and while we all know that beyond all the jingles, flashing lights and red cheek Santas this really is a time for family and kindness, it is difficult not to get caught up in the celebratory spirit in one way or another.
So how do we celebrate in a way that keeps the true meaning while staying festive?
A set table is a wonderful way to bring family and friends together. In the coming few weeks leading up to Christmas Day, we will be sharing some ideas for festive tables – decorations, recipes and wine pairings. Look out for our take on a traditional table, a seaside-inspired table, an African-inspired table and then staying with the trend for Scandinavian design, a Scandinavian-inspired festive table! We will guide you towards a beautifully set table ready for a culinary feast and family celebration!
Let’s start with the Scandinavian-inspired Christmas table.
In tune with this latest decor trend, the table is natural and casual with warm functionality and textures. Use brown paper as a runner on the table and place cut logs as place settings. We used coarse linen serviettes, natural Christmas crackers and candle wreaths to complete the scene. Little ply wood reindeer cut-outs by Elsjedesign adds some quirky cheer.
Inspired by the warmth and earthiness of this design, Chef Pieter has prepared a Venison loin with braised fennel and potato fondant to be served with juniper berry jus. Sounds complicated? Not at all! Follow the recipe below for step by step instructions.
Cellarmaster Eugene van Zyl sat down with Chef Pieter to taste the venison dish and recommends the 2012 Leopard’s Leap Culinaria Grand Vin to go with the meal. If you are interested in why this wine works so well with the venison, don’t miss his tasting notes at the end of the blog!
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White Christmas Wine Cocktail – Eggnog Reinterpreted
This year we are embracing those classic Northern Hemisphere Christmas traditions but not without adding a South African spin! Don’t miss our #FestiveFeasting inspirations – we have already shared a Scandinavian-inspired table as well as one decorated with a White Christmas in Africa theme.
While table settings and menu plannings are important, what would this season be without some special festive drinks? Do try our fresh interpretation of another classic, eggnog!
Click here to read more online.
Click here to read the Festive Greetins Newsletter online.