Made by a critical winemaking team to be served to critical wine and food lovers

Friday, 8 December, 2017
KWV
KWV The Mentors’ reputation for quality reaches Michelin-star restaurant

Paarl-based KWV is incredibly proud to be served in a restaurant owned by the first South African chef to reach Michelin-star status.  KWV The Mentors, KWV’s high-end boutique wine offering, is listed on the coveted wine list at JAN – the fine-dining restaurant in Nice, France, owned by Michelin-star chef, Chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen.

KWV The Mentors - a range that was established in 2006 to allow the KWV winemaking team the creative freedom to experiment with different vineyards, cellar practices, and grape varieties - is known for its wines that deliver exceptional drinking pleasure.

This range’s reputation for providing excellent quality is the exact reason why Chef Jan Hendrik felt confident to include it on his restaurant’s wine list – which is perused by some of the world’s most critical wine and food lovers.  

Chef Jan Hendrik says that listing this range at his Michelin-star restaurant JAN, showcases proudly South African quality: “KWV The Mentors range not only exceeded my expectations but also delivered incredible as a food wine.”

Wines bearing the KWV The Mentors label reflect the strict selection criteria which the KWV wine team applies in the making of the final product: a regime which is carried through from vineyard to final bottling. “Only our finest wines, made from the finest grapes, are bottled under the KWV The Mentors label,” says winemaker Izele van Blerk. “In some instances, the available quality wine is limited to tiny quantities, sometimes as little as only 1500 ℓ, which makes these wines highly attractive for buyers who seek an exclusive wine experience.”

Van Blerk announced that the KWV The Mentors range would be adding its first Grenache Noir to the collection: “The winemaking team experimented for five years with this variety before we felt the quality was of such an outstanding grade that it warranted bottling under the KWV The Mentors label. The 2015 vintage was exceptional, and it was the year that we discovered the variety’s ‘sweet spot.' The result is a balanced wine with plenty of dark and red fruit, dominated by the delicious cherry quality associated with the varietal.” This wine will be added to the KWV The Mentors range which has been refocused to include Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Verdot, Pinotage and the Bordeaux-style red blend Orchestra and the Rhône-style Canvas red blend. KWV The Mentors Noble Late Harvest will only be released in exceptional years.

Says Tanya Blokdyk, who heads up marketing for the KWV The Mentors portfolio: “Apart from offering enjoyable drinking as standalone wines, the KWV The Mentors wines are also incredible food partners. They have a certain intricate quality which complements food of a similar, layered, style. Chef Jan Hendrik’s dishes, therefore, provides the absolute perfect pairings.”

Chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen suggests the following food-and-wine paired menu:

Tuna cone with avocado and samphire: Paired to KWV The Mentors Chenin Blanc and/or KWV The Mentors Sauvignon Blanc.

Beef Fillet with hibiscus and wild mushrooms: Paired to KWV The Mentors Orchestra

Duck with cabbage, cauliflower and macadamia: KWV The Mentors Chardonnay and/or KWV The Mentors Grenache Blanc.

Lemon and Amasi dessert with fennel: Paired with KWV The Mentors Noble Late Harvest.

To order KWV The Mentors wines, visit the KWV online shop

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Michelin-star chef, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen
Michelin-star chef, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen

Izele van Blerk, Red Wine Maker
Izele van Blerk, Red Wine Maker





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