Allesverloren Red Muscadel 2018

Wednesday, 5 December, 2018
Michael Olivier
I think that the wonderful sweet fortified wines which we produce in this country are very underrated. An under appreciated. Allesverloren, the famous Swartland Appellation Wine Estate has for years produced a benchmark Port style wine which many would buy when looking for a bottle of port.

In France, port is a huge favourite as a pre-summer lunch drink when served with tonic and ice. For me the Allesverloren Red Muscadel 2018 is one of the sweet wines that needs a bit of trumpeting.

The grapes for the Allesverloren Red Muscadel 2018 are pure aromatic Red Muscadel Grapes which are destalked once in the cellar and then allowed to ferment in open top fermenters. Frequent pump overs took place to gain maximum colour, aroma and flavour during fermentation. The wine was then fortified racking it off and pumping it into neutral spirits, distilled from grapes. The Allesverloren Red Muscadel 2018 was then prepared for bottling.

Pour
From a classical sweet wine shaped bottle with a simple elegant Allesverloren label. In the glass, it is a gem bright almost translucent cherry red. The aromas are of just picked Red Muscadel and sweet Christmas cake spices. The harmony is perfect, the acidity richly woven into dark spiced berry coulis and aromatic wine with its long long aftertaste. This is a laster of a wine and will last for many years, and reward you amply, if properly cellared.

Pair
In the late afternoon, with almond biscotti or a slice of plain pound cake. Elmarie Berry’s Chocolate Fruit Cake is a rich, moist cake that will not last long in a household, especially where children are involved.

Elmarie Berry’s Chocolate Fruit Cake

This recipe makes 2 x 20cm cakes, each 5cm in height or one large cake.

Ingredients
1kg fruit cake mix | 240g butter | 1 tablespoon ground coffee | 1 teaspoon mixed spice | 400ml water | 240g sugar | 1 cup golden syrup | 1 cup of Allesverloren Red Muscadel | 4 tablespoons cacao | 300g cake flour | ½ teaspoon baking powder | ½ teaspoon bicarb soda | 4 eggs

Method
Preheat the oven to 140C.
Line two cake tins with baking paper and spray with spray and cook.
Add the fruitcake mix, butter, coffee, mixed spice, water, sugar, golden syrup and Allesverloren’s Red Muscadel to a pot. Bring it to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool down to room temperature.
Beat the eggs with an electric beater, add the fruit cake mixture and the rest of the dry ingredients.
Beat together until combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins and bake for 1 and ½ hour. Test the cake with a toothpick, when the toothpick comes out clean it is done. Increase the time of baking by 1 hour if you do pour the batter into one cake tin.
Leave it to cool down slightly, then pour two tablespoons of Allesverloren’s Red Muscadel over the cake and leave it to cool down completely. You can feed your cake one tablespoon of Allesverloren’s Red Muscadel per week.
Enjoy your cake with a glass of chilled Allesverloren’s Red Muscadel.

Read more about Allesverloren Wine Estate - Click here