Pinotage on a plate
We all know there’s nothing to beat a glass of the good stuff, but who among us can resist the pure pleasure of ‘eating’ Pinotage? A few clever folk have come up with some innovative and sometimes downright zany ways of incorporating Pinotage into mouthwatering taste sensations.
Beyerskloof cellar in Stellenbosch is home to some of the country’s top Pinotage and Pinotage blended wines. Cellarmaster/owner Beyers Truter is a Pinotage pioneer, instrumental in founding the Pinotage Association and the Absa Top 10 Pinotage Competition. But he also has a delightful sense of humour and never overlooks the chance to have some fun, especially when it comes to his favourite variety.
Beyerskloof supplies the wine for a delicious Pinotage salami, where the traditional vinegar is substituted with Pinotage from the cellar. 'Can you believe we sell 200 salamis a week off the farm?' says marketing and export manager Francois Naudé proudly. In a joint venture with Marcel's Frozen Yoghurt, their wine is also used to make a refreshing Pinotage frozen yoghurt treat –just the thing for those sweltering Boland summer days.
Those with a sweet tooth will be in paroxysms of pleasure when they sample the syrupy seduction of Elsabé du Plessis’ yummy Pinotage jam. Elsabé and her daughters have always been adventurous in the kitchen, and wanted to create a uniquely South African jam. The luscious fruit from the Pinotage vineyards on the family’s vine nursery farm in
Wellington provided the perfect answer.
'The jam’s colour is exceptional, a wonderfully deep purple colour and the berries remain intact throughout the entire cooking process. The taste is a heavenly mix of mulberry, dark chocolate and coffee,' explains Elsabé. She suggests a wide variety of tantalizing recipes using the jam, from a
jus for game and pork dishes, to a sauce for ice cream, an irresistible cheesecake and of course as the perfect partner to deep fried camembert. It seems she can’t keep up, having started with one crate of Pinotage, this year the team processed one ton of Pinotage for their jam!
Feeling guilty about that extra scoop of ice cream? Well, you needn’t. For an indulgent treat packed with added health benefits look no further than the VineTherapy range of ice creams from Sinnfull Ice Cream Emporium in
Camps Bay. Owner and mastermind behind a mind-boggling variety of mouthwatering ice creams, Britta Sinn also makes a selection of grape and grape seed extract ice creams together with Tony McKeever of Renewal VineTherapy. Her Pinotage Blackberry and Black Pepper Ice cream with Pinotage and Pinotage grape seed extract not only tastes absolutely dreamy, it’s good for you. Grape seed extract is a powerful anti-oxidant which improves blood circulation and strengthens the immune system.
A match made in heaven
When it comes to celebrating the divine marriage that is Pinotage and food, the team at a The Pinotage Restaurant and Wine Cellar in Centurion,
Pretoria, are passionate about the uniqueness and versatility of this variety. Co-owners Hennie Carstens and Allan Clingham, both dedicated oenophiles, chose the name Pinotage 'because the wine is a proudly South African product and inspiration for a journey of true taste sensations'. This year the restaurant hosted a Wine Pressing Festival together with Durbanville cellar Meerendal, where wine lovers participated in a Pinotage ‘stomp’.
Pinotage makes an excellent partner to a wide variety of dishes, so don’t be afraid to experiment with food pairings. Beyers Truter has an unusual starter in mind for an upcoming cook-off: a duo of Beyerskloof Pinotage Rosé Brut and alikreukel (a tasty South African shellfish)! The variety is even taking off in the East, as it’s great with spicy foods. When it comes to tickling those taste buds executive chef David Higgs from Wheatfields restaurant on Meerendal wine estate recommends serving tuna with Pinotage, as the fish’s meatiness is more than a match for a robust number. Or enjoy a glass of chilled Pinotage with paella for a refreshing epicurean epiphany.
This quintessentially South African cultivar goes down a treat with many of our delectable local dishes. The folk at Bon Cap wine estate in Robertson recommend a Lightly Cured Ostrich Carpaccio to bring out the ripe berry flavours and mocha smokiness of their Bon Cap Organic Pinotage. The variety works just as well with a
Cape curry,
bobotie,
snoek en patats and game (head chef Tony Köcke from Lanzerac suggests kudu). But don’t limit yourself to savoury experiences, a well wooded Pinotage often has secondary flavours of chocolate. Try serving a chocolate pancake or dark chocolate truffle cake with a sparkling Pinotage recommends the Pinotage Association.
Pinotage lends itself to a wide variety of wine styles. Simonsig recently launched their Brut Rosé 2005, made in the classic Méthode Cap Classique tradition from 94% Pinotage (a gourmet knock-out with salmon, sushi and tropical fruit salads). Lanzerac’s delightful new Pinotage Rosé is made from 85% Pinotage and is perfect as a summer aperitif, or with light lunches. The Beyerskloof Lagare is a fortified vintage port style wine made from Pinotage, Touriga Naçionale and
Shiraz –ideal with a cheese platter or on its own in front of a fire on a chilly winter’s evening.
Pinotage Pampering
On the verge of a burnout? Then you’re a perfect candidate for some Pinotage therapy.
Cape Town based Wisdom of Africa Pure Spa Collection boasts a GrapeTherapy range of skin and body care products, designed to restore the balance between body, mind and soul. The range is based on cold-pressed grape seed oil extracts, which are a potent source of antioxidants. The GrapeTherapy range consists of Pinotage Nourishing facials and Pinotage Luxurious Bathing Rituals to name a few heavenly applications.
TheraVINE is another local vine-derived spa and home beauty brand which makes use of the powerful properties contained in the Pinotage grape seeds, skins and leaves, known to combat ageing and act as an antidote to stress and pollutants. Products include a Pinotage peel-off mask, balancing Pinotage face oil and uplifting Pinotage body oil.
The Renewal VineTherapy range also offers a variety of health and skin care products based on the rejuvenating qualities of our home grown variety, such as a crushed Pinotage grape seed and vegetable soap, for bath time bliss. For an out of body experience try the ultra relaxing Vine Leaf Firming Body Gel Wrap treatment, which combines a Pinotage grape seed exfoliation and a moisturizing Pinotage body oil rub. Mmmmm...
So, what are you waiting for? Get creative with our national grape - Play with Pinotage!
This article was commissioned on behalf of the Pinotage Association.
www.pinotage.co.za