Stellenbosch Wine Festival

Three estates share food and wine pairings with us

This year is the 10th annual Stellenbosch Wine Festival and the 40th anniversary of the Stellenbosch Wine Route. What better way to celebrate than by raising a glass of the region’s best wine?

This double barrel celebration will include the 150 farms that form the Stellenbosch American Express ® Wine Routes. The festival will be held at the Paul Roos Centre from the 28th-31st July and the Stellenbosch Wine Week will take place during the preceding week. Visit our events guide to see what’s happening where.

Three of the participating farms were kind enough to share their favorite food and wine pairing recipes with us.

Clos Malverne

What is going to make your farm stand out during the festival?
We will offer a unique ‘Cape’ experience on the farm during the week of the festival – this will include a food and wine pairing menu at our restaurant consisting of dishes that traditionally resemble the Cape; we will also offer special treatment packages at our day spa with products made from pinotage grape seeds (pinotage originated in this area); at the winery we will offer our customers the chance to blend their own bottle of wine to take home– the blend they will make up, will be a Cape blend consisting of at least 30% Pinotage.

Which of the wines you produce is your personal favorite and why?
My favourite is our Pinotage Reserve –made in the traditional way and the grapes are worked very gently. Together with gentle pressing in basket presses and the use of new and used barrels we achieve a wine that is classical, elegant, soft, yet complex.

Clos Malverne have paired their 2010 Sauvignon Blanc with this recipe of tempura prawns served with a cucumber and mango salad and a hot sweet chili sauce.

Knorhoek Wine Estate

Give us three reasons why people attending the Stellenbosch Wine Festival should visit Knorhoek?
We have great wine and people, affordable prices, stunning scenery, brilliant restaurant and a guesthouse. Bring your children – we've got a swimming pool and play-park at the restaurant. It’s also the perfect wedding venue.

The recipe you shared from Towerbosch Restaurant was farm-style slow-roast shoulder of lamb with the Knorhoek Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. Any reason why?
The secret behind any food and wine pairing is finding the balance between the two so that they complement each other. Our lamb is very succulent and tender, marinated in a traditional sauce that exudes a lot of flavour. Our Knorhoek Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 is a full bodied wine with well balanced tannin structures. It has a lingering mouth grip that provides constant flavour, balancing well with every bite of our lamb.

Find out how to prepare the farm-style slow-roast shoulder of lamb to be paired with the Knorhoek Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.

Simonsig Estate

This year is not only the 10th anniversary of the Stellenbosch Wine Festival and the 40th anniversary of the Stellenbosch wine route but also the 40th anniversary of Kaapse Vonkel, South Africa’s first Cap Classique. What makes your bubbly special?
It’s a unique product and the ‘brainchild’ of Frans Malan, one of the leading figures in the South African wine industry and a founding member of the Stellenbosch wine route. Kaapse Vonkel has won numerous awards and accolades during the last 40 years and can rightfully claim the position as South Africa’s first and leading Cap Classique.

You’ve shared a recipe from Cuvée with us; pan-fried white fish in orange leaves with artichoke hearts and dill butter , and paired it with Simonsig Chenin Avec Chêne. What makes the pairing sing?
The Chenin Avec Chên has a lot of fruit character up front and the back palate reminds you of buttered toast, these flavours are enhanced by the butter pan fried white fish while the orange and dill butter contributes to a creamy lingering aftertaste.

By Lindsay Callaghan

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