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+--- Thread: South African Wine Dinner at Zely & Ritz, Raleigh (/thread-8827.html)
- wondersofwine - 06-21-2010
Jon Sherwood of Boutique Wines presented the wines we tasted last Wednesday, each paired with a course that chef Sarig Agasi planned around the wine. We were greeted with
2009 KEN FORRESTER VINEYARD PETIT CHENIN BLANC, STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA. The vintner is a leading producer of Chenin Blancs in South Africa and calls this Petit Chenin Blanc to distinguish it from two other Chenin Blancs he produces. I thought it tasted a little off-dry but it is meant to be an almost dry wine and I may have been noticing the fruit rather than residual sugar. Priced at $10 plus tax.
First course of North Carolina shrimp ceviche with caramelized lemon sauce and honeydew melon (yummy dish) was a wonderful pairing with the 2009 KEN FORRESTER SAUVIGNON BLANC, STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA. I liked this tangy, almost fizzy wine, with a burst of acidic grapefruit jice and a hint of ginger. I ordered one bottle to be picked up later ($15.00 plus tax.)
Second course was Rainbow Meadows Farm (NC) roasted leg of lamb with Israeli Couscous, grilled zucchini and squash in a blackberry sauce. Paired with
2007 ONYX SHIRAZ, DARLING, WEST COAST, SOUTH AFRICA. Onyx is the reserve Shiraz of Darling Cellars. Deep ruby red color with some transparency. Nice nose of dark raspberry? and herbs. Coats the palate--rich, but not heavy-handed. Presenter likened it to a northern Rhone wine rather than an Australian fruit bomb. Drinking with some mellowness. I ordered two bottles at $19.00 each. Several at my table requested refills.
With the third course of Homestead Harvest Farm (NC) roast breast of duck with dried cherry risotto and plum sauce we had
2007 WILDEKRANS BARREL SELECT PINOTAGE, WALKER BAY, SOUTH AFRICA. This is a reserve Pinotage from the coolest part of South Africa. High elevation and a bit inland from the coast. Hot during the day, but cool at night. The top 10-15 barrels go into the reserve. The regular Pinotage sells for about $17 but the reserve commands $30. It is a small-production wine. Semi-transparent in the glass. Not bad for a Pinotage--probably the best of this variety (a cross of Pinot Noir with Cinsault) that I have ever tasted. Jon Sherwood said that many people have negative perceptions of Pinotage because a lot of Pinotage has been clumsily crafted and is just not appealing. It was intended to go with gamy grilled meats consumed in South Africa such as antelope, springbok and wild boar. Cinsault lends a smoky note to the wine.
Dessert was an apricot creme bruleee with stewed golden raisins on top, paired with
2005 DE TRAFFORD VIN DE PAILLE (straw wine), LATE HARVEST CHENIN BLANC, STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA. 100% Chenin Blanc. The raisiny notes of the dessert wine were a fine pairing with the golden raisins and the apricot creme brulee. The French name means "straw wine" because the grapes are laid out for two months on straw mats, allowing the water to evaporate and concentrating the grape juice (something like the ripasso method in Italy.) The resulting wine is sweet but balanced--not too cloying. It is very expensive to produce and a bottle sells for $47 for .375 ml.
One couple at my table are traveling to South Africa in July. She has business there for IBM and they are allowing her husband to accompany her. Another lady at the table also works with computers and has done stints in Topeka, Kansas and Pittsburgh.
The dinner was $49 per person without wines and $75 with wines not including tax and gratuities.