rock the kitchen*
F
or most of us, pairing wine with food is a simple exercise to complement, contrast and improve our dining experience, although matching red wine with red meat and white wine with fish is kinda old-fashioned given today’s gastronomic free-for-all. But for me, it’s about matching the mood – on a warm and relaxed Sunday, an ice-cold glass or two of a good dry Riesling is superb with a garlicky leg of spit-roasted lamb. Prove me wrong. I called on some of our favourite people to kickstart the sunny season on a glorious early-spring day: Matt Draper, Durban’s wine guru, rock star and purveyor of good vibes; Vanessa Blevins, incredible home cook and wine oracle; and fellow New York obsessives Nat and Clifford French (who, along with my girls, double as my chef-school tasting guinea pigs now and then). Good guy Matt took us on an unexpected and enlightening journey through the ever-fertile slopes of the Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Wellington and Robertson Valleys, and brought some delicious examples of his nectars for us to try. Our take-out for the season ahead? Chenin Blanc, all the way. Matt describes this typically dry but complex and fruity white as “sunshine in a bottle” – and we all agreed. Cheers! My advice? Invest in a case or two. But, of course this is a food story too. Paired with the laughter and wine, I made a table full of really delicious, Greek-inspired grub that made our spirited al fresco gathering a memorable one. Garlic, lemon and herb chicken souvlaki with all the trimmings, accompanied by Vanessa’s incredible corn and black bean salad, and roasted eggplant with chilli and garlic.
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First of the summer
WINES
NOW’S THE TIME TO GET OUT AND ENJOY THE SUNSHINE WITH YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD, YOUR FAVOURITE WINE AND YOUR FAVOURITE PEOPLE, SAYS ANT ELLIS
w w w . t h e r i d g e o n l i n e . c o . z a
