Cheap Wine Lover

A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of visiting South Africa. Although it was a business trip, the company I was traveling with set me up with a wine tour while visiting Cape Town. Little did I know, I was about to discover one of my favorite wines!

We headed to a couple of wineries one of which was Goats Do Roam. I tried something I had never tried before, a Pinotage. I was instantly smitten and asked, “So is this Pintoage something new?” The sommelier laughed and said, “Hardly.” He shared the history of Pinotage and between the wine, the company and history, I was hooked. The wine I had was a Fairview Pinotage  from South Africa. The interesting thing about this Pinotage was the smooth, spicy flavor. I couldn’t figure out exactly what I could pair it with and wondered if I could find it back home.

To my surprise, at Binny’s here in town, I came across a Fairview Pinotage, 2007. It was the same Fairview I tasted in South Africa at only $13.00 a bottle! I served it with a pork dish I made that included butternut squash and brown rice. (Tip: I add carmelized onions in lieu of cheese in recipe.)  It was a delicious match.  Since that dish, I have paired different Pinotages with different main dishes and they all seem to fit. Bottom line, it’s a very verstaile wine.

If you haven’t tried a Pinotage, I encourage you to give it a go. Don’t focus so much on what to pair it with, try it first and see what you think. Remember, wine is very personal. What may be spicy to me may seem dry to someone else. Other Pinotage’s that I have tried include: Goats in Villages, Goats Do Roam Red (a Pinotage blend) and Seven Sisters Pinotage Shiraz. All are below $15.00 and amazingly memorable. Let me know what you think.

Until next time, enjoy great food, great friends and great wine!

Nicki

Last night I made a great chicken dish that I  matched with a 2007 Liars Dice Murphy-Goode Zinfandel. It was a perfect match with the dish. It held up under a spicy tomato sauce and offered a nice fruit forward taste. Of course the longer it sat, the better it tasted. Priced at just $17.00, it’s a great Zin.

A bit about Red Zinfandel -

Zinfandel is a variety of red grape planted in over 10 percent of California Vineyards.  DNA fingerprinting revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croation grape Crljenak Kaštelanski, and also the Primitivo variety traditionally grown in the “heel” of Italy where it was introduced in the 1700s. The grape found its way to the United States in the mid-19th century, and became known by variations of the name “Zinfandel”, a name of uncertain origin.

The grapes typically produce a robust red wine, although a semi-sweet rose (blush) wine called White Zinfandel has six times the sales of the red wine in the United States. The grape’s high sugar content can be fermented into levels of alcohol exceeding 15 percent.

The taste of the red wine depends on the ripeness of the grapes from which it is made.

Here’s what I served the wine with:

The dish I made was Chicken Stuffed with Feta Cheese and Basil. I pounded out chicken breasts until 1/4″ or so thick. I then sprinkled 1 TSBP feta cheese and a couple of fresh basil leaves (or you can sprinkle 2 tsp. of dried basil, more if you love basil like I do.) Roll up cutlet, secure with 1 toothpick, repeat for remaining chicken breasts. Place chicken in a heavy pan with olive oil and 1tsp. minced garlic. Brown chicken on all sides. Meanwhile, put 2 cans (14.8 oz) of Fire-Roasted Tomatoes (Muir Glen) in a blender along with 2 tsp of crushed red pepper (more if you really like heat, less if you don’t). I liquefied it in my blender. Once chicken browned, I removed from the pan and added in the sauce from the blender. I put the chicken back in the pan with the sauce and cooked for 10 minutes (uncovered) and  turned the chicken and cooked  for an additional 10-15 minutes.

I served it with orzo and roasted carrots and zucchini with red onion, yum!

The wine was fabulous with this dish, meant for it.  Next I’ll share a dish I made with a South African Pinotage, love it.

Until next time, enjoy great food, great friends and great wine!

Nicki