The Wine & Cheese of South Africa

After spending weeks in South Africa and a few lovely days in Cape Town, I would be amiss if I neglected to post an entry about the wine and cheese of South Africa.

On this trip I visited the FAIRVIEW WINE FARM:

 

 

Fairview is a third generation, family owned wine and cheese farm, on the south-west-facing slopes of Paarl Mountain, in the heart of the Paarl wine district of South Africa. It is located 45 minutes from Cape Town.

While we were here we had the privilege of a "Master Tasting" (Thanks Spruge!).  The tasting offered 8 wines paired perfectly with 8 cheeses, all of which were made on the farm.  To cleanse our palates between tastings we were offered fresh bread and a variety of olive oil, also delicious!

While they offered 8, I will discuss my favorite four pairings: 

4.  2011 Fairview Riesling paired with fresh cream cheese rolled in sweet chili powder.  This pairing was literally a party in my mouth!  Anyone who knows me knows I am not a white wine fan but this pairing made me a huge fan!  The wine was very fruity, offering hints of pear and peaches.  On its own, it was very refreshing - perfect for a warm day.  But when you took a bite of the cheese, allowed that to melt on your tongue and took a second sip of wine the flavors intensified!  The hint of sweet heat on the creamy cheese provided an outlet for the underlying citrus flavors in the wine.  It.was.amazing.  

3.  Fairview Jakkalsfontein Shiraz (2005) paired with Blue Rock cheese.  This pairing was perfect for a social gathering.  A nice, full-bodied, spicy red wine with an equally strong cheese.  Paired with the bread and olive oil it was quite a snack! Needless to say I procured this wine which I enjoyed with my mother during the 36 hours I was home.

2.  Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz (2006) also paired with Blue Rock cheese.  This pairing is also very  perfect for a social gathering.  A nice, medium-bodied, nutty red wine with a fruity aroma.  It also goes very well with this strong blue cheese made on the farm.  I had a hard time choosing between this and the Jakkalsfontein Shiraz but I ultimately chose the Jakkalsfontein because I do love a full-bodied wine!

 #1.  I saved the best for last.  The pairing that literally made a tear fall from my left eye:  The Primo Vintage Pinotage (2009) and the goats milk cheese rolled in fresh garlic and herbs.  The wine, perfectly described by the website, was a limited vintage with only 300 bottles put on the market.  This wine, "...offers intense cherry and perfumed violet on the nose, with underlying notes of smoky oak and sweet spice. Ripe plum and spice on the palate with a firm structure worthy of time in the bottle. This wine will only get better with time" is, for me, the perfect wine.  It was only intensified after allowing the succulent goats milk cheese which was rolled in fresh garlic and herbs to melt on my tongue.  The strong flavors offered on this creamy cheese brought out the sweet spices in the wine.  While the cheese alone may be overpowering, with the wine it becomes soft, delicious and perfect.  Coupled with the bread and olive oil this pairing would be the center of any social gathering.  The hostess sadly informed me that with only 300 bottles on the market the only bottle remaining was the one on display.  After some pleading and pulling out the "...but I came all the way from the United States and I have to have this bottle of wine ..." she sold me the display bottle.  I may have "fallen" for the "it is the last bottle" but I do not care.  I cannot wait to slowly sip this wine in the comforts of my home after a long day at work or on a plane.

If you are ever in Cape Town and can only visit one wine farm THIS is the wine farm you MUST visit!  The prices are reasonable for the master tasting (approximately $9.50), the grounds are gorgeous, the atmosphere in the tasting room is sexy, inviting, relaxing and the staff know their wine!  Enjoy!