Neil's Wine of the Week
Spier Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2009
The price: around R70 for a 750ml bottle.
First Impression: A squirt of lemon on a plump oyster.
The Story: The Olifants River is the hot new cool climate appellation for grassy Sauvignon blanc cool thanks to sea breezes from the Atlantic; hot thanks to an inherent minerality in wines grown in this rocky semi-desert. Lutzville is the source of Sauvignon for some of the biggest brands, from Vergelegen in Somerset West (Stellenbosch) to Rickety Bridge in Franschhoek. The grapes for this wine were grown organically in Koekenaap, next door to Lutzville, 340 km from Cape Town.
The Taste: Racy acidity, gooseberries and lemon grass with a pleasant tang.
Michael Says: Spier is one of the tourist-busiest wine estates. This all started when Neil Joubert, former owner of Spier, with Spatz Sperling from Delheim and Frans Malan of Simonsig started the Stellenbosch Wine Route in 1971.
Neil Says: The label is a treatise to organic grapes, so this wine should be well rated by sighted wine guides.
Did You Know? Koekenaap is Khoi for "where the ram fell" and although a Fryer's Cove Pinot Noir will work better with lamb chops, Spier cellar master Frans Smit is confident many herbivores will fall for this wine.
The Small Print: The alcohol is a lunchtime friendly 13% and the pH of 3.3 means that this wine is good for a couple of years bottle maturation.
Contact details: (021) 809-1143, email info@spier.co.za or visit www.spier.co.za.
Michael's Wine of the Week to go with Lannice Snyman's Pilchard Fishcakes
Stellar Organics Mandala Range Colombard Sauvignon Blanc
The price: around R25 a 750ml bottle
First Impression: Fruity crisp and light.
The Story: Stellar Organics wines are made by Dudley Wilson. Vineyards cared for by Maria Malan, formerly a domestic worker and farm labourer, now chair of Stellar Employees' Trust Joint Body and regional Sanlam Farm Manager of the year. Stellar is not only South Africa's largest organic wine producer, but are also Fair Trade registered.
The Taste: Sparky fresh Colombard, fruity and crisp and the Sauvignon showing its presence.
Michael Says: Dudley somehow makes Colombard that lasts beyond the time the presses are washed out. The first wine of his that I tasted some years ago was a two year old Colombard was a great drop.
Neil Says: In Gascony, Colombard is distilled to make Cognac. In Namaqualand they green up their guavas with grassy Sauvignon Blanc to give you something to goema-goema to the music of Jakobus Cloete.
Did You Know? A flock of Indian runner ducks deals with vineyards pests, earthworms attend to soil health, grape seed oil is pressed and skins are turned into compost. No chemicals are used in the cellar except for the filter cleaning process.
The small print: A small percentage of Stellar wines are bottled as "No-sulphur added" which need to be consumed quite young.
Contact details: (027) 216-1310, email info@stellarorganics.com or visit www.stellarorganics.com.
Out of the Can
Lannice Snyman is one of South Africa's most prolific cookery book writers. Out of the can is the second book she has written for Lucky Star and this one includes middlecut, tuna, sardines and pilchards.
At the launch of the book last week, I tasted some really superb dishes which Lannice's daughter Tamsin had prepared for us. This was one I really enjoyed!
Pilchard Fishcakes
Serves 46
- 400g can Lucky Star Pilchards in Tomato
- 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- salt and ground black pepper
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 small onion, very finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- cake flour
- oil
- lettuce leaves and sliced tomato
Drain and mash the pilchards; keep the sauce if you wish to serve it with the fishcakes.
Cook the potatoes in salted, boiling water until soft. Drain well, mash, and season with salt and pepper.
Mix together the pilchards, mashed potato, beaten eggs, onion and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Form into six patties on a floured board and dust well with flour.
Fry the fishcakes in shallow oil until crisp and golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
Place the fishcakes on plates with lettuce leaves and sliced tomato.
Pilchard sauce from the can may be offered too.
* Don't throw away pilchard bones! They are full of calcium, which is essential for strong, healthy bones, teeth and hair. The bones in Lucky Star Pilchards are so soft that even a toddler can eat them.
RELATED LINKS:
The People's Guide pressroom.
Pendock Uncorked in the Sunday Times by Neil Pendock.
People, places, wine and food by Michael Olivier.
Follow The People's Guide on Twitter.
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