Host the ultimate Winter Dinner Party with Bellingham

What makes a good food and wine combination?

The aim is for the food and wine to bring out the best flavours and textures of the other, with neither dominating the taste or detracting from the experience as a whole. Matching quality with quality is also important, the finest ingredients for both are paramount.

This is something the team at Bellingham had in mind when planning ‘The Bernard Series’ must-have reds to warm a fine winter menu.

Bellingham’s The Bernard Series red wines provide the perfect winter comfort, especially when paired with sumptuous gourmet cuisine. These wines were made with food in mind, after all.

Bernard Podlashuk, Bellingham founder and pioneer in the South African wine industry, understood the magical symbiosis between fine wine and food. A flamboyant man who, along with his wife Fredagh, relished entertaining with lavish dinner parties at the Bellingham homestead.

The Bellingham Team have now assembled a winter menu in their honour; a celebration of the wonderful food-enhancing qualities of The Bernard Series red wines.

Starter: Bush Vine Pinotage with seasonal pumpkin and ricotta ravioli 

Although the general association with Pinotage is red meat, this proudly South-African grape variety also works superbly with vegetarian dishes. The earthy savoury notes of the Bernard Series Bush Vine Pinotage echoes the same comforting flavours in this delicious pumpkin and ricotta ravioli, tied together by the addition of rustic sage.

Recipe credit: Amanda Higgins, www.amandainthekitchen.com

Main course: Basket Press Syrah with glazed spiced venison, wild mushrooms

Basket Press Syrah, with its incredible depth of flavour and peppery oak spices, is a perfect match for glazed venison in a spicy rub. A harmony further enforced by the umami of the wild mushrooms and richness of the sweet potato mash.

Recipe credit: Donal Skehan, www.donalskehan.com

Dessert: Small Barrel SMV with dark chocolate panna cottaand red-wine poached plums

Desserts and dessert wines are usually considered the perfect match. That said, there is definitely a place for red wine at the dessert table. Especially with a less sweet dessert like this dreamy dark chocolate panna cotta and red-wine poached plums, an excellent partner for the fragrant, spicy plums and mocha notes in the Small Barrel SMV.

Recipe credit: Claire Aldous, www.dish.co.nz.

With this guide to a fantastic Food & Wine centred dinner party, why not plan one of your own? With this menu, it’s bound to be a roaring success!

 

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