Move over Chef’s Table and Parts Unknown.
There’s a locally made cooking show that’s causing quite the stir, both at home and abroad. I’ll Bring The Wine is a brand new five-part series presented by Nederburg and hosted by acclaimed South African food writer and restaurateur, Karen Dudley.
Having recently released the final episode, it’s the kind of binge watch that’ll leave you salivating for more.
From the dry plains of the Karoo to the lush, rural foothills of Kwa-Zulu Natal, from chicken feet terrine at a five-star restaurant in Cape Town to slow-cooked tongue in the heart of the Midlands—eye-watering cinematography meets mouth-watering gastronomy, blended together with nuanced precision.
- “Getting to explore our rich, diverse South African culinary heritage whilst witnessing some of our best chefs reimagine traditional dishes has been an absolute privilege,” says Karen.
- “For years and years, we’ve been looking to other people and places to express our identity, often feeling a little awkward about our indigenous dishes,” she continues. “In this show, we step outside of categories and definitions, and celebrate everything that we are and have to offer.”
In the final episode of the series, two impossibly different places meet on one plate: a rugged stretch of coastline, home to the world’s only truly wild oysters, and the parched desert plains of the Karoo, home to a variety of buck that still roam free, as they have for millennia.
It’s the mighty surf & turf, Mzansi-style, and nobody does it better than Knysna Oyster expert, Charles Van Tonder, and Venison fundi and Karoo native, Annatjie Reynolds.
Like the surprisingly sublime pairing of smoked wild oysters with tender venison rump cooked under an open fire, the combination of Karen’s astute insights and each chef’s incredible skill and passion blend together to create a show that is quite simply, unlike any other.
“It takes a special discipline, restraint and imagination to honour tradition while adding another dimension,” comments Nederburg winemaker, Zinaschke Steyn. Indeed, like the dishes on display, each carefully chosen wine reflects the same fusion of tradition, innovation, and unique South African flair.
To watch all the series’ five episodes, visit https://illbringthewine.co.za
About the show
I’ll Bring The Wine is a five-part limited series presented by Nederburg. Hosted by acclaimed South African food writer and restaurateur, Karen Dudley, each episode takes you on a journey to taste, learn and discover some of South Africa’s traditional favourites, reimagined. Because after all, there’s no one way to make a meal.
Episode One: The Modern Zulu – Chicken Feet Reimagined
In Episode 1, Karen travels with much-loved chef Mmabatho Molefe (named Taste Magazine’s Chef to Watch in 2020) to KZN to explore her interpretation of chicken feet and see how she’s putting South Africa’s favourite street food, and Nguni cuisine as a whole, on the world stage.
- Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/1GUI61KVhRg
- Watch the episode: https://youtu.be/2BGp6WHjJOk
Episode Two: Finding Balance – Beef Tongue Reimagined
In Episode 2, Karen meets acclaimed chef, Jackie Cameron, to explore her interpretation of the ever contentious beef tongue. At the same time, she’ll discover how Jackie’s balancing the demands of being a chef, teacher, and a mother, all at the same time.
- Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/CueQF3telV8
- Watch the episode: https://youtu.be/TPi9Zq7VDmo
Episode Three: Seeing the light – Diwali Dish Reimagined
In Episode 3, Karen travels to Durban to join chef Pashi Reddy and his family as they celebrate Diwali. As she joins this festival celebrating light overcoming darkness, Karen will explore the traditional flavours before tasting Pashi’s reimagined Diwali dish.
- Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/rQF5tSrPJzQ
- Watch the episode: https://youtu.be/GHXAiQ1kuDM
Episode Four: Icebreaker – Pap Dish Reimagined
In Episode 4, Karen meets with microbiologist-turned-chef, Tapiwa Guhze who’s on a mission to reframe the conversation around staple and local foods. Karen discovers how Tapi takes South Africa’s most widespread dish, mieliepap, and turns it into something both delightful and inspiring.
- Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/3fx05NkCU_4
- Watch the episode: https://youtu.be/0c6A5WBVIU0
Episode Five: Two Worlds – Surf & Turf Reimagined
In Episode 5, Karen heads to both the lush Garden Route coast as well as the arid Karoo where she meets chef Annatjie Reynolds. Under the night sky, Karen and Annatjie enjoy a version of ‘surf & turf’ too unique to fathom.
- Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/XybCKcOVXE0
- Watch the episode: https://youtu.be/RfHMVIKICdk
