Archive for the ‘Tradition’ Category

It’s an age old tradition to pair wine with food. Everyone’s familiar with the idea of wine and cheese or wine and chocolate, but how about pairing wine with your braai?

 

The basic concept of pairing wine and food is to match the flavour intensity of the food with the wine you drink. For example a lightly flavoured piece of meat is complemented by a mildly flavoured wine. This way the flavour of one doesn’t overpower the flavour of the other.

When talking about the flavours of food, what better to you get than your assorted meats on an open flame? Also, anyone serious about a braai(bbq) knows about flavour, knows about patience, and knows that aroma can be as important as taste.

You have all sorts of braai styles, meats, sauces, wood or charcoal, shapes of the actual braai and of course – many different wines. It’s the perfect pair!

Here are a few thoughts on what works.

 

Try a Muscadel with spicy chicken wings or even with fish.

How about a Welmoed Sauvignon Blanc with grilled chicken?

Welmoed Cabernet Sauvignon pair remarkably well with sauced up ribs.

A Welmoed Merlot can bring out the best in grilled pork chops or a Shiraz with a smoked red meat.

Some do tend to follow the rule that red wines pair well with red meat and white wines with white meat. This is a certainly a helpful hint, but remember there’s nothing wrong with a bit of experimentation.

Next time you light that fire, think of which cork you pop.

 

 

Source: bbq.about.com

 

Leg of lamb is one of the traditional South African dishes served at family gathering and Christmas is no exception. There are leg of lamb recipes which have probably been in a family for generations and is prepared and enjoyed this time every year.

Here is a mouth watering leg of lamb recipe which will be perfect for a Christmas dinner.

Ingredients

 

1 lemon, strips of zest removed with a peeler and juice squeezed

6 cloves garlic

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and black pepper

1 2.5-3kg bone-in leg of lamb

1.4 kg very small carrots, scrubbed

2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup fresh mint leaves

6 scallions or onion , chopped

2 teaspoons honey

 

Directions

 -Heat oven to 200° C. In a food processor, pulse the lemon zest, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper until coarsely chopped.

-Place the lamb in a large roasting pan and rub with the lemon mixture. In a large bowl, toss the carrots, 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; set aside.

-Roast the lamb to the desired doneness, 90 to 105 minutes for medium-, adding the carrots to the pan after the lamb has cooked for 50 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

-Meanwhile, in the food processor, puree the parsley, mint, scallions, honey, lemon juice, the remaining ½ cup of oil, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Serve with the lamb and carrots.

Recommended wine: The well-balanced Welmoed Cabernet Sauvignon will competent this dish.

 

Source: realsimple.com

 

The holiday looms, and so does Christmas. All you want to do is chill out after what’s been a hard year. But that’s not always the easiest thing to do – you know the bit about life being “the thing that happens while you’re making other plans”.

For some, chilling out may mean booking a camping site 20 km from the nearest village a year in advance. Or going into a Trappist monastery until the festive season is over.

But most people will have a more sociable time – either at home, visiting relatives, or at the seaside somewhere. Who knows, you might need to get back to the office in January to get some rest. In order to get the most out of your break , women24.com suggest that you try and avoid the following festive season stressors.

Guests galore. You have a big house, and over Christmas it fills up with aunties, grannies, nieces, uncles – you name it. Instead of looking after four people, you are now looking after twelve. This is no holiday for you, as you are the unofficial entertainment committee, the caterer, the conflict resolution specialist, and the local cleaner. If you live in a popular destination, you might have to put your foot down. Or at least put together a duty roster for the cooking and the cleaning. And, for heaven’s sake, don’t feel you have to be the unofficial tour guide. Take a day or two off and let the guests entertain themselves.

Feeding frenzy. Food, food, food. It’s all over during the Christmas season and it’s lying in wait for you everywhere, and we’re not talking about celery sticks either. It’s chips, cakes, cheese snacks, chocolates, to name but a few. And, after all, you’re on holiday. So why not? That’s fine, but just don’t get into a new habit. Most people end the festive season with quite a few kilos that were not there in November. Don’t become a festive season fatty.

Booze bonanza. From the office party to friends’ homes, to family barbecues – booze is no stranger to the festive season. And often, other people are paying for it. By all means have a beer or two, if you’re not driving, but don’t binge on booze. Drinking too much is something that carries its own punishment with it, a bit like eating that second helping of hot Indian curry. And do remember, that everyone likes you to have a drink or two, but nobody likes having a social embarrassment at their parties. Fall down drunk, or insult one of the other guests, and you can be sure you’ll be off the party list. Forever.

I’m so lonely. Some people wish everything could be a little quieter. Others wish for a break from the peace and quiet and they dream of the phone ringing or a horde of guests arriving. The secret is to arrange a few things in advance. Invite people for supper, get a friend to go with you to a movie, or organise a day or two away in a different place. Don’t wait until the festive season is upon you before doing something about your social calendar. It’s not going to happen by itself.

Exercise inertia. Most people give their exercise regimes a break during the festive season. It is, after all, the end of the year. Problem is, many people overindulge completely on the food front at the same time, and coupled with a fortnight of couch-potato-ism, your waistline might be expanding at the rate of knots. Go for a walk with the family, run along the beach, play volleyball. Do anything to burn up those extra calories. And get back into it early in the new year.

Credit card crisis. The last of the Big Spenders. If that describes you in the shopping centre with your Christmas bonus and your credit card, you’re obviously a sucker for all those Christmas ads. And you’re going to be stony broke in January, and depressed in February when the credit card statements start arriving. Point is that you can probably buy just as nice a present for R100 as you can for R200, or R400. You just need to plan it well. It’s the thought that counts, not the size of the present.

Sunburn stress. The sun in the southern hemisphere is vicious , and skin cancer is a real danger. And remember that the damage is cumulative. Burning yourself to a crisp or having a whimpering and sunburnt child on your hands, is no way to spend Christmas. Speak to your pharmacist and get a high-factor sunblock before you head for the beach. And speaking of the beach – watch out for bluebottles or pieces of broken glass in the sand.

Crowd control. Think of Christmas, and what many people see are teeming masses of people in a shopping centre, all of them with a mission, and accompanied by at least two unwilling and exhausted kids. It can be avoided – do your gift shopping in November and do a bulk grocery shop before 18 December. Milling crowds can be exhausting, and elicit everything but the Christmas spirit in you. In fact, it can bring on a bout of trolley rage.

Gift of the grab. Frantic last-minute gift-buying is a killer – not only don’t you get what you are looking for, you also spend a fortune on it. Rather than give unwanted and expensive presents, go for gift vouchers – at least people will appreciate them, even if they are not the most personal of offerings.

Family fest. Family. You get them, you don’t choose them. And never is it more obvious than at Christmas time when Uncle Freddy is holding forth on all his achievements, or Aunt Doris is slurring after her third beer. Or your cousin’s kids are running around screaming, chasing your poor cats. Then there are the endless questions about when you are going to tie the knot, have babies etc. Family get-togethers seldom do much for your self-esteem. Just repeat the mantra, “It will soon be over for another year.”

Welmoed has a wide wine range that will suit any palate for all the festive season occasions.

Source: women24.com

We are running a great competition on our Facebook page where you can stand a chance to win a turkey for that perfect Christmas lunch.

To enter visit our Facebook page .

Mobi users can enter here

 

Beef stews, or variations of this dish,  are served as traditional dishes in many cultures and countries. Here is a great traditional beef stew recipe which is sure to delight your family or friends.

 

Ingredients

• 1400 g cubed beef stew meat
• 30 g all-purpose flour
• 3 g salt
• 50 ml olive oil
• 50 ml Worcestershire sauce
• 450 g carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 large potatoes, cubed
• 1 g dried parsley
• 3 g ground black pepper
• 475 ml boiling water
• 60 g onion soup mix
• 50 g butter
• 3 large onions, quartered
• 15 g minced garlic
• 120 ml burgundy wine
• 2 (170g packages fresh button mushrooms, halved
• 60 ml warm water
• 25 g cornstarch

Directions

1. Toss the beef, flour, and salt in a sealable bag until the beef is coated.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine the beef and Worcestershire sauce in the skillet; cook until the beef is evenly browned on all sides; transfer to a slow cooker, but do not clean the skillet. Add the carrots, potatoes, parsley, and pepper to the slow cooker.
3. Combine the boiling water and soup mix in a small bowl; add to slow cooker.
4. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the melted butter until soft; transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker and return the skillet to the heat. Combine the wine and mushrooms to the skillet; cook until the mushrooms begin to absorb the wine; pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
5. Place the cover on the slow cooker and set to High; cook for one hour. Reduce heat to Low and cook until the beef is fork-tender, 6 to 8 hours. Whisk together the warm water and cornstarch; stir into the stew; cook uncovered until stew thickens, about 15 minutes.

Recommended wine: The Welmoed Merlot will be a perfect match with this fantastic dish.

 

Source: allrecipes.com

One of our loyal supporters, George Britz recently shared his Welmoed memorable moment.

He wrote:

“This moment was as in a time-capsule of eternally tranquillity, love and peace – to be able to enjoy Gods creation with my wonderful wife, Elsie.  Just, as it is important to have a balanced blend of ingredients and time for a good Red Wine in making – this moment added to our near 34 years of marriage (December 2011).”

 

Thank you  George for sharing your moment and for your loyal support of our brand. As a token of our appreciation we will sent you a few bottles of Welmoed Viognier and Welmoed Pinotage.

A roast rack of lamb is just the right dish to prepare on South Africa’s Heritage weekend . This dish maybe time consuming to prepare but the result is an amazingly delicious dish which is well worth the effort.

To keep within the heritage theme, serve this meal with a traditional South African Pinotage. The Welmoed Pinotage is a medium to full bodied wine with a vivid ruby-red colour. Raspberry and ripe fruit on the nose. Ripe mulberry fruit palate with elegant tannin and soft fruity finish.

Ingredients

• 2 racks of lamb, 600 – 800 g each, trimmed
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 teaspoons  salt
• 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Fresh rosemary, thyme, or lavender sprigs

Directions

1. Prepare the racks of lamb at least 1 hour (or up to 4 hours) before cooking: Chop together the garlic, salt, rosemary, and pepper to make a coarse rub. Rub the racks with the mixture, cover, and set aside. (If you are not going to cook them within 2 hours, refrigerate, then bring to room temperature an hour before cooking.)
2. Preheat oven to 220° C. Heat a roasting pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Pat the racks of lamb dry with paper towels and coat lightly with the olive oil. Place the racks flesh-side down in the pan. Roast 15 to 20 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 65° C for medium rare
3. Transfer the racks to a carving board. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice between the ribs to separate the chops for serving. Garnish with the fresh herb sprigs

Source: realsimple

September is Heritage Month in South Africa – and at Welmoed, with our proud winemaking tradition and a rich history dating back to 1690, we have much to celebrate.

If you’re a South African resident, you can help us raise a glass by participating in our Heritage Month give-away.

Visit our Facebook page to enter and you can stand a chance of winning a fantastic prize hamper valued at R750, including Welmoed wine and the beautiful coffee table book, “Stellenbosch: Heart of the South African Winelands”

Soweto is again showing its hospitality as the Soweto Wine Festival is set to again be a huge hit. This relative contemporary festival is in its seventh year and is starting to become a highlight on the South African wine festival scene

In contrast to this ‘contemporary’ festival ,  classic wine brands like Welmoed is again set to be one of the outstanding exhibitors with wines that over deliver on quality at the price point.

With a history which date back to the 1690 and with centuries of winemaking traditions it is a perfect fusion as the classic  brands meet the ‘contemporary’ Soweto wine festival.

So please join us for a glass of wine at this great event and experience the fusion of old meets new in Soweto.

For more details, visit:  sowetowinefestival.co.za

To non-South Africans this must sound like and outrageously unappetising dish. But rest assure: No monkeys or any of their glands are involved. It is not known where this name comes from, but it is such an inherent part of South African cuisine

A monkey gland sauce is a traditional South African sweet-n- hot sauce for steak, great for the BBQ or with chicken, pork and sausages.

Monkey Gland Steak

• Cube steaks (1 per serving)
• oil for frying
• 1 large onion diced
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 large tomatoes diced (canned tomatoes work just as well)
• 1 cup of ketchup
• 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 3/4 -1 cup of chutney
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

In a heavy skillet, heat oil. Sauté onions and garlic until soft. Add remaining ingredients, mix well and simmer for a few minutes. Fry or grill the steaks separately. When done frying spoon the sauce over the steaks. Serve with rice.

This Monkey Gland Steak will pair well with Welmoed Rosé or even the ever popular Welmoed Merlot .

Source: 3men.com