Blaauwklippen Vineyards

Situated in the prime Stellenbosch region, Blaauwklippen's proud winemaking traditions date back to 1690, when the farm was granted to its first owner, Gerrit Visscher. The vineyards are planted against the west and south facing slopes of the Stellenbosch mountains with a rich diversity of soil types and micro-climatic conditions.

One of the unusual and lesser known varietals cultivated at Blaauwklippen is Zinfandel. This Californian grape of European origin is very limited in South Africa, and whilst used in some blends, Blaauwklippen is one of only a handful of estates that produce it as a single varietal wine.

We sampled their 2002 vintage, Best Vineyard Selection and loved it. The wine maker's notes reflect - "the nose beckons with prominent spicy aromas such as clove and allspice plus attractive whiffs of vanilla, ripe plum, raspberry and a medley of dried fruit flavours. Rich flavours of juicy ripe plum and strawberry on the mid-palate are supported by pleasant acidity while generous flavours of clove and vanilla linger on the aftertaste."

Whilst recommended to have with game dishes such as Springbok or Ostrich, it is also great with smoked meat and fish dishes.

We found it a wonderful wine to have with the vegetarian dish below. The Blaauwklippen Zinfandel 2002 is available from the farm or at Manuka Fine Wines and retails for approximately R70 per bottle. A great price for a great bottle of something different.


COUSCOUS PROVENCAL

375g couscous
1 ltr boiling water
2tsps olive oil
2 leeks, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 eggplant (aubergine), chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
125ml red wine
3 tbs chopped fresh basil
freshly ground black pepper

Place couscous in a bowl, gradually pour over boiling water, tossing with a fork until couscous absorbs almost all the water. Set aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add leeks and garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 mins or until leeks are soft. Add eggplant, tomatoes, green pepper and wine and cook, stirring, for 5 mins longer or until vegetables are tender.

Stir couscous, basil and black pepper to taste into pan and cook, stirring for 2 mins or until heated through. Serve immediately.

Serves 4