What guides us in finding the perfect pairing for Pinotage? The only sensible rule we’ve found to follow is this one: good Pinotage, good food. And, thankfully, good Pinotage is an excellent partner to almost every quality dish.
Creating a perfect food and wine pairing is an art. The wine reveals a bouquet of aromas, that first sip tantalises, the flavours linger. Then the food contributes its own sensory experience, the delicious smells, that mouthwatering first bite. The real test is in the second sip of wine: will the medley of flavours enhance like a perfect harmony, or does the wine suddenly taste bitter, stringent, insipid?
Understanding which wine to place with your food can elevate your dining experience, so it is important to choose wisely.
Play matchmaker with Pinotage
Pinotage has seen exceptional development over the last 25 years, largely thanks to the Pinotage Association, sponsored by Absa. Their support has inspired and enabled winemakers to truly understand the meticulous process required to make Pinotage shine.
While a great Pinotage can be savoured on its own, this cultivar is also loved by restaurateurs and sommeliers for its ability to pair with many different kinds of food, from savoury to sweet.
READ MORE: A Bright Promise for Pinotage
Young Pinotage boasts a berried beauty, while older Pinotage’s flavour profile is more voluptuous, more complex. For this reason, most connoisseurs believe the medium-bodied Pinotage to pair magnificently with freshly-caught game fish or a rich winter bean soup. Leave the full-bodied variety to the heartier dishes, such as oxtail or osso buco. Well-wooded Pinotage carries hints of coffee and chocolate, making it the ideal complement to various sweet treats.
Consider these guidelines, however, pencil-written and subject to personal taste.
Good Pinotage, good food
A great Pinotage and food pairing is, in the end, limited only by your imagination. While a wine of such fine quality ought to be accompanied by meals of the same calibre, preference will serve as the ultimate officiant in this marriage. Put simply, whatever your heart desires.
