South African whites and Potjiekos: A perfect combo

By Kris Love
Translated by Angel Pu

Back in August, I was asked to judge a cooking competition for a South Africa Day celebration in Taichung. The budding master chefs were tasked with making Potjiekos, a kind of hearty one-pot stew. As there were no real rules about what ingredients had to be used, the entries were all vastly different. With my previous experience of this dish being exactly zero, it was an interesting (and very filling) exercise.

The winning dish was made using chicken and a whole host of vegetables which, I recall, included celery, corn and pumpkin, giving a savoury, but slightly sweet, edge to the flavor. My pick for a wine to match this dish would need to be something white and full-bodied, preferably with a little residual sugar, something just off dry (slightly sweet) to draw out the sweetness in the dish. This should serve to intensify the sweeter flavors present in both the dish and the wine.

A wine with some oak ageing with the smokey, woody, nutty elements from the oak barrels would work well. There is an abundance of top-quality Chardonnay made all around the world these days and one of these would certainly fit the bill. In honour of the above dish's origins, though, I really have to recommend something from South Africa. Jordan Barrel Fermented Chardonnay from the famous Stellenbosch region is almost always top rate.

However, if you've tried your fair share of Chardonnays and are looking to broaden your horizons, another grape variety with its home in France, but also spreading around the world, is Viognier (roughly pronounced vee-oh-nee-ay). Viognier has a rich, full-bodied palate when well-made with a creamy texture and typically stone fruit (apricots, peaches and greengage plums) with a floral, perfumed aroma. Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Viognier--again from the Stellenbosch region--is an award winner and one of the best you'll find outside of the Rhone Valley region in France.

There are a few good South African wines appearing in Taiwan these days, so happy hunting!

Cheers,

Kris

kris@wineconnection.co.nz
0916-222-336