Sipping Nativo Wines at the Savoy
Cabbage to Argentine Tango
Another
well conceived function this week. Billy Hughes, born in Argentina, moved to
South Africa when he was a young man and he now owns a farm in Malmesbury, where he makes Nativo wines. We were invited to taste these wines, paired with Argentine
inspired food, prepared by chef Peter Pankhurst at the Savoy Cabbage and the
meal was accompanied by tango played by Tango Jazz Quartet (from Buenos Aires,
Argentina)
The event was fully booked and the
restaurant was buzzing
They produce two Swartland wines . A white blend, currently of Viognier, Chenin, Grenache Blanc and Rousanne,
which is floral, fruity and very drinkable. The Viognier peach flavours
predominate. The red is a blend of Shiraz, Mourvedre, Grenache, Pinotage and
Tempranillo, all warm climate wines. It is spicy and sweet on the tongue and
goes well with spicy robust food, especially meat. The contents of the wines
change each year, so they optimise the character and quality of the grapes
The Tango Jazz Quartet played on the
balcony. It was more jazz than the dramatic tango we expected, so Lynne was not
inspired to get up and dance
Billy Hughes with a guest
The menu for the evening
Grilled Provolone cheese with a
chorizo sausage, not as spicy as the Spanish version
A good hunk of rump steak, the way
Argentina likes it. It had great flavour and we loved the garlic & parsley
Chimichurri sauce but, sadly, it was rather tough
The vegetarian main course option
Creamy Flan for dessert with Dolce de
leche sauce and a strawberry coulis. Flan is another name for a crème caramel.
Dolce de leche is cooked milk reduced for hours with sugar added. Rather like
our caramelised condensed milk
Wicked Alfajores biscuits, plain and
coated in chocolate. A traditional Argentine favourite, they are sandwiched
together with Dolce de leche
We took along two South African 2000 vintage
Malbecs from our cellar as a gift to our hosts. Both were opened and drunk with
relish. Who says our wine doesn’t last? The Bellevue was wild and fruity (as it
has always been) the Fairview soft and elegant with gentle fruit. Both were
elegantly mature, with a few years left in them
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015
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