Traditional wine maker and cellar master, Johan Malan, of renowned Stellenbosch winery Simonsig, will be hosting an exclusive evening of fine food and wine at The Butchershop on Thursday, October 18 2012.
Continuing our series of our favourite wines, the Californian Painter Bridge is a superb zinfandel that has achieved international acclaim.
The exquisite taste and composition of the 2009 Painter Bridge originates from a fine blend of the red zinfandel grape with the soft, yet spicy syrah – a dark-skinned grape allowed to mature for several years.
Each lot of this light-bodied crimson wine is nurtured and fermented separately, drawing out the unique qualities of each of the four J. Lohr Paso Robles zinfandel vineyard blocks which are set in 900 acres in the heart of the central coast of California.
The peaking temperatures allow for the tentative development of the grape, resulting in a wine with body; aroma and a distinctive, yet delicate fruity flavour. The elegantly palatable Painter Bridge will leave liquorish, cherry, raspberry, blackcurrant and spices on your palate and can be appreciated when accompanied with dishes like our sea bream or Ayrshire pork belly.
One of our favourite January dishes is our braised pigs’ cheek with seared West Coast scallops and pigs’ trotter stuffed with Stornoway black pudding on a bed of cauliflower purée.
The pairing of the tender and richness of the pork is complemented beautifully with the light and sweet texture of the scallops. It’s a dish which we first served at our Hogmanay Feast of Meats celebration evening and have since been asked by you, our customers to serve again.
We would also recommend a glass of the dry and well-balanced Hungarian Furmint Royal Tokaji white wine which leaves hints of spicy oak and lemon flavours on the palate and is the perfect partner for this dish.