Chef & Wine Dinner is all about the magic that happens when you pair excellent food with amazing wines. This fine wining experience took us on a journey where the food was paired by The Goose Roasters with Posthouse Wines.

Following the very successful Umani Dinner last year, Post House Wines decided to host another Umami Wine Dinner.

The evening was all about unlocking the secrets of the mysterious 5th taste and taking our tastebuds to a whole different level – The Umami factor. For many years it has always been about sweet, sour, salty and bitter, but umami has been added as the 5th element when it comes to food.

The evening kicked off where Chef Craig Cormack explained the menu and how he added umami to the dishes, whilst Nick Gebers took us on a journey about his umami experience about wine.

-FIRST COURSE-
We started our first course with West Coast Mussel and Seaweed Bourride with an Oyster Tempura. This dish was tasty with delicious refreshing flavours and paired well with The Post House Blueish White 2018.

The Post House Blueish White 2018
Blend: Sauvignon Blanc & Chenin Blanc.

Elegant and finely crafted blend giving a fruity upfront wine for easy drinking. A nose of, red apple, apple blossoms and hints of pinapple and pear. Full and intense mouth feel with a mineral undertone. Refreshing long mouth feel without sharpness.

-SECOND COURSE-
Second course took us on the next journey of Umami with Star Anise Braised Quail Ballontine with Glazed Quail Egg and Pak Choi. The Ballontine was delicious and tender with a rich flavoursome broth to bring all the flavours together.

Post House Stamp of Chenin 2017
Blend: 100% Chenin Blanc.

This is the same wine as the one from the first course, just a couple of years younger. Same method was used for this wine. The nose of this wine offers peach, citrus and liquorice. Rich and full bodied palate with delicate flavours of tropical fruit,orange and a minerals. Soft round entry finishing with a long and full mouth feel. A hint of sweetness Perception of sweetness from lees contact and fruit.

-THIRD COURSE-
Our Umami journey challenged our tastebuds with Green Peppercorn and Fermented Pork Belly Relish with Cape Gooseberries. This dish was quite rich and salty but once paired with the Post House Merry Widow Shiraz 2016 – it balanced out the flavours perfectly. The flavours and textures were nothing short of delicious.

Post House Merry Widow Shiraz 2016
Blend: 100% Shiraz.

The Post House Merry Widow Shiraz was named after the US special delivery stamp which became known as the Merry Widow through the operetta Merry Widow, composed by Franz Lehar in 1905.

British actress, Lily Elsie took up the main role and had a fondness for large-brimmed, heavily be-plumed hats, which became known as Merry Widow hats and resembled the hat on the special delivery stamp.

Dark black wine with an inkiness picked up on the nose and palate. A nose of blackcurrant, chocolate, white pepper, cinnamon, raspberry a hint of floral petals. An elegant wine with firm but supple tannins. Rounded ripe fruit gives it a long and lingering finish.

-FOURTH COURSE-
The fourth course was Dry Aged Beef Sirloin, Shitake Mushroom served with Mushroom and Oyster Sauce Reduction and Parmesan Spoom.

Post House Missing Virgin 2016
Blend: Pinotage & Petit Verdot

The name Missing Virgin refers to a printing error on a Virgin Island stamp. The virgin figure was omitted from the stamp, hence the nick name, “Missing Virgin”. St. Ursula was a virgin martyr who lived between the third and fifth centuries A.D. She was born in Britain, avoided marriage to a pagan king and is believed to have been slain for her faith with 10,000 virgin companions at Cologne, Germany. Christopher Columbus named the Virgin Islands in her honor.

This is a full bodied rich wine with supple soft tannins but with a lively long finish. The nose has a hint of cinnamon, blue berries and christmas fruit cake.

-FIFTH COURSE-
We ended off a great meal with something sweet. Grilled banana served with Miso Caramel, Smoked Maple Ice Cream with a Bacon and Walnut Brittle.

What a great evening it was to experience umami once more with PostHouse Wines. Posthouse Wines is situated on the slopes of the Helderberg. For a unique tasting between the barrels, tastings are offered to the public by appointment.

Tel:  021 842 2409 | Nick Gebers: nick@posthousewines.co.za

Categories: Event, Post House WinesTags: Cape Town, Cape Winelands, Chef and Wine Dinner, Event, Food, Food and Wine, Pairing, Posthouse Wines, Stellenbosch, The Goose Roasters, Venue, Wine, Wine Tasting