With Valentines Day around the corner I turned to Johann to suggest a romantic 3-course meal for two paired with the perfect wine. Johann is not only responsible for the white KWV lifestyle range; he also crafts the KWV Mentors range (and is a closet romantic I suspect).
Here are his recommendations:
KWV The Mentors Semillon 2009 is a lovely wine with subtle floral, green apple and lime flavours. With its elegant zesty notes this wine should be paired with delicate meat dishes. Johann suggests starting with oysters and your choice of a bottle of sparkling from the KWV sparkling wine Lifestyle range. For main course he suggests duck in avocado as this paired with the Semillon is “an utter delight. Johann recommends ending off with either almond ice cream or strawberries and cream, followed by one of the dessert wines from the KWV Lifestyle range.
Of course red is the colour of passion, so we thought it best to ask Johann which red wine would help set the mood. Here are his thoughts:
KWV Mentors Petit Verdot 2008 is an intense smooth wine with berry, mocha and vanilla flavours with an added hint of chocolate notes that is great with fillet or tender beef (ideally veal) dishes. Johann suggests starting off with a green salad containing avocado, nuts and pepperdew. For the main course he thought of Veal Marsala, which paired with the intense flavour of the wine is a real treat! After your food’s settled it’s time to bring out your daringly delicious dessert, chocolate fondue, with strawberries and marshmallows. Try pairing this with a port such as the KWV Cape Tawny.
Meet Angelina Swee Eng, Angie was born in Singapore and has lived in all corners of the globe before moving back to South Africa in 97. She is currently based in Cape Town and is part of the KWV commercial sales team, focusing on the Asian and Australian markets.
We asked Angie a couple of questions about her opinions of wine trends in the Asian market, this is what she had to say:
What do you enjoy most about working in Asia?
I love the food! And the melting pot of different cultures that you find in Asia. The sheer size of the market is very exciting and I am looking forward to visiting a few new places and learning a few new languages
What’s different about how wine is enjoyed in Asia compared with Europe or other western markets?
Though there have been wine producers in some Asian countries for centuries, wine drinking is largely new to Asia. Wine consumption is often about trust – if the company and the brand have a strong and proud heritage, then the products will be trusted. In a number of our Asian markets, KWV is regarded as a company to trust, because of our 90 year heritage and the quality of the wines produced.
Are there particular cultivars or styles that are particularly popular?
The Asian market is more partial to red wines than white wines. Quality wines are appreciated.
Does the Asian style of food and entertaining influence how wine is consumed? From my recent visit to Singapore, I observed that traditionally wines do not appear to be drunk with Asian style foods, but this is changing as more people are exposed to different wines and are able to try them with different foods.
What’s the biggest challenge of selling South African wine in Asia?
In my opinion, one of the first steps is to educate Asia about South Africa as a quality wine producing country to rival any European country. Currently there is plenty of awareness about the fact that France and Italy produce quality wines, but little is known about South African wines. I do believe that the focus on South Africa in the coming months will give people a picture of South Africa and inform them about our winelands.
I will be working very closely with WOSA (Wines of South Africa) to promote South Africa as a wine producing country and to promote and educate consumers about KWV Wines.
The harvest at KWV Wines started last week, so we nipped across to Paarl to catch some of the action. Along the way, we found KWV’s Viticulturist Unathi who shared some insights on the 2010 harvest.
Welcome to 2010! Word on the street has it that although we are experiencing a swelteringly hot summer here in Paarl (it was 45 centigrade the other day), the UK and Europe seems to be freezing over. This is not all bad news because chilly days are a great excuse to invite around some mates and huddle round the fireplace with hot food and some red wine.
We’ve asked our The Mentors winemaker, Johann to help us out on a few ideas of wines to drink with warm hearty meals to help keep you going, this is what he suggests:
Our The Mentors Shiraz which is quite powerful, with “upfront flavours†of cherries, fruit and spice is totally delicious served with a tasty cut of rump steak. It will also go very well with a tomato-based pasta dish.
For those that like Greek food, the The Mentors Shiraz Cabernet Franc is an outstanding partner to a juicy leg of lamb, or any Mediterranean dish (including couscous, hummus and dolmades) for that matter. Although the Shiraz Cabernet Franc is blended with contradicting partners, their strong individual characteristics work well together resulting in an elegant, yet bold wine with a combination of earthy, spicy and fruity overtones.
Cobus, grew up in Elgin and began is career with a B.Sc.Agric. Oenology and Viticulture, after which he worked in California for three months. On his return he joined Vinpro Consultation services as Senior Viticulturist for the Paarl area.
Currently Cobus is Senior Viticulturist at KWV. He is responsible for grape procurement, producer liaison and new area developments – all in all, ensuring the excellence that epitomises the KWV Wines.
Whatever your plans for Christmas lunch are, whether it’s a, traditional turkey or a barbeque (for those of you like us in the Southern hemisphere), our KWV The Mentors range has a fantastic selection of award winning choices to accompany most Christmas fare. We asked Johann, our The Mentors winemaker for his suggestions on what to pair with your X-mas feast.
These were his recommendations:
Q: Which of The Mentors wines would I serve if I was preparing a traditional Christmas meal?
A: Am I only allowed one choice? If I could be allowed to suggest two then my choices would be The Mentors Orchestra 2007 and the Mentors Pinotage 2007.
Q: Why?
A: The Mentors Orchestra is an elegant wine with a perfect synergy between fruit and oak flavours. It delivers a beautifully structured wine with well rounded soft tannins  which complements non-red meat dishes.  When it comes to versatility towards pairing with food, The Mentors Pinotage 2007 is a wonderful choice and therefore the perfect match to a multi dish Christmas table.  Again, the soft tannin structure and aromatics will go well and complement both red and non-red meat dishes.
Q: What flavours would I pick up on the palate and nose of The Mentors Orchestra 2007?
A: Mulberry, Blackberry, herbal and mint on nose. The palate is soft and well balanced with plum, cherry and cinnamon flavours complemented by hints of oak.
Johann’s comment: To fully open the nose and flavours of The Mentors Orchestra, I would suggest that you decant it before serving.
Q: If I was living in the Southern hemisphere, planning a barbeque instead of a traditional Christmas meal, which of The Mentors wines would you   recommend?
A: The Mentors Semillon 2009
Q: Why?
A: The style of Semillon we produce is fresh, clean and crisp which is perfect match to salads, but this wine, being a Semillon, also has the aromatics and structure to  stand-up and complement barbequed dishes. The zesty, austere finish is perfect to clean the palate for the next bite (Perfect……. I can just imagine it!)
Q: That sounds delicious! What flavours would I pick up on the palate and on the nose of this wine?
A: Look out for a touch of herbaceous, cut grass, lime, subtle floral, green apple notes on the nose. The palate is tight, fine and floral with fresh zesty notes from the natural acidity.
Tip from Johann: Keep well chilled and serve in open shaped wine glass.
Q. If I am planning a vegetarian spread, which of The Mentors wines would I purchase to accompany a vegetarian dish – fish and cold fresh salads or vegetables and pastas?
A: The Mentors Chenin Blanc 2008
Q: Why would you recommend The Mentors Chenin Blanc?
A: This wine is the ideal match for seafood and pasta as stone fruit and light butterscotch flavours create a wonderful wine-food harmony, together with the rich and creamy palate, resulting in a fusion of flavours. A personal favorite is to serve this wine with a lemon-butter seasoned Cape Salmon dish, prepared on a the Barbeque and served on a bed of spicy Moroccan couscous salad drizzled with a  creamy white-wine sauce.
Q: What flavours would I pick up on the palate and on the nose of The Mentors Chenin Blanc?
A: The intense gold yellow colour of the wine reflects the concentration of flavours. The wine is rich in apricot, peach, honeysuckle and pear flavours complemented by soft butterscotch notes. On the palate the wine is soft and smooth with almonds and orange peel flavours. This rich and creamy wine ends with a refreshing balance and lingering aftertaste.
Q: And lastly, would you recommend any of The Mentors wines to complement a sweet dessert dish?
A: Yes, The Mentors Viognier 2009
Q: Why?
A: This wine had very prominent, multi-layered fruit aromas which are finished by integrating marzipan and nougat flavours, derived from oak and kept in balance with a kiss of the residual sugar left in the wine. This results in a delicious dessert partner or accompaniment to your post-dinner cheese platter.
Q:What flavours on the nose and palate should we experience?
 A: Green figs, musk, peach flavours showing the stylish complex varietal characters of Viognier. The wine has good definition, structure and complexity. Orange blossom, concentrated lemon, grapefruit, apricot flavours with subtle, well integrated cherry, marzipan and nougat finish.
Great, thanks for the insight Johann. To read more about our Mentors range click here.
KWV Wines is looking for three couples, from some of the different countries in which our wines are enjoyed, to join us for an exclusive dinner party among the vineyards in Paarl, South Africa in November 2010. We’ll bring the couples from all over the world to sunny South Africa to share their stories, culture and experiences over some of our finest wines and a gourmet South African dinner, cooked by Shane Sauvage, a South African chef renowned for his authentic cooking style and fun-loving approach to food.
We’ll also host winners up for a week in Paarl, our home in the heart of the Cape Winelands, to enjoy a Spring holiday in the South African sunshine.
To enter, send us a photo of you and your friends, family or partner enjoying a dinner party that you feel represents the culture of your homeland. We’d also like to know who was at the party, what you served and what you talked about.
We had a word with our viticulturists, Cobus and Unathi as well as Chief Winemaker, Richard Rowe about climate change and its effect on South African wines. This is what they had to say:
2009 has been a stellar year all-round for KWV Wines. The Mentors 2006 Chenin Blanc walked away with a gold award at one of the globes most prestigious competitions, the International Wine Challenge, held in the UK in May. Our 2006 Shiraz also scooped a Gold medal at the Shiraz du Monde and both the Mentors 2006 Shiraz and the Cabernet Franc 2006 each won a Gold at the Michelangelo International Awards.
Our Lifestyle and Reserve ranges have also collectively received 15 medals during the course of 2009, three of these being awarded with Gold. Johann, our senior white-winemaker is particularly excited that the 2008 Reserve white blend received a Gold at the German competition, MUNDISvini International Wine Awards, as this is a new addition to the Reserve family and a lot of hard work and effort went into producing this wine.
For the full low down on all the awards, see here, here and here.
 