What to have for dinner - Bruce Jack

To impress your girlfriend/boyfriend’s parents at your first dinner.

Mischa Shiraz 2007, R120 (021 864 1020). This wine is almost hedonistic. I feel a little guilty when drinking this as it tastes too damn delicious. It was born in the mountain vineyards above Wellington on granitic-based soils, which Shiraz just loves. It’s hand-crafted by third-generation farmer Andrew Barns on the family farm, which also happens to be the most forward-thinking vine nursery in the country. These guys understand vines and vineyards. It shows in this wine, which is worth R300 a bottle.
Full article:http://bit.ly/brucejack
Bruce Jack is the chief winemaker for Constellation South Africa.

MISCHA ESTATE WINS AGAIN AT THE MICHELANGELO AWARDS

The results of the 14th annual Michelangelo CCL Label International Wine Awards (MIWA) were announced at a gala luncheon at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West on September 10, 2010.

The 15 judges from 15 countries spent six days judging the 1 310 wines entered into this year’s competition, awarding silver, gold and double gold medals as well as six trophies.

This year 240 producers entered a total of 1 310 wines of which 426 received medals. A total of 28 Grand D'Or, 116 gold medals and 282 silver medals were awarded by the 15 international judges.

Mischa Estate walked away with 1 Grand D’Or/Double Gold and 3 Gold awards.

Mischa's Award Winning Wines

Grand D’Or/Double Gold Winners:

• Mischa Merlot 2009

Gold Winners:

• Mischa Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
• Mischa Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
• Mischa Shiraz 2008

After planting two different vineyards and putting all our viticultural knowledge into practice we are very proud to have been recognized for the outstanding quality of our Mischa Merlot as well as the consistency of our Shiraz and Cabernets which have now won three gold medals for three consecutive vintages.

To order Mischa’s award winning wines contact Anso @ 021 864 1020 or sales@mischaestate.com

Wellington - SA,s Top Wine Area

Great Terroir Makes Great Wine

For the first time ever a trophy was awarded to the top wine are

a in South Africa, based on a specific winegrowing terrain that produced most of the wines that went to the final round for a SA Terroir National Certificate, as

well as the number of wines that received a National Certificate.

The first winner of the Novare Trophy for SA Terroir Top Wine Area is the Wellington ward

Andrew's notes on food and wine pairing

FOOD and WINE Pairing

The pairing of food and wine is one of the most important aspectsof a good meal. Many would argue that the one complements the other and that the only rule with food and wine pairing is that there are no rules! ! !

As with live, food and wine are all about balance. Even though at the end of the day it all boils down to personal taste, it is possible to break food and wine components into basic categories – structure, flavour and texture, when contrasted between wine and food these components can be present in one or the other, lacking, similar or in contrast to each other.

The human palate (tongue to be exact) has the ability to differentiate four basic tastes: bitter, sweet, salty and sour / acid. These tastes are present in wine, except for salty as well as a tactile response to (grape and wood) tannins known as astringency. Astringency and bitterness result from phenolic compounds derived from grape, oak or both. The sweet components of wine flavour are derived from residual sugars, alcohol or polysaccharides in dry wines. The two dominant grape acids tartaric and malic are responsible for the perception of acidity in wine.

These components combined in a fixed relationship (in which is) true for all wines which states that the perception of sweetness must be in relative balance with the sum of the perceptions of acidity plus astringency and bitterness. Meaning a reduction of the perception of sweetness and visa versa. When pairing food and wine, one must bear in mind that the sweetness, acidity, bitterness and astringency of the food influence the same features in wine.

When matching food and wine the most important structured components are sweetness and sourness (acidity) if the sugar or acid content of a food is increased, the perception of the sugar or acid of the wine is decreased. The intensity of this inverse relationship develop on the intensity of the difference between the sugar and acid in the food and wine bearing in mind that changes in sugar are more noticeable than structural changes in astringency and bitterness.

FOODS

SALT can also influence the perception of acidity and astringency by magnifying the influence of tannins in red wines and acidity in high acid white wines when at fairly high levels.

SWEET FOODS Very sweet foods often make wine taste thin, acidic or sour. Sweet foods and sweet wines can go well together if not excessively sweet and if the wine is slightly sweeter than the food. So using fruits with fair to high natural acidity can work well.

ACIDIC FOODS Wines are acidic and so difficult to successfully combine with acidic foods, however acidity can be modified by adding a source of sweetness or fat to help mute the acidity.

SPICY FOODS Alcohol is perceived as warm or as a hot tactile response, which can amplify the hotness of a spicy dish. It is very hard to successfully match wine to very spicy dishes but with a more moderate spice ones, a simple wine with low alcohol and a crisp refreshing acidity can go well.

WINES

CRISP ACIDITY Foods high in protein and / or fat match better with wine with high acidity as such foods require more acid in the wine to refresh the palate.

DRY – WINES dry wine are usually the best matches for foods but are usually better with foods which are not sweet which can make the wine taste thin, sour, more astringent and oaky. The colder the wine the lower the perception of sweetness and the greater the perception of acidity.

OFF DRY WINES as sweetness increases apparent acidity decreases so off- dry wines are usually better suited to food low in fat, which is also a source of sweetness.

MODERATE ALCOHOL moderate alcohol levels help cleanse the palate, as do tannins and acids. High alcohol wines import a hot tactile response making food pairing difficult, but can be improved by lowering the serving temperature of the wine.

SUPPLE TANNINS Tannins responsible for astringency and bitterness are derived from grape and oak contact. Tannins are vital to the complexity and longevity of red wines. A common problem is that tannins tend to be too astringent in young red wines. Residual sugar makes tannins, while acidity increases bitterness and astringency. Sweetness, fats and proteins in food can reduce the perception of tannin. A wine with relatively smooth tannins can be of help when matching foods with acidity, salt and tannins. Remember tannin decreases over time so older wines tend to be smoother.

WINE TEXTURE

Apart from the structural components we have already examined it is possible to look at food and wine in terms of its textural components. Texture is the quality in wine and food that we feel in the mouth as softness, richness, creaminess, oiliness, harshness etc. We generally speak of structure as being lightweight, medium or heavy in wine, this is called body and refers to how heavy a wine feels on the palate and the length of flavour. Body increases with the concentration of tannin and alcohol. Light bodied wines should be paired with foods of delicate texture and heavy wines go well with richer chewier foods, which have a more weight texture and / or higher fat or oil content. Rich foods include, Game, Lamb, Duck, Salmon, Cheeses and foods made with butter or creams. The majority of foods are best matched with wines of a lighter or medium body. Also light wines go well with light foods. Heavy wines can go well with rich foods, but avoid excessive richness when constructing a rich food with a light wine also avoid excessive extremeness. Temperature can be a textural factor as with contrasting a warm food with a cold wine. The colder the wine the lower the body. Cold temperatures can mask sweetness (and so intensify acidity) and magnify the effect of tannin in reds. In red wines alcohol and tannins have the biggest influence on food pairing.

ALCOHOL can give the impression of sweetness, which can match nicely with slightly sweet foods. Tannin may provide an astringent or dry mouth sensation. Fats and oils in food can neutralize this astringency and harshness. Tannic reds are best matched with creamy rich foods.

FLAVOUR Flavour is another major component of food and wine pairing. One can either contrast or match flavours. It is important to avoid excessively strong flavours when trying to make a successful match. The intensity of a wine flavour depends upon the grape used, the region and the age of the wine. Younger wines are usually coarser in structure and stronger in flavour and combine well with more strongly flavoured foods. Older wines are more delicate in structure and flavour and are best served with milder flavoured foods.

Always drink wines you enjoy! ! !

Mischa Celeb lunch

I will update this soon but till then check out Sarah's post on the fab lunch we had in March http://bit.ly/b8194o

MISCHA WINE FESTIVAL 2010

Date:

March 20th – 22nd

Time:

10:00 – 19:00 Daily

Mischa Wine Estate only opens its doors to public once a year! Join us for a luxurious day in Wellington.

Kick-back in a Morraccan tent with cushions and stunning views. Chill out to relaxing music and taste the internationally acclaimed Mischa Estate & Eventide wines.

Tantalize your taste buds with delicious food by Duncan Doherty. Swim in crystal-clear idyllic fresh-water pool and set off on adventures such as tractor rides through the vineyards & garden tours. Win fabulous prizes all day from Mischa & local sponsors.

End your day by watching the sunset over Table Mountain while sipping on Mischa’s famous, refreshing wine cocktails. Happy hour specials from 17:00 to 19:00 daily.

Be Entertained with Live music from Holiday Murray (Sun, Mon) & Swimwear fashion show by local designers such as BaieNice (Sun Only).

Give to a good cause by indulging in our hand-crafted wines. A percentage of every bottle sold will be donated to the S.P.C.A. We'll also being raffling off hotel stays, Elton John tickets, wine and more to raise additional money for the S.P.C.A.

Beautiful Gardens: Eventide Farm (our other farm next door) will also be hosting open gardens. The gardens are so stunning that they feature them during the annual garden show. There will be snacks, tea, crafts, babysitting, kids entertainment and more. Again, all proceeds go to the SPCA.

Need to know... No bookings are necessary! Entrance and wine tasting are complimentary. Visitors can purchase a tasting glass for R15. Wellington Harvest Festival tasting glasses will also be accepted. Kid friendly. Pool available to all, but please remember to bring a towel and costume. For directions please visit http://www.mischaestate.com/directions.html

Thanks in advance for your support. We can’t wait to see you!
The Mischa family

021-864-1020
info@mischaestate.com
www.mischaestate.com

MISCHA WINE FESTIVAL 2010 FLYER

Buffalo Theory

A herd of buffalo only move as fast as the slowest buffalo.

So when the herd is hunted, it is the weakest and slowest ones at the back that get killed first. This natural selection is beneficial to the herd because the regular removal of the weakest animals improves the overall and health and speed of the herd.

Similarly, the human brain can only work at the speed of its slowest cells. Now, too much alcohol kills brain cells – but, importantly, the weakest and slowest cells first. Consequently, regular wine consumption, helps by eliminating the slowest brain cells, is making your brain work faster and better.

So the moral of this theory is: drink wine often and get smarter.

Andrew & Rachels Wedding at Mischa - Uncorked

The below is post by Neil Pendock following Andrew and Rachel's wedding

To see more pics go to:http://bit.ly/ctOI6I

Weddings and Divorces

Off to the Groenberg outside Wellington yesterday for the wedding of the season between glamorous Seattle shoe-sales stunner Rachel Carrigan and Apollonian Andy Barns, winemaker and self-taught engineer at Mischa Estate. The knot was tied in the cellar by an Ali G and Ayn Rand quoting Presbyterian minister cum psychologist and I could swear the wedding march is on the Buddha Bar CD. Although the joke about “ek het jou lief” being Afrikaans for “I love you” or what Adam said to Eve in the garden of Eden “I have your leaf” went over my head. But it was the Garden of Eden we were certainly in with temptations aplenty, not least of which was Mike Ratcliffe of Warwickfame, pouring down-downs of tequila shooters. The food was unexpectedly good (goats’ cheese starter, truffle stuffed chicken and then chocolate mousse) but when I was told the chef was Margot Janse’s husband, I was not surprised as Margot has something of a reputation in the kitchens of the Quartier Français in Franschhoek.

All this matrimony brought on talk of divorce with the rumour circulating that Schalk Burger was seeking support for a divorce of Wellington from the Paarl wine appellation. As a prelude to declaring Voor Groenberg, Blouvlei,Wellington and the Bovlei Valley as separate wards, presumably.

Lots of changes underway in the Bovlei. London-based financial whizz Dave Kerrison has bought Graham Knox’sjust under 100ha Siyabonga spread from the liquidator and the advertized 20 ha vines, turned out to be 16. Now back under its original name Klein Doolhof, it will be farmed as a unit along with dad Dennis’ Doolhof operation. At Doolhof senior, their new boutique hotel decorated by Dorothy, Dave’s mum (the Kerrisons love the letter “D” – even the farm manager of Doolhof is Daan) is finally complete although Dennis is moaning much better that he has to pay to stay-over when the drive back to his Waterfront berth becomes too demanding. Something Rachel’s American family didn’t have to do. Although as her dad is a Bill Clinton look-alike retired hedge fund manager fromIdaho, I’m sure accommodation at Doolhof would not have posed a pocket-book problem.