For a birthday treat, Brett took my mum, my dad and myself to Fairview and, under strict instruction from Wayne; we chose the sit down pairing option.
As you may have read in my previous Fairview entry, I’m not that impressed with their wines so I was really hoping for something short of a miracle….
Take note, you MUST try it! It was glorious, so good in fact that it turned my parents into wine lovers and they hate the stuff. My father is more of a Baileys/Schnapps and Amarula man, the sweet stuff, and my mother is pretty much tee-total.
The table was set up with two glasses, a wooden tray of small bite-sized cheeses and a bowl of bread and 3 types of olive oil (very yummy). Our server was Patrick and he was wonderful. I can’t help but gush over the way he knew the answers to every wine question we could think have and he even let us have second helpings.So, let me begin with the wines…
Darling Chenin Blanc 2011 paired with Goat’s milk feta cheeseLook: Very pale wine
Nose: Delicious hints of pineapple with an almost fruit salad sweetie finish.
Sip: There is a slight nose tingling property to it but an overall fruity sensation
Swallow: Very easy drinking but with the feta cheese it became harsh and uninviting
Darling Sauvignon Blanc paired with 100% Jersey milk feta cheeseLook: Still a very fair looking wine
Nose: Ah that delightfully acidic Sav Blanc smell is evading my nostrils which always inspires a bit of upchuck however, I was definitely getting a grapefruit smell
Sip: It has a strangely potent fizz to it like drinking soda water which does get the back of your throat but not as badly as some Sav Blancs. It has a very zesty feel.
Swallow: I am told by Patrick that this was only bottled 3 weeks ago which means that some of the flavours have yet to appear yet the cheese adds considerable softness to the wine.
Fairview Riesling R35 paired with Cream Cheese with Sweet chilliLook: Pale yet voluminous like a Botticelli babe
Nose: Picking up the hint of blossom and pear with notes of freshly mowed grass.
Sip: Got a delightful fizz to it like laughter in your mouth with some beautiful fruit flavours.
Swallow: Smooth and creamy and totally divine for a white wine. I find myself dreaming of lazy summer days where I would quite happily finish off a bottle of this paired with mounds of Philadelphia cream cheese.
Ooom Pagel Semillon 2009 paired with garlic and herb cream cheeseLook: Far more golden than its predecessors
Nose: Has a very straw/dusty smell, like a civilised barnyard in France
Sip: Incredibly earthy taste to it but a very classy wine
Swallow: Paired with the cheese, it was divinely rich and alluring with a scrumptious melon aftertaste. I even think my mother has been converted!
Pegleg Carignon 2009 paired with Cream cheese and French onionsLook: A slightly watery looking red wine
Nose: Smelt of old leather and wood with a slight trace of strawberries and cranberries
Sip: Having been matured in French oak, I was expecting a kick and there was a dash of shoe polish upon first sip.
Swallow: Maybe because I’m getting a little bit tipsy now, I’m feeling a lot more generous but in all honesty, the smell was giving me flashbacks to high tea at the Mount Nelson.
Dad’s quote of the day: “The taste of old boots doesn’t do it for me”.
Petite Syrah paired with white rock with cranberriesLook: Luxurious and deep red
Nose: Smelt of ripe berries to begin with
Sip: My least favourite as it stung a bit and was like engine oil
Swallow: Lots of muscle to this drink bursting with some intense flavour but it was drying and the cheese was far too sweet. It gave me a serious case of carpet mouth and I did not appreciate that.
Beacon Shiraz 2006 paired with Blue TowerLook: Beautifully rich with great legs like Miranda Kerr
Nose: An aroma of fruitcake and brandy is giving me such a rush
Sip: It’s quite heady with rich punch to it
Swallow: Quite a serious after-burn with some deep leathery tastes, yet paired with the cheese, it was very Moorish.
Spice Route Malabar 2006 paired with Dark chocolate (R350)Look: Rich and powerful looking
Nose: Enchanting scents of plum, vanilla and treacle sponge
Sip: Opulent fruit-filled flavours with a tinge of chilli and chocolate
Swallow: Made with 5 different grape varieties it is perfectly divine. There is a slight spicy kick to it but mainly smooth and sweet with a hidden coffee flavour. Paired with the tiniest slither of dark chocolate, I was literally drooling.
Look: It’s beautifully brilliant ruby red
Nose: Smells of raisons, treacle and fairgrounds selling candyfloss. Unfortunately it was served on ice therefore the full potency of the flavours couldn’t be fully released.
Sip: Describing it would never do it justice. If it was warmer, I guarantee that it would be out of this world.
Swallow: Sweet Mother of the pope, I’m saved. It is a soulful and incredibly fruitilicious wine. I almost don’t want to tell you about it in fear of you buying too much!
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