Pairing the perfect wine
DELAIRE GRAFF RESTAURANT
A successfully paired food and wine menu will enhance the dining experience, bringing out the best characteristics in the textures, flavours and quality of both the dish and the wine.
The importance of a sommelier is to guide this journey of flavour from the plate, to the glass. At Delaire Graff Restaurant, our chefs, sommeliers, and experienced restaurant managers spend time with each dish on the menu alongside wines from our celebrated portfolio to ensure the perfect match is found.
A perfect pairing is much like playing a piano. Individually, the notes have their characteristics and defining attributes. You can hear them, identify them, and appreciate them. However – when played together in harmony, a symphony can come to life where no note has more importance than another, and each has a role to play in the greater experience.
For our Seasonal Lunch Set Menu at Delaire Graff Restaurant, we asked the team to share a few of their favourite pairings at the moment…
TUNA TARTARE | Cabernet Franc Rosé
The beautiful thing about tuna is its deep yet bright flavour and ability to shine in various textures. On the Seasonal Set Lunch Menu, Chef Kayla-Ann Osborn showcases fresh, yellow-fin tuna in a zesty tartare with notes of citrus, nutty sesame, refreshing coriander and smoky aioli alongside sago.
This dish is light, refreshing, and pairs beautifully with a glass of the Delaire Graff Cabernet Franc Rosé which possesses a firm acidity to cut through the oily textures of tuna and creamy textures of the aioli. Citrus and red fruits flavours in the wine play harmoniously with the ponzu dressing, while the coriander highlights the crisp, dry finish.
POTATO & PARSLEY TORTELLINI | Banghoek Reserve Chardonnay
This dish is as warm and hearty as it is beautiful. With smoked Stanford cheese, broccoli and browned butter, the potato and parsley pasta is rich with an enticing mouth feel. The medium-bodied and oaked Banghoek Reserve Chardonnay is a perfect match. With a hint of minerality and freshness, this wine’s profile is in harmony with the mossy freshness of the parsley.
The wine’s acidity fits with the angular feel of potato stuffed tortellini, and the wine’s fresh characteristics cut cleanly through the smoked Stanford cheese allowing the wine to exhibit its oak exposure. A lingering finish plays on the palate with the flavours of the dish, carried by the brown butter.
JOSPER-FIRED BONSMARA BEEF | Botmaskop
Our prestigious Bordeaux-style blend, which is predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, goes hand-in-hand with the rich flavours and textures of the Josper-Fired Beef main course on the Seasonal Set Menu. A noble blend, the rich cassis characters are showcased with a tender steak which has been done over smoky coals. For this dish, we wood-fire the beef in Delaire Graff Restaurant’s gastronomic “JOSPER” grill for the best results.
The Botmaskop’s beautiful and well-integrated tannins support the juiciness of the tender steak, while ripe fruit flavours of dark berries contrast perfectly with the robust smokiness of the fired beef and richness of the garlic. A structured finish keeps the palate clean, enticing the next bite and sip.
