There are worse things to do than enjoy a tasty glass of sparkling wine amidst cheerful company as the setting sun turns the sky pink and salutes the arrival of Friday evening. The first drink of the weekend has something very enjoyable about it as it tastes of potential, a lazy Saturday morning and the rugby later in the afternoon.

It was this sort of evening that greeted me as I was informed by Wayne, a fun-loving foodie (known during office hours as the Food and Beverage manager), that my wife and I would be sitting at the staff table of the November Arabella Western Cape's Wine and Dine Dialogue.

The Wine and Dine Dialogue is a series of dinners created by the Arabella, it seemed, just so that they could go the extra culinary mile. Mid-way through my initial glass of 'Groote Post: Old man's sparkle' I already loved the idea. The hotel brings two local wine makers together and asks their chef to prepare a five-course dinner that would go equally well with both.

The two winemakers present, representing Hermanuspietersfontein (near the Cape seaside town of Hermanus) and Groote Post (on the West Coast), explained their wine before each course, how it is made and why it tastes the way it does, before the chef introduced the course.

Coming from those so heavily involved in their creation, the personal anecdotes about each wine gave a fresh appreciation for the product, which is the result of many carefully considered ideas and actions. There must be few things as rewarding as knowing that wine that you spend years creating — from considering where to plant the vineyards to harvesting and preparing the grapes — is received with such open-handed gusto from wine critics and Friday afternoon swillers alike.

At the table, each sitting of food and wine complements the other, bringing out different nuances in taste. The meal was the platform from where, after enjoying elegantly presented food, my sense of taste could rise up and stretch as the centre of attention. The evening was a success in that the food and both wines were all excellently paired from start to finish.

Five courses later, I know beyond doubt that this tradition of Wine and Dine Dialogues at the Arabella Western Cape will continue to be booked out.

The Menu

Dessert
Almond pavlova served with HPF: Kleinboet 2006 and Groote Post: Noble Late Harvest Chardonnay 2006

Upcoming Wine and Dine Dialogue dinners at the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa:
11th December 2009 — Bon Courage & Haute Cabriere
8th January 2010 — Ernst & Co Wine Estate & Blaauwklippen Wine Estate
5th February 2010 — Newton Johnson Wine Estate & Beaumont Wine Estate

The cost is R450 per person, including dinner and wines.

For bookings contact Zenda on zenda.viljoen@arabellawesterncapehotel.co.za or 028 284 0000.

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