There is something alluringly romantic about a glass of Grenache Noir. Part of The Vineyard Collection, Perdeberg is pleased to release another exciting cultivar in this series of niche varieties, namely the Grenache Noir 2021.
Introduction
Maybe it’s the deep ruby swirls of the wine as it’s poured into a glass, or the richly aromatic nose that entices all the senses into overdrive. Maybe it’s the velvety tail, lingering luxuriously long after a sip. To this day, I’m not entirely sure what it is about a Grenache Noir that makes me swoon, but just the thought of this elegant wine conjures up settings of happiness and bliss.
I remember my first visit to Perdeberg as if it was but a day ago. I’ve returned many times since then, always craving the abundance of Boland hospitality. The generosity of Perdeberg Cellar is woven into their food, their wines, and their staff, leaving just little room for dessert. It’s one of the few wineries that have mastered the fine art of the “package” experience – I can’t single out one aspect that is better than the other. When you leave Perdeberg – which will be reluctantly – you would’ve enjoyed delicious food, tasted award-winning wines and reveled in the company of their sterling team.
Background
Situated at the foothills of Paardeberg Mountain in Paarl, one of the finest wine-growing areas of the Cape, lies Perdeberg Cellar. The hallmark and most differentiating quality of Perdeberg wines is their predominant use of unirrigated vineyards, termed dry land vines. Overcoming difficult growing conditions, dry land vines yield small berries with concentrated flavour and colour, creating superior wines. Perdeberg adopted its distinguishing name from the scores of Cape Mountain zebras that once roamed the Paardeberg area, mistaken for wild horses by local inhabitants.
In the cellar, their wines are created through the synergy of art, intuition and science to reveal the best of what has been brought in from the vineyards. They follow a wine estate-inspired process including intensive vineyard management, handpicking grapes in small crates, and small presses and maturing in barrels, to achieve exceptional quality.
The Vineyard Collection
The Vineyard Collection is perfectly suited to wine enthusiasts who love to explore their surroundings and travel the globe, looking for that unique offering. This range is exactly that, offering the wanderlust wine enthusiast a playground of interesting cultivars, created from specific vineyards, each with a unique character for its cultivar and terroir.
Perdeberg The Vineyard Collection Grenache Noir 2021
“Grenache Noir is a perfect match for dryland growing conditions. Under these conditions, bush vines produce small berries and concentrated fruit. This is due to the lack of water getting the perfect match of soft tannins, generous fruit flavours and elegance in the wine.” – Cellar Master, Albertus Louw
Tasting notes: Dark red in colour, the Grenache Noir 2021 boasts aromas of red berries, cherries and spices – fresh and vibrant with a smooth palate.
In the vineyard: 100% Grenache Noir. The vineyard is situated in the Agter-Paarl region and the soil is mostly decomposed granite. The vineyard is bush vine and dryland grown without the addition of any water. These growing conditions ensure that the berries are small and result in concentrated fruit and flavour.
In the cellar: Fermentation was done in stainless steel tanks with regular pump overs for five days. The wine was then aged in 500-litre second- and third-fill French oak barrels for 12 months.
Cellaring potential: This wine is ready to enjoy now, but with the correct cellaring it has the potential to age for a further three to five years.
Suitability: This is a vegan friendly wine, suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.
Cellar door price: available directly from the Tasting Room at R95 per bottle, online at Perdeberg’s Online Wine Shop or at selected liquor outlets nationwide.
Chocolate swirled pavlova with summer berries and Grenache Noir coulis
With the beautiful complexity that the Perdeberg Grenache Noir 2021 offers the palate, I could think of a kitchen sink-full of dishes to pair with this wine. As I sat at the counter, swirling my glass to capture the light in the folds of the wine, I decided it should be romantic – as an ode to my love affair with Grenache Noir.
A chocolate swirled pavlova, served with summer berries and a Grenache Noir coulis. Crispy on the outside, chewy and marshmallowy on the inside. Marbled with raw cocoa powder, to pick up the hints of earth in the wine. Red and blue berries on top, to allude to the intense bouquet on the nose. A tart, vibrant blueberry and Grenache Noir coulis to round it all up into a magnificent festive table showstopper, to be served with slightly chilled glasses of Perdeberg wine.
Chocolate swirled pavlova with summer berries and Grenache Noir coulis
Ingredients
For the pavlova
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 300 gr castor sugar
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 25 gr raw cocoa powder
For the coulis
- 1 cup Perdeberg Grenache Noir 2021
- 150 gr blueberries fresh or frozen
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
For decoration
- 2 handfuls strawberries and blueberries
- 1 packet raspberry jelly made to instructions and set overnight
- fresh mint leaves
- fresh flowers
Instructions
Start by making the pavlova
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan).
- Line a large flat baking tray with greaseproof paper. Draw a 20cm round circle in the middle as a guide for how big to make the pavlova.
- Separate the eggs with the egg whites in one bowl and the yolks in another bowl. Take extra care doing this to make sure no yolk gets into the whites.Attach the whisk attachment to your stand mixer and make sure the bowl is spotlessly clean and dry. Tip the egg whites into the bowl.Turn your mixer onto a medium-low speed and whisk the egg whites until they reach soft peaks (approx. 6-8 minutes).
- Now add 1 tbsp of the castor sugar at a time, counting 20 seconds between each addition. This will take a little while but it’s important to leave enough time for the sugar to dissolve into the meringue before you add the next spoonful. Once all the sugar is added, turn the mixer up to medium speed and whisk for roughly 6 minutes until the meringue reaches stiff peaks. The meringue should stand tall with no curl. Test that the sugar has fully dissolved by rubbing a bit of the meringue between your fingertips, it should feel smooth and not grainy. If it feels grainy, continue to whisk for another minute.
- Add the white wine vinegar and whisk into the meringue.
- Sift the cocoa powder into the bowl, and very gently fold it into the meringue using a large metal spoon or silicone spatula. You want to avoid folding too many times otherwise all the air will be knocked out, you also want to create a swirly pattern so only fold 4-5 times.
- Spoon the meringue onto the baking tray, making a tall mound of meringue in the middle of the circle you have drawn. Use the back of a spoon to shape the meringue into a round shape, making a crater in the middle to hold the filling.
- Place on the middle shelf of the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 130°C (fan). Bake for 80 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and leave the door closed. Let the pavlova cool completely inside the oven for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
Make the coulis
- Combine all ingredients into a small saucepan over medium heat until the berries start to soften and the sauce becomes thicker and the sugar has dissolved.
- After about 8 minutes, take it off the heat, allow to cool for a few minutes and using a stick blender, blitz the coulis until a smooth consistency
And then decorate!
- Add your berries, cubes of jelly, mint and flowers. Top with a drizzle of coulis.
As with a good bottle of wine, this pavlova is a labour of love, that requires copious amounts of dedication, patience and time. I decided to forego the usual pavlova topping of whipped cream or mascarpone cheese, not wanting the richness of the dairy to overshadow the subtle nuances of the wine. Instead, I added cubes of jeweled raspberry jelly, lending a whimsical glistening to the dessert.
In conclusion
The pavlova kept really well in the fridge for a further 2 days, before I scraped the last morsel from the plate with my finger. The Grenache Noir, however, didn’t make it past the first night. We enjoyed it to the very last drop, pityingly rolling the empty bottle over in our hands to admire the label.
Just like a visit to the home of Perdeberg wines, the elegant addition of the Grenache Noir 2021 to their Vineyard Collection is an all-round win. I still have not been able to put my finger on the precise enchantment held by of a glass of Grenache Noir 2021, but I have discovered that this one from Perdeberg wines leaves me feeling suitably woo’ed and charmed with every pour. Cheers!
The Little Hedonist endorses responsible drinking.
Don’t drink and drive. Not for persons under 18.
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