The lawn has been cut, raking done and
you’ve plucked as many dandelions as provincial election signs on March Road.
Your lower back is at the point of seizing up or just plain giving out but you
push on because at the end of the day you’ll be able to sit back in a lawn
chair and survey the splendor of your “homestead” in all its crabgrass wonder whilst
sipping a cold beer. But first, you have to search the dark recesses of that
poorly lit garden shed to find it. With a few groans, and a brief fight with a
garden hose you see it. There it is, in all its grease stained and dust covered
majesty….the BBQ! You can almost hear the faint sizzling of sausages and the
smell of barbeque chicken emanating from the grill. It’s calling you like an
ancient pandora’s box to open the lid and look inside. You struggle to free it
and after more than a few swear words the BBQ is pulled on to the deck and
opened. Wow! you should have really cleaned that before putting it away. This
BBQ will need a major makeover to get it back to last year’s grilling glory or
maybe a lengthy burn off will do for now. You’ll definitely need some good
wines to pair with the marinated chicken and steak that you plan on grilling
this weekend.
Here’s a couple of wine suggestions from South Africa that aren’t
typical of the Chenin Blanc and Pinotage varietals they are known for.
2017
Spier Signture Chardonnay – Stellenbosch South Africa
South Africa is
not really known for it’s Chardonnay but the trend over the last decade has
been to switch from more traditional varietals like Chenin Blanc to more
popular wines like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. This Chardonnay is done in a
California style with a soft texture and some oak. Pear, golden apple, vanilla
and butterscotch are all there which combine for a smooth fruit forward
Chardonnay. Pairs well with garlic marinated shrimp skewers on the BBQ.
LCBO 487181 -
$12.30
2016
Big Bill Cabernet Sauvignon – Western Cape South Africa
The wine is
actually called “The Legend of Big Bill” which was named after KWV’s original manager,
Bill Millar. KWV winery is South Africa’s oldest winery (originally a coop
winery). This Cabernet is very dark and rich with flavours of plum, menthol and
a hint of dark chocolate. It pairs well with most red meats but I tried it with
a pulled pork dish marinated in Bullseye BBQ sauce.
LCBO 457119 -
$12.95
Cheers !!
