A stunning luncheon was arranged to celebrate the new releases from Paul Cluver for Woolworths at Aulese in Cape Town. Aulese is a spectacular food and wine pairing venue put together by chef Harold Bresselschmidt, more famously known for Aubergine restaurant.
It was an honour to be part of the luncheon and share a table with the likes of Paul Cluver, Allan Mullins (Woolworths wine selector), Andries Burger (Paul Cluver’s winemaker) and even a guest appearance later on from Paul Cluver Snr himself. The wines were presented in a superb pairing under the master direction of Harold. The menu was as follows –
Guinea Fowl Gelée with apple salad and fennel mousseline/Paired with Rhine Riesling 2005
Seared Marlin with red wine butter and porcini mushroon risotto/Paired with Pinot Noir 2000
Rare – fried Ostrich Fillet with beetroot, red onions and red cabbage/Paired with Cabernet Franc Reserve 2007
Gratin of Spring fruit with rhubarb sorbet/Paired with Gewurztraminer 2005
It was a tasty experience and the flavours of the designed menu truly complimented the characteristics of the wine. Some of the wines you can find on the Woolworths shelves are as follows –
Gewurztraminer Limited Release 2012 (Awesome! Cloves & spice & all things nice! Had it with quail – a great match, neither dominated, a nice fusion. Lovely spice. Spot on!)
Alc. 11.5% RS 10.6 g/l TA 6.2 g/l pH3.2
R59.99 (Woolworths price)
Ferricrete Riesling 2012 (A change from ubiquitous Sauvignon! Racy peaches & mouthwatering freshness. I think the sweetness needed a smoked dish? Zingy! Clever! Balanced and yummy! Superb… “Appley” A match made in heaven. Superb – beautiful balance of sweetness, dryness and acidity.)
Alc. 10% RS 19.2 g/l TA 8.0 g/l pH2.93
R69.99 (Woolworths price)
Pinot noir Reserve 2010 (Fresh and fantastic! Savoury – sensational! Earthy)
Alc. 13.5% RS 1.7% TA 5.5 g/l pH3.56
R99.99 (Woolworths price)
Cabernet franc Reserve 2010 (Succulent & ripe! Wow! Such a great wine, could handle many dishes. Velvet. Ripe but delicious, always asking for another sip. Dark, dense & sexy with sour cherry finish, More -ish, umami. Long savoury finish.)
Alc. 14% RS 1.9 g/l TA 6.1 g/l pH 3.58
R89.99 (Woolworths price)
Besides any excuse to get together and enjoy chef cuisine paired with superb wines I feel it was BEST put in the words of Allan Mullins,
“It was a very special function in many ways. It celebrated a long standing partnership which actually goes back to the very first Paul Cluver wines in the early 90’s. And it was carried off in style. What a brilliant idea to utilize Harold’s food-wine matching skills to the maximum and having a taste around before the meal. It had Cluver-class written all over it.
We are very proud to work with the Cluvers and I felt great being part of the partnership.”
