Winter is over. The sun is shining. And it’s a long weekend in ode of Heritage Day. There’s never been a better excuse to bust out your braai tongs and toast to the good days ahead and our collective heritage behind us.

In honour of just that, here are our favourite South African dishes – along with their ideal Uitsig companions. Enjoy!

BUBBLY & ANYTHING ON THE BRAAI

Like that larger than life person who makes everybody feel like their best friend, there’s a reason why bubbly is the fastest growing segment in the wine industry. It goes with just about everything – from peanut butter sandwiches to prosciutto.

To celebrate Braai Day in style, Constantia Uitsig’s MCC 2013 is your ultimate match. Winner of the prestigious MCC category at this year’s Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, our Method Cap Classique is made from Chardonnay grapes only – from a single vineyard planted in 1990. Having waited 3 years in the bottle prior to release, you’ll find red apples, honey and almonds on the nose. The palate is beautifully balanced with loads of apple and tangerine as well as a crisp acidity in homage to its cool origin.

Of course, what self-respecting braai would be complete without a homemade relish… like our bubbly, it takes a normal dish and makes it sing. Here’s a link to our favourite Braai Relish recipe.

BOBOTIE & BORDEAUX

Our just-launch Red Horizon 2014 is a sublime Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. With an abundance of cherries and ripe plums on the nose, the subtle spices that linger on the palate match the wonder of Bobotie’s salty/sweet flavours perfectly.

Light and elegant, this easy drinking red blend is the ideal partner to this excellent Bobotie recipe. 

MILK TART & MUSCAT

The hanepoot grapes we grow to make our red Muscat are almost as sweet and well-loved as the Milk Tart itself. The subtle vanilla creaminess of this traditional South African dessert is complimented beautifully by the muscat’s balanced acidity and freshness, whilst the linger of cinnamon dances with the hint of ripe peaches on your palate.

Food24 put together an excellent post with 6 different Milk Tart recipes to try (including a vegan version)– why not give one a bash this weekend?

Our pop-up wineshop is open for the entire long weekend (10am-6pm, including Monday). Pop in and buy a case or more of your favourite Constantia Uitsig wine, and you won’t only receive a 15% discount (per case), but a complimentary bottle opener too.