Vilakazi Street in Soweto was literally painted red when Nederburg Wines recently partnered with four of the historic precinct’s top restaurants to offer an invited group of Jozi fans an exclusive experience.

Nederburg, which will again be the official wine sponsor of MasterChef South Africa – season 3 is to be broadcast on M-Net on Thursdays from August 14 to December 11 – showcased some of its ultra premium offerings. These included wines from its Heritage Heroes and Ingenuity ranges, paired with local “Kasi” cuisine.

The first stop was the new Thrive Café where dressed-to-kill guests indulged in bubbly and snacks on arrival, followed by a sampling of Nederburg’s eight-way 2011 Ingenuity White` and three-way 2011 Ingenuity Italian Red blends.

The long-standing Sakhumzi, located just across the road, was the next crowd pleaser, offering dishes such as traditional dumplings, samp, mogodu (tripe), beef stew, grilled chicken, spinach and pumpkin. Brimming with true township flavour, these were paired with The Young Airhawk of 2012, a barrel-fermented Sauvignon blanc, as well as The Motorcycle Marvel of 2010, a Rhône-style blend of mainly Grenache, Carignan and Shiraz.

These wines form part of the winery’s Heritage Heroes range, conceived to honour some of the passionate personalities who shaped its heritage.

Three more wines from the range; The Anchorman of 2012, a wooded Chenin blanc, The Beautiful Lady Gewürztraminer, also of the 2012 vintage, and The Brewmaster of 2010, a silky blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot, were the show-stoppers at the super trendy NexDor. These wines were selected to suit a classy combo of chicken cordon bleu and stuffed fillet of beef, served with butternut, spinach and creamy potatoes as well as malva pudding for dessert.

Restaurant Vilakazi, located further up the road, also served The Anchorman, The Beautiful Lady and The Brewmaster paired with dishes including a curry lamb casserole, tripe, mushroom spinach, chakalaka, dumplings, and fruit salad and ice cream for dessert.

“We wanted to show our Gauteng consumers who are familiar with our well-known offerings, such as Baronne, just why our top-tier wines are so sought-after,” said Melissa Diedericks, Nederburg’s brand manager for South Africa.

Wines from Nederburg’s Ingenuity and Heritage Heroes ranges are now available from the four participating culinary hubs in the heart of Orlando West.  To book at any of these restaurants or for more information, please contact:

o   Ross Paton, Thrive Café, tel: 011 536 1838, e-mail: [email protected]

o   Sakhumzi Maqubela, Sakhumzi, tel: 011 536 1379, e-mail: [email protected]

o   Thabang Makwetla, NexDor, tel: 011 039 7631, e-mail: [email protected]

o   Sipho Tshabalala, Restaurant Vilakazi, tel: 011 057 1290 , e-mail: [email protected]

Nederburg’s Ingenuity and Heritage Heroes ranges are now also available from Pick n Pay in Maponya Mall in Soweto, as well as from Makro Crown Mines.