Nestled in the Agterkliphoogte Valley lies Windfall, a small boutique wine farm and one of South Africa’s best kept secrets. Windfall took its name from South African cricketing legend, Eddie Barlow, who noticed the mist cascading down the surrounding mountains of Robertson, or “The Valley of Wine and Roses” as it’s come to be known.
Eddie Barlow bought Windfall as Spesbona from Phillip Lourens and later sold it to prominent KZN property developer, Robert Alexander, who has rejuvenated Windfall by restoring dams, replanting vineyards, unearthing new boreholes and establishing Windfall’s boutique cellar. Kobus van der Merwe brings a wealth of experience to his role as winemaker on Windfall with 30 years in the industry, complemented by his passion for winemaking, his zeal for excellence and his determination to discover new, elegant tastes.
In 2015, Windfall launched a new wine with a special story, Kibali. Kibali is a beautiful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Mouvèdre and Grenache. A portion of the wine sales goes directly to the Nos Vies en Partage Foundation, an independent charity that was established by Randgold Resources humanitarian work on the African continent. Kibali gets its name from the Kibali Gold Mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The idea behind the wine was going to be a once-off project to honour the successful commissioning of the mine which was within budget and ahead of schedule. The mine is ranked as one of the largest gold mines in Africa and the original celebratory bottle was sold in a private sale for R22 000 of which the proceeds were given to the Nos Vies en Partage Foundation. It was the success of this that inspired Windfall Wines to launch this wine as an official addition to their award winning ranges of wines.
Nos Vies en Partage means ‘sharing prosperity’ and the organization aims to assist with social development issues in Africa including the relief of poverty, promotion of education and primary health care amongst others with a particular focus on women and children. The foundation was founded after a series of bike rides led by the CEO of Randgold, Mark Bristow. Rob Alexander, owner of Windfall Wines joined these bike rides alongside Mark Bristow and says “the estate was proud that its Kibali wine, created by talented winemaker, Kobus van der Merwe would be associated with the Nos Vies en Partage Foundation which was performing admirable work advancing social upliftment projects in sub-Saharan Africa.”
This winter, Windfall is teaming up with Clement Pedro, the celebrity chef behind Man Crave to celebrate Kibali with a divine food and wine pairing featuring Clement’s favourite winter dish, Beef Bourguignon.
Ingredients
- 3T canola oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1.5kg beef short rib, on the bone
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 1 large celery stalk, finely diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 large sprig of thyme
- 1 large sprig of rosemary
- 2 cups Windfall Kibali
- 2T tomato paste
- 3 cups beef stock
For the onion and bacon garnish
- 250g pearl or baby onions, halved
- 1T butter
- 250g pork lardons
- 150g portobello or exotic mushrooms, halved
For the mashed potatoes
- 1kg potatoes, peeled and roughly cubed
- 2T butter
- 3/4 cup cream
- Salt to taste
- Fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil over a medium heat. Season the meat with a generous amount of salt before adding to the pot and browning on all sides, ensuring the meat is a deep golden brown colour. Remove the meat from the pot and add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook the veggies until softs being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot (using your wooden spoon) lifting and brown bits left over from the browning of the meat.
- Add the garlic and herbs mixing through, adding the meat and cooking until it becomes fragrant then pour in the wine and stir through. Allow the wine to simmer, reducing by half then add the tomato paste and mix through. Pour in the stock and season again with salt and freshly ground black pepper before placing in an oven preheated to 160C to slow begin stewing with the lid on.
- The dish should cook for about 2 and a half hours or until the sauce has reduced, becoming thick and the meat is pull-part tender.
- During this time prepare the mash and garnish. Add the potatoes to a pot of simmering salted water, cooking until easily mashed with a fork. Drain off the water and add the butter and cream which has been warmed in the microwave or on stove top until just warm. Begin mashing until a smooth potato puree is formed. Season with salt to taste.
- For the garnish add the onions cut side down in a pan along with the butter and just enough water to cover the onions. Place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer cooking the onions as the water reduces. Once all the water has reduced the onions should be cooked through and the cut side should be a rich golden colour. Remove the onions and add the lardons, crisping them as they render out some of their fat. Once cooked through, golden and crisp remove the lardons and add the mushrooms, cooking them in the bacon fat. Cook the mushrooms until they’re perfectly caramelised and golden. Return the bacon and onions to the pan and season with salt and pepper before tossing through cooking for another few minutes.
- Add a lavish amount of mash to a serving dish with the boeuf bourguignon, topped with the bacon and mushroom garnish and a sprinkling of parsley.
