Long weekend wines

It’s the start of “long weekend season”, with plenty of public holidays coming up and lots of opportunities for meals with family and friends. These three wines all pair well with Aletta’s Mediterranean dishes featured this month. What would Easter be without lamb on the menu? Roast it, braai it, potjie it… Whatever cooking method you use, lamb is always a great partner for a robust red wine. The Plaisir de Merle Petit Plaisir 2014 (R100) might well have been made with Easter in mind. It’s a blend of mainly shiraz, with some cabernet sauvignon and a few other varietals. All in all, it’s incredibly moreish and drinkable, with plenty of plush blackberry notes, savoury tannins and gentle oak. It retains enough acidity to cope with a slow-cooked lamb shank and its easy-going attitude will please the whole family. If you’re going to splash out and treat yourself to some seafood, give yourself a vino treat at the same time! Try the new Elodie Chenin Blanc 2015 (R234) from Gabriëlskloof in Bot River. The fruit actually comes from the Swartland and has been cultivated in a “hands-off” manner by Peter-Allan Finlayson, son of South Africa’s pinot noir pioneer Peter Finlayson and one of the industry’s rising stars. The wine is lightly oaked, zippy and fresh, with plenty of citrus notes. It would complement a rich prawn or fish dish beautifully. As the 2017 harvest draws to a close, many people will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of this year’s first wines. But neglect older wines at your peril, particularly something as complex and elegant as the Lourensford Limited Release White Blend 2012 (R160). Made mostly from sauvignon blanc grapes, with dollops of chardonnay and a dash of viognier, the blend has also spent some time in oak giving it a lovely creamy edge – a great partner for any savoury Mediterranean dish featuring cheese, chicken or fish.