Your tastebuds can get a winter tingle at Lanzerac estate

NO SOONER are we in the throes of winter than the question arises: when will it end? A guideline for determining this is how long certain winter specials last.

Lanzerac Wine Estate in Stellenbosch is clearly hopeful because its winter warmer cheese and wine offer runs until next Sunday.

In the old days it was simple: throw some cubes of cheese on a plate ( multicoloured cocktail onions optional) and serve with a red or white of your choice. We’ve all become far more sophisticated now, and know different cheeses pair better with certain wines.

The Lanzerac platter carries a selection of eight local cheeses, served with homemade preserves, chutney, biscuits and breads. They include the Dalewood Lanquedoc (a semi-soft washed rind surface-ripened cheese); Dalewood Huguenot (a multi award-winning semi-hard, brushed rind style cheese which is medium-full in character with nutty overtones); cumin boerenkaas (mild spicy, smooth full fat hard cheese with an aromatic flavour); Dalewood Brie Superlative (the biggest wheel made in South Africa, once ripened, the aroma is milky and slightly fungal, and the flavour buttery, earthy and mushroomy); Healey’s Farmhouse Mature Cheddar, which is made with unpasteurised milk and is free of preservatives, artificial colouring, and flavour enhancers; Karoo Blue (unpasteurised Roquefort-style cheese with the distinctive blue vein); Karoo Swiss (with a sweet hint of caramelised onion); and an artisanal goat’s cheese made by Pépé Charlot.

Of course, it all comes down to your palate and personal preferences, but as a rough guideline, goats’ cheese likes a little bit of Sauvignon Blanc while creamy cheeses and Chardonnay are a match made in heaven. Robust reds are your go-to with strong, firm cheeses. These bases are pretty much covered by the wines in the Premium range which are offered along with the platter.

You’ll get five generous pours of the recently released Sauvignon blanc 2016, Chardonnay 2014 (Michelangelo gold medal winner), Merlot 2014, Pinotage 2013 (Michelangelo trophy winner for best pinotage) and the Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (Veritas gold medal winner), so you can mix and match to find out if the fancy pants experts are right.

The special costs R195 for two to share (including the platter and wine), and is available daily between 9am and 4pm until 31 July. To book call021 886 5641, email: winetasting@lanzerac.co.za or see www.lanzerac.co.za