Bellingham winemaker Richard Duckitt is an avid home cook and loves to experiment with food and wine flavour combinations. “This pairing works well because the bolognaise sauce has plenty of sweet and sour flavours,” he says. “The tomatoes and wine add acidity, while the hint of sweetness comes from the chutney. Together they form a rich and savoury sauce that the Homestead Chenin Blanc balances perfectly.” He adds that while Chenin Blanc is often overlooked as a pairing with meat, it has a natural ripe fruit character that complements meat dishes with sweet bastings or sauces.
]]>After a demanding harvest season, Bellingham winemaker Richard Duckitt always looks forward to the quiet and seclusion of his favourite fishing spot, and of course, cooking his own catch! For Richard the beauty of this dish is in its simplicity. “Bream is a very tasty fish and one must not overdo it with the ingredients,” he says. “Bream has a lot of fat, and with the butter, it can be quite rich. The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc has a richness of its own from the old vines and oak, and the fish needs this equally powerful wine to balance it. The fruit sweetness and acidity of the wine are key here.”
]]>At the Bellingham cellar based out in Wellington, harvest is a little later this year. “We were about 20% of the way in at the start of March,” explains Cellar Master Richard Duckitt. “So far the best is the SMV component of Shiraz that is naturally fermenting in one of our concrete tanks. The exciting lots are still coming. Our Sauvignon Blanc has been looking very good and the fruit expressed during fermentation is really looking amazing, so that is exciting for 2021.”
Harvest time is the most critical time for all winemakers, as you really only get one opportunity for success per year. It demands 7 days a week, round the clock commitment. That’s why Richard and his team have been working steadfastly day and night: “Bellingham Assistant Winemaker Arlene Mains and I are taking turns and alternate every second night between 12-hour shifts to ensure all the grapes are in and the presses have completed their cycles.”
Thankfully, Richard and his team are surrounded by an equally dedicated extended crew. “While I’m in the cellar our Head Viticulturalist is permanently on the road monitoring the progress of the vineyards. We work closely together to determine the exact date of harvest, but the tasting is our most important parameter. When the grapes taste perfect, we try our best to harvest immediately.”
]]>Keep it light this summer with Bellingham wines paired with simple, healthy and fuss-free food. Because we know that apart from looking good you want to spend less time cooking and more time with loved ones enjoying the fabulous sunny outdoors this festive season. Here are four recipe suggestions that fit this brief, and our Bellingham wine picks for summer, like a glove:
Asparagus, tomato and feta salad with balsamic vinaigrette, served with Bellingham Sauvignon Blanc
Nothing says summer quite like a fresh, fruity salad and this one certainly is scrumptious. This year’s FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 award-winning Bellingham Sauvignon Blanc with its soft tropical fruit flavours goes brilliantly with the seasonal asparagus, while the salty feta highlights the more savoury minerality in the wine.
Recipe credit: www.cookingclassy.com
Grilled honey-lime chicken with pineapple salsa, served with Bellingham Chenin Blanc
The Bellingham Chenin Blanc’s tropical fruit core and hints of honey, marmalade and citrus-lime freshness echo the exotic flavours of this delectable dish superbly. The subtle oaking of the wine also allows it to stand up well to the slightly sweeter flavours of the marinade and salsa.
Recipe credit: www.delish.com
White wine garlic prawns served with Bellingham Chardonnay
This delicious prawn recipe simply sings in the company of the vibrant Bellingham Chardonnay. It is a beautiful match for seafood, especially shellfish with a touch of sweetness, prepared in a buttery sauce. Yum, and then some!
Recipe credit: Alida Ryder, www.simply-delicious-food.com
Summer strawberry and basil pavlova
This classic dessert is not only seasonal and easy but also quite pretty to look at. And why not try versatile Pinotage with your pavlova – the ripe red fruit flavours and a hint of oak spice in the wine pair perfectly with the fresh strawberries and vanilla pavlova. Summer on a plate!
Recipe credit: Sarah Graham, sarahgraham.co.za
Bellingham Wines illustrated the strength in its portfolio when it secured no less than 7 4,5 Star ratings in the Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2019.
The latest edition of this stalwart publication was launched at Cape Town’s Table Bay Hotel on 5 November 2018, where this year’s “South African classics” were honoured.
With a history reaching back to 1693, Bellingham is one of South Africa’s most entrenched producers, and the first local producer to launch a single varietal Shiraz in 1956. Since inception, Bellingham has been honing a reputation as a producer that genuinely knows how to harness the strength of its terroir. By focusing on a few core varieties, Bellingham manages to ensure premium quality wines that are truly distinct in character.
Bellingham is therefore incredibly proud that such a great percentage of its wines scored in the upper echelons of the annual Platter’s Guide.
The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2017, made from three selected plots of old bush vines, was rated 94/100 – narrowly missing the Five-Star mark of 95 – with other wines from the portfolio in close support.
Top performing wines in The Bernard Series included Bush Vine Pinotage 2016 (93), Small Barrel SMV 2015 (93), Whole Bunch Roussanne 2018 (92), Small Basket Press Syrah 2016 (91) and Whole Bunch Grenache-Blanc Viognier 2017 (90). Showcasing quality across its tiers, Bellingham also secured 4,5 Stars for its Old Orchard Chenin Blanc 2017 (93).
Chief Winemaker at Bellingham Wines, Richard Duckitt, commented: “We are really pleased that our portfolio of wines performed so favourably. The Platter’s Wine Guide provides consumers with a valuable guide for navigating the South African wine industry, and my winemaking team and I are thrilled that consumers will be directed to the quality of our labels.”
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