Paul Cluver Wines

The farm has been in the family since 1896 and the current wine business is still very much a family affair.  I had a wonderful tasting of a selection of their wines the other night and was also given their secret recipe.  Well, not so secret.  Here it is:

Ingredients:

1. a dollop of intelligence
2. a few spoonfuls of forward thinking
3. a handful of science
4. a gallon of hard work
5. some varied slopes, soils and exposures
6. a little higher altitude and southerly position to taste 
7. a generous sprinkling of cooling summer sea breezes   

Method:

• mix all of your ingredients well, watching the slow ripening of the grapes and the resulting complexity in the glass

You must be mad if you've never tasted a Paul Cluver wine.  They are the bona fide representation of Elgin terroir and a wonderful example of what is happening in a South African wine industry that is flexing it's muscles.

Jacqueline Harris, from Paul Cluver, has given me an easy recipe to go with their very good Gewurtztraminer. 


Moroccan lamb ribs

Ingredients:

1. a rack of lamb ribs, separated (your nice butcher can do this for you if you like)
2. plenty of good Moroccan spice mix (blend of cumin, coriander, harissa and rose petals)
3. a braai (barbecue)

Method:

• rub ribs thoroughly and lovingly with spice
• make sure the Gewurtztraminer is chilled
• braai ribs until cooked the way you like them
• enjoy