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Neethlingshof Sauvignon Blanc in the Top 20

The Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group of South Africa (SBIG), organisers of the FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 Competition, have revealed the Top 20 wines in the countdown to the announcement of the ultimate Top 10 on 4 November 2011. (Read more about this competition )

Neethlingshof Sauvignon Blanc 2011 is on this Top20 list…holding thumbs for next week’s announcement

The names of our caracal cubs

Thanks to everyone who entered our “name the caracal cubs” competition. We received many entries from our visitors as well as a few on Facebook. Congratulations to Patricia Richards…Peaches and Pepa are the official names of our adopted cubs. Your wine and honey are on their way!

Veritas Tasting in Jo’burg

Wine lovers in Gauteng will be able to sample this year’s double gold and gold Veritas Award-winning wines, including the  Neethlinghof Sauvignon Blanc 2011.
The gourmet and tasting event will be held at the Bill Gallagher Room of the Sandton Convention Centre on 26 October.
For more info on this event visit http://tiny.cc/gmmv9

What does balance in a wine mean?

The concept of balance in wine on the surface seems very simple, but that turns out to be quite challenging. It is important to have some familiarity with what balance entails if you are to become a good wine taster.

Balance in wine refers to the interaction and harmony between two or more of the wine’s constituents. By far the most straightforward balance is that between sugar and acidity. Not all wines, of course, have residual sugar, though all have some acidity. Sugar-acid balance is thus limited to wines which have an interplay between these two elements.

There is no accurate formula for calculating the perfect acid-sugar balance in a wine, despite the fact that there are some people who advance that very notion. In its simplest sense, a wine which has a good acid-sugar balance tastes neither too sweet nor too acidic: the sugar exists in the right quantity for the acid, and vice versa.

Read more on www.nysaes.cornell.edu

How many calories are in a glass of wine?

Wine calories are a hot topic right now, especially with all of the trendy Mediterranean based diets and red wine’s resveratrol tie to healthier hearts and trimmer waistlines. One of the most frequently asked questions in regards to wine and health is squarely centered on the caloric content of a glass of wine.

Calories in Red Wine

Red wines typically have slightly lower amounts of residual sugar than white wines. So if you are strictly comparing apples to apples, the calories in red wines will often be a little lower than those found in a glass of white wine. Although, most nutrition charts don’t split hairs on residual sugar content and allow for both red and white wines to weigh in at 25 calories per 30 ml (ounce) of wine.

White Wine Calories

While white wines often retain more sugar in the fermentation process, the additional caloric burden is quite negligible, unless it is a sweet dessert wine or ice wine. For your typical Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and the like, you can still count on 25 calories per 30 ml (ounce) of white wine.

Wine and Calories, the Bottom Line

Just like all other aspects of calorie-counting, it’s the portion size that really matters. Most nutrition charts have a caloric content that is based on a 120ml glass of wine (literally a half cup), yet most wine glasses are filled with 150ml-180ml of wine, making a realistic glass of wine more like 125-150 calories per “real world” serving.

Source:  wine.about.com

A mouth-watering Chicken with white wine sauce dish

Chicken recipes can sometimes be a bit boring and ‘predictable’. Here is a great, unconventional and easy to prepare recipe, sure to make your guests ask for seconds.

2tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cubed
250g  button mushrooms, wiped and halved
120ml  dry white wine
500g jar of white sauce
2tbsp freshly chopped mixed herbs

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook for 5 mins or until softened. Add the chicken and cook until it’s browned on all sides.
2. Stir in the mushrooms and wine and cook over a high heat for a further 3 mins, or until the wine is reduced by half. Stir in the white sauce and simmer for about 15 mins, or according to jar instructions, until the chicken is cooked.
3. Stir in the herbs and season with salt and pepper. You can serve this casserole with saffron-flavoured white rice.

Recommended wine: The Neethlingshof Chardonnay will be the perfect wine with this great dish.

Source: goodtoknow.co.uk

Creamy Chicken Mushroom – Perfect with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc

Here is a delicious recipe. It is easy to prepare and will not leave you slaving in the kitchen. The best part is that this dish is a perfect match to one of my favourite wines, the Neethlingshof Sauvignon Blanc

Ingredients

• 8 small chicken cutlets (700g total)
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 450gsliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

 

Directions:

1.      Season 8 thin chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. In batches, cook in olive oil over medium-high heat until golden; remove.

2.      Add 450g  sliced mushrooms to pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender. Stir in ½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup goat cheese, and ¼ cup chopped parsley. Serve with the chicken.

Source: www.realsimple.com