An intimate food and wine pairing for two, in the comfort of our own kitchen

Virtual events were all the rage during the Covid-19 lockdowns. South Africans are very social people by nature, and when they were told they’re not allowed to leave their homes, they improvised. And so, the ‘virtual social scene’ came into existence.

With all Covid-19 regulations having been scrapped, life has returned to normal and crowds are streaming to everything from wine and food festivals to music festivals and open-air markets to mingle and to celebrate having their freedom back.

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There is one virtual event though, which gained so much popularity during lockdown that organisers decided to keep the format, even though it’s no longer necessary.

The Pick n Pay Winemakers Table is a monthly event where the Pick n Pay Wine Club invites wine and food lovers to join them for an evening of delicious food and great wine.

This month’s theme was a celebration of Shiraz.

Edmund Terblanche from La Motte, Morgan Steyn from De Grendel and Mandy Dewing of Saronsberg introduced their wines to us while our Chef for the evening showed us how to prepare the canapés that accompanied each wine.

Two things I loved about the format of this event is that I didn’t have to do any of the shopping, or drive home after a wine tasting.

Pick n Pay went out of their way to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for guests. They deliver a box of goodies, containing all the ingredients you’ll need to prepare each canapé to your door, as well as the wines your food will be paired with.

Even the ingredients are perfectly measured and packaged, you just need to open the packages and put your dish together. The most you’ll need to do is toast a ciabatta and slice one or two of the ingredients.

It’s actually a lot of fun sitting in your kitchen, sipping on a glass of wine while following the chef’s instructions to prepare the dishes you will be pairing with your wine.

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We kicked the evening off with a pickled beetroot taco, served with cured chorizo, Szechuan whipped feta, spicy red onion jam and roasted nuts. This delicious canapé was paired with a De Grendel Shiraz.

The combination of the flavours in the taco blew my mind, and paired with the Shiraz, my taste buds were on an epic foodie adventure.

For our second canapé, we prepared a grilled artichoke crostini with green mayo, pink peppercorn dust, a fresh radish sliver, drizzled with a sweet balsamic reduction. The second course was paired with a La Motte Syrah.

When we read this recipe on paper, my husband and I were slightly sceptical about the outcome of this, but we were so blown away by the amazing flavours working together, we’re serving it at our next get together with friends.  

Naturally, you can’t end off an evening of good food and wine without something sweet.

For dessert, we made a rich chocolate fondant with a warm hazelnut sauce, garnished with white chocolate shavings. The chocolate brownie was paired with the Saronsberg Shiraz, one of my new favourite red wines. I loved how the nutty taste of the wine and the dessert complemented each other.

If you’re looking to wow your partner with something different and more intimate for date night, we’d suggest looking out for the next virtual Pick n Pay Winemakers Table.

Each month Pick n Pay Wine Club works with different wine makers to host the event but customers will always get three wines and three canapés. If you join the Smart Shopper Wine Club, you get R100 off your tickets and will be notified of upcoming events.

It is an amazing experience to share with friends in the comfort of your own home.