Dinner- Palisades (South Africa)

Outside Palisades in Eggleston, VA

After Geography on Wine on Thursday, six of my friends and I went to the Palisade restaurant in Eggleston to celebrate my friend, Julia’s, 21^st birthday and enjoy a wine dinner.  The highlighted region for the week was South Africa.  I have always been a fan of South African wines, so I was extra excited for this experience.    

Inside Palisades Restaurant

The atmosphere at the Palisades was warm and welcoming.  It felt like a nice sit down dinner at home among family and friends.  Conversation was easy, the temperature inside was comfortable, and the staff were affable.

To start, we were graciously given a complimentary appetizer of pita, humus, and fresh tomato.  I am not usually a huge fan of humus, but the combination of the three together made for a delicious play on bruschetta with a nice spice.

Complimentary Appetizer

The wine dinner pairing consisted of Pumpkin fitters, biryani with beef skewers, and apricot chutney to eat, and Chenin Blanc (2010), Petit Pinotage (2010), and Game Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (2009) to drink.  All the wines were from Stellenbosch, South Africa.  It is the second oldest region in South Africa and boasts 14% of the country’s annual wine production.  We had our wine served with our meal, and decided to try them individually and then with each component of our plate. 

Beef tips skewer on rice, pumpkin fritters, and chutney with three wines

We tried the Chenin Blanc 2010 first.  By itself, it had a fruity, oaky smell with hints of pear.  The taste was similarly earthy with a little citrus and tartness.  The aftertaste was pleasant.  I tried it with the pumpkin fritter next and the flavor exploded!  The spices and oils were accentuated a lot. 

Next, we tried the Petit Pinotage 2010.  It smelled of dark berries, cherries, oak, and some petrol.  After swirling it a few times, I thought I could detect a little rosemary or some other herbal scents as well.  Upon tasting, I felt the wine had a medium body with a nice lingering heat.  It was slightly tannic with a little bitterness.  I felt that trying it with the pumpkin fitter helped break down the tannins.  Adding the chutney to the combination added to the heat, but in a good way, so that I could feel the wine tingling in my mouth and all the way down my throat.  The beef had a neutralizing effect on the heat and helped bring out the subtle herbal flavors.  With the pepper and onion, the wine tasted more bitter at first, and then extra heat going down, which was interesting.  The rice served as a nice neutralizer, which was pleasant and cleansing. 

The gang at dinner

Finally, we tried the 2009 Game Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine had what looked like yeast floating around in it, and smelled like dark fruit with oak and tobacco.  If felt VERY smooth and tasted the same way it smelled.  The wine was sophisticated and full-bodied.  The beef changed the flavor the least, and did not really help bring out additional flavors in the wine.  The vegetables made the wine taste tarter, but extended and left the flavors on and around my whole mouth.  I like the fritter the least with this wine because it tasted more bitter and less complex.

Finished product

Overall, the food was absolutely delicious and I enjoyed all the wines as well.  I wish there had been more food, but luckily, some of the members of our party ordered pizzas, which were ginormous, and were willing to share.   The characteristics the wines took on with food compared to how they were alone was quite an experience.  The cabernet sauvignon was probably my favorite wine to drink alone, while the chenin blanc was my favorite with the food.  I would definitely recommend the Palisades to others, and hopefully I will have the opportunity to go back in the future.