Fairview’s Famous Goatshed Dinners

Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 04 May 2018 3:15 AM CAT

Fairview’s Goatshed Dinners are back this year with a revived twist!

Goatshed Homtini Italian Evening

25 May 2018

19:00 – 22:00

This year, we’ve decided to introduce a strong relationship between the food and wine pairings, by complementing the Goatshed dinners to our most food-focused wine range, titled the Regional Revival Range.

Each wine is brimming with a decorative label and enticing story to tell, as well as orientated with a specific wine region in mind.

Homtini translates as a ‘difficult passage’ in the long-forgotten Khoi language. The Homtini pass, near Knysna, winds its way through indigenous forests. This was once the home of our winemaker, Anthony de Jager’s Italian ancestors, the Rabbolinis, who were silk farmers from Northern Italy. They immigrated to South Africa under the misconception that mulberry trees grew in abundance. On arrival they discovered that no mulberry trees existed, but through tenacity and hard work, they tamed the land and ultimately prospered in other trades, including wine-making.

The wine is a Tuscan-style blend of Italian variety Sangiovese, integrated with a touch of Cabernet Sauvingon and Merlot. The wine is crafted to go perfectly with Italian-style dishes, such as tomato-based sauces, breads and cheese. Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to savour on the evening:

Antipasti

Selection of cured meats (Mortadella, Salami, Coppa, Pastrami)

Freshly baked breads (Ciabatta, Focaccia)

Mozzarella, tomato & herb pesto salad

Goats’ cheese & caramelized onion Bruschetta

Fegato d’anatra (duck liver) paté

Pork, fennel & sage

Primi

Mushroom Casarecce

Secondi

“Bistecca alla Goatshed”

Roasted Sirloin, polenta & Mediterranean garnish

Dolce

Tiramisu

Try your hand at pizzaiolo in between courses at our wood fired pizza oven station

R325 pp

Goatshed Nurok Moroccan Evening

8 June 2018

19:00 – 22:00

Our second Goatshed Dinner is coming up on the 8th June 2018: The Nurok Moroccan Evening!

This year, we’ve decided to introduce a strong relationship between the food and wine pairings by complementing the Goatshed dinners to our most food-focused wine range, the Regional Revival Range.

Each wine from our Regional Revival range has an exciting story to tell, and a veritable feast to go with it, with a specific wine region in mind. Our second dinner is all about Nurok – a true labour of love. Charles Back tells the story:

“My wife, Diane, whose painting is depicted on the front label, is descended from the Nurok family, originally from Lithuania. At the end of the 17th century, Lithuanians were taking on the Catholic faith and built a cathedral in Siauliai in celebration. A heavy bell being transported to the cathedral fell into a frozen river, and the locals could not retrieve it. A young boy named Wulf dived into the river, attached a rope to the bell and, with some help, hauled it onto the riverbank. Refusing all reward, Wulf asked that the Jews be allowed to return to Siauliai. His wish was granted, and the citizens bestowed on him the name Nurok, meaning diver. From then on, he and his descendants were known by this name, and there was harmony between Christians and Jews. This admirable example of religious tolerance and mutual respect serves as one of the cornerstones of our philosophy at Fairview. This wine pays homage to the revered blends of the Old World.”

Nurok is one of our most acclaimed award-winning wines. In 2017, it won a 90 Tim Atkin score, 4.5 star Platter rating, and 92-points in the Winemag White Blend Award! Thanks to the oak on this beautiful white blend, it complements spicy and rich food incredibly well, so we’ve opted to pair it with Moroccan-inspired dishes.

Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to enjoy on the evening:

Mrehba

Flat breads from the wood-fire oven, olive oil & rosemary

Khobz Kesra – Traditional Moroccan bread

Spiced carrot & chickpeas

Lemon & olive chicken drumsticks

Spicy roast pepper dip

Eggplant salad

First Starter

Masala spiced line fish, lentil & chickpea cakes & Chermoula

Second Starter

Saffron and cumin potato curry, papadums & Labneh

Main Course

Lamb shoulder, apricot couscous

Dessert

Almond cake, date preserve & cinnamon custard

R325 pp

Fairview Shiraz and Free-Range Lamb Shank Evening

15 June 2018

19:00 – 22:00

So this year we have flipped the theme of our annual Goatshed dinners on their head, with the introduction of a paired Regional Revival Range wine to each themed event. However, the one evening we would never remove from our calendar is the ever-popular Fairview Shiraz and Free-Range Lamb Shank evening on the 15th June 2018, which also happens to be the third Goatshed Dinner in our calendar this winter. Sold out every year, we trust there will be no exception this year! It also happens to align with Shiraz SA Week, so all the more reason to celebrate this bold red variety!

There is definitely a comfort factor that revolves around bringing together a bold red and a hearty meat in the middle of winter. Add to this our underfloor heating, roaring oven fire, and cosy Goatshed interior, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a true feast of flavours and trending hygge indulgence. We invite you to come and enjoy Chef SJ Nel’s reinvention of classic dishes using pork and duck ‘shank’, and incorporating smoked Shiraz vines with his tasty spiced pumpkin soup. Shiraz is also Fairview’s flagship grape variety, used across a wide range of blends and single bottlings. This one is definitely not to be missed, so book now to avoid disappointment!

Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to enjoy on the evening:

Amuse-Bouche

Pickled pork “shank” & mustard slaw

First Starter

Duck “shank” & bean cassoulet

Second Starter

Spiced pumpkin soup, lightly smoked with Shiraz vines

Main Course

Shiraz braised Lamb Shank Pie, mashed potato & baby marrow

Dessert

Goatshed’s milk tart & Shiraz poached pear

R325 pp

Goatshed Drie Papen Fontein Curry Evening

13 July 2018

19:00 – 22:00

Situated on the tiny, uninhabited Dassen Island, stands a lonely red and white striped lighthouse, attracting only the icy Atlantic winds that sweep by into the hilly slopes of Darling. Brushing right past the grazing woolly merino sheep, who claimed this land as their first South African pastures, the wind collides with the three granitic mountain rocks which are silhouetted against the sky like the mitre of three popes. Introducing Drie Papen Fontein.

Revealed in 2016, Drie Papen Fontein has become a firm favourite of our Regional Revival Range. Its beautiful story is carefully depicted on the front label, illustrating the lighhouse, sheep and pope’s mitres. Drie Papen is also no doubt one of our most food friendly wines, and it is for this reason that we’re putting it front row and centre at our 4th Goatshed Dinner, coming up on the Friday, 13th July 2018: The Drie Papen Fontein Curry Evening.

With the Fairview Homtini and Nurok dinner’s behind us, this dinner places focus on the newest member of the range, Drie Papen Fontein. Drie Papen Fontein is made in a white Bordeaux blend style, primarily made of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. It complements a wide variety of food, but we’ve decided to connect the story and pair it with Cape Malay style cuisine. We have no doubt the pairing will be welcome in the heart of winter, with warm, fiery food, plenty of wine, a cosy restaurant and most importantly, good company.

Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to enjoy on the evening:

First starter

Onion bhajis, spiced aubergine dip

Butternut samoosa, sweet chilli yogurt

Bobotie springroll, turmeric aioli

Mango atchar chicken roti

Curried and pickled fish pots

Second starter

Cauliflower and potato Tarkari, lentil cake & fried paneer

Main course

Mutton curry with tomatoes, garlic and garam masala with Basmati rice, sambals & poppadum

Dessert

Saffron sabayon with roasted fruit, cardamom cake and toasted almonds

R325 pp

Goatshed Regional Revival Range Chef’s Journey

27 July 2018

19:00 – 22:00

After re-imagining our annual Goatshed Dinners, the Regional Revival Range Chef’s Journey will most definitely be our flagship event of the season! Coming up on the 27th July 2018, the Regional Revival Range showcase will be a culmination of our chef’s finest culinary talent and our winemaker’s crafted bottlings. The goal is to deliver a true farm-to-fork philosophy, offering a real taste of our home grown produce and beautifully paired wines.

This food-friendly showcase of unusual styles and cultivars gives our talented winemakers an exciting avenue to challenge traditional viticulture and winemaking and produce regionally-inspired, blended wines with a Cape twist. At Fairview, there is a tale to share behind everything, none more so than our wine. Our Regional Revival Range brings storytelling to the fore, blending together adventurous grape varieties with cutting-edge winemaking. Inspired by wines of the Old World, the range takes these traditional regional styles and brings them alive to local palates by integrating an unexpected Cape twist. Rising in popularity since its inception, our Regional Revival Range is beloved for each bottle’s characteristic label design and food pairing compatibility.

Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to enjoy on the evening:

Bread

Bread & condiments

Full circle Pork

Pâté en Croûte

Beef

Shoulder ragout & Tortellini

Lamb

Lamb neck cottage pie, lamb jus and parsnips

Dairy

Yoghurt Panna Cotta

Cheese selection

R375 pp

Goatshed Caldera Greek Evening

24 August 2018

19:00 – 22:00

Off the coast of the Greek isle of Santorini lies a sea-drowned caldera, a vast crater left behind by one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in history. Once a cradle of heat and magma, today that energy is still channeled into the Mediterranean dishes cooked in cauldron-style pots by locals. To celebrate the warmth and richness of this culture, we’ve crafted our Caldera wine to masterfully match with any meal… and the Goatshed Caldera Evening is just the fit for this experience!

Our sixth Goatshed dinner is coming up on the 24th August 2018: The Caldera Greek Evening!

Caldera was so named after Charles Back’s travels to Santorini in Greece. During his stay, he enjoyed the view of the mostly submerged caldera,located in the southern Aegean Sea, 120 kilometers north of Crete. Upon his return from Greece, he was inspired to create a Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre blend that would complement Mediterranean style food, such as the Greek cuisine he has experienced. And so Caldera was born – the oldest member of our Regional Revival Range, and one of our best!

This year, we’ve decided to introduce a strong relationship between the food and wine pairings, by complementing the Goatshed dinners to our most food-focused wine range, titled the Regional Revival Range.

The Regional Revival Range consists of the following 6 wines:

1. Fairview Brut MCC
2. Fairview Drie Papen Fontein
3. Fairview Nurok
4. Fairview Homtini
5. Fairview Extrano
6. Fairview Caldera

Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to enjoy on the evening:

Mezze

Greek style breads, olives and hummus

Homemade Dolmades

Spinach & feta tartlets

Haloumi & sundried tomato salsa

Starter

Prawn Saganaki & zucchini fritter

Main Course

Baked lamb meatballs with crushed potatoes, baby marrow, aubergine puree and rosemary jus

Dessert

Greek Style Fresh Cheese & Yoghurt tart, apricot compote

R325 pp

Goatshed Brut MCC Old World Evening

7 September 2018

19:00 – 22:00

As you should already know by now, Fairview and our winemakers, under the careful guidance of Charles Back, love to break with tradition. In fact, we’re all about doing things differently. This really came to the fore with our Fairview Brut Méthode Cap Classique (MCC), a re-imagined take on the classic bubbly. Traditionally, Champagne (in France) and MCC (in South Africa), is made using the grape varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. For our version, one of our talented winemakers Stephanie Wiid decided to break with tradition, and use a celebration of Mediterranean varieties – Viognier, Grenache Noir and Grenache Blanc – for her bubbly. Given Charles’s reputation as one of the SA wine industry mavericks, perhaps it’s not that surprising that he insisted on the first Fairview MCC rather being Rhône-like in its varietal mix.

For our penultimate Goatshed Dinner for 2018, we will be sharing the delights of our Fairview Brut MCC and pairing it with Old World style food – meaning food from regions like France. Our chefs and winemakers thought it would be an interesting comparison to take our New World bubbly and pair it with Old World traditional fare. The combination will no doubt be delightful! Coming up on Friday 7th September 2018, come enjoy a warm environment, hearty food and a pop, clink, fizz with your friends!

Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to enjoy on the evening:

Amuse Bouche

Blinis with smoked salmon & fish roe

First starter

Paprika chicken schnitzel with stuffed cabbage

Second starter

Mushroom and barley soup

Main course

Roast beef, potato dauphinois, roasted vegetables and rosemary jus

Goulash hot pot

Dessert

Apple pie, vanilla ice cream and custard

R325 pp

Goatshed Extraño Spanish Evening

28 September 2018

19:00 – 22:00

There is a stranger (extraño in Spanish) in the Cape’s vineyards, named Tempranillo. Originally from Spain, Tempranillo now grows in local soils and produces grapes of exceptional quality. We’ve carefully integrated fellow Spaniards Grenache and Carignan – who add spice, fruit and freshness – to help temper this slightly rustic grape variety’s temperamental streak.

Since its release, this wine has been causing waves throughout our Tasting Room, becoming a firm best-seller thanks to its consistent taste, beautiful label and value-for-money. In fact, Extraño was one of our most awarded wines for 2017, receiving a 4.5 star Platter rating, a 2017 National Wine Challenge Top 100 award, and a 90 point score at the Winemag Signature Red Blend Report Awards 2017!

For our final Goatshed Dinner for 2018, we decided to pair a winning wine with a winning cuisine combination. Chef SJ Nel and the Goatshed team carefully curated a menu that will please all palates, while harking back to Catalan-inspired flavours. The event also marks the end of winter, and welcomes in a change of season for warmer weather and later sunsets. Come celebrate – and don’t forget your castanets!

Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to enjoy on the evening:

Tapas

Selection of breads, spicy dips & Salami

Paprika chicken Taco cups

Meatballs in Chorizo & tomato sauce

Mushroom Empanadas

Starter

Roasted Linefish & white bean soup

Main Course

Braised beef, potato cake & traditional Pisto

Dessert

Flan de Cafe

R325 pp