Uitkyk - Wine & Pancake Pairing

 - AN UNUSUAL PAIRING, BUT DELICIOUS!

My chef sister frowned when I mention wine and pancakes together, thinking it was an odd combination.  But Uitkyk did an exceptional job of pairing the wines with the respective pancake fillings.

We arrived a bit early and meandered around the farm - it is rustic and beautiful.  It reminded me of your typical working farm, more of a dairy or cow farm than a wine estate per se.  But that's what made it so lovely.  While I do enjoy the style, heritage and luxuriousness that comes with most wine estates, it was a breath of fresh air (literally) driving into this farm. 
Again with winter here, no matter how beautiful the farms, the leafless vineyards and trees just don't look as good as they could.
 
The Tasting room is simple and welcoming.
The Wine and pancake pairing took place in the Old Manor House which looks more like an English Country House (or even one of those old mansions in the deep south of the US of A, Alabama perhaps) than the typical Cape Dutch.
I had heard of Flat Roof Manor (FRM) wines, but did not know they were part of Uitkyk and obviously named after the Old Manor House.  I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and price of the Flat Roof Manor wines, considering they are a second tier brand.  Good quality and very reasonably priced.  Also, most of them are actually lighter wines - 9% alcohol as opposed to the usual 12-14% and have convenient screw caps.  Perfect wines for picnics, braais and chilled evenings with friends.

The FRM PINOT ROSE 2012 (LIGHT)  was not part of the pairing, but I had a quick taste at the tasting room before buying a bottle.  It is lovely, its like juice, very easy drinking!  I have decided I'm going to try and bring Roses back into the family for this summer.  Sav Bs and Chenin Blancs get too much of our attention and there are some great Roses out there.

We started with a complimentary glass of the FRM SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012 (LIGHT) on the Old Manor House stoep while we waited for other guests to arrive.  Delicious, soft and light, with green fig and asparagus flavours... we took a bottle of this home too.


We were seated at a long table of 20 in one of the Manor House rooms, I was very chuffed to get a place next to the fireplace.  I love a kaggel.  The TRH gave us brief chat of which wines had been paired with what and why, and then left us to be.  I would have liked them to maybe stick around and interact a bit more, but it was quite nice to be left alone to taste and compare at leisure.  It also encouraged people to interact with one another and chat to the stranger sitting next to you to find out their opinions too.  
Another lovely afternoon in the winelands.

Below the wines and their respective pairings:


FRM PINOT GRIGIO 2012 with Spicy Thai Green Curry
The Pinot Grigio was light, fruity (particularly litchi flavours) and delicious.  A very enjoyable light, fresh summer wine.  The Thai Green Curry was a fantastic pairing, smoothing the wine out even more.  The spice complimented the fruitiness of the wine perfectly, our favourite pairing of the day.
 
UITKYK CHARDONNAY with Slow Roasted Pumpkin and Brie
This Chardonnay has spent only 6 months in oak, so it is a little toasty on the nose and has a slight butter finish to it, but otherwise quite cirtusy in flavour.  The Pumpkin and brie pancake was delicious!  The brie in particular was scrumptious.  This pairing makes you understand why cheese and wine go so well together, the stinky cheese-ness perfectly compliments the rich chardonnay.  Another great pairing.
 
FRM MERLOT 2010 with Roast Chicken, Camembert & Sage
We were pleasantly surprised by this merlot, a little dry and green pepper aromas on the nose, but lovely and juicy on the palate.  Rich fruit like red berries and prunes with a slightly dry oak finish.  The pancake pairing was fantastic, the sage brings out a little bit of smokiness in the wine.  Second favourite pairing of the day!  And at R49 a bottle, a great deal for a merlot.
 
FRM SMV 2010 (Shiraz, Mourvedre, Viognier) with Roast Beef, Spinach & Cranberry Jelly
There is definitely more white pepper aromas on the nose coming through from the Shiraz, its quite dry and peppery and yet it is still fruity.  The pancake itself was delicious, but together as a pairing it was not our favourite.  The sweetness of the cranberry cancelled out a lot of the berry flavours in the wine making the wine too spicy.  Our TRH said this was her favourite pairing. Just shows you there is not right and wrong answer in wine & food.
 
UITKYK SHIRAZ CABERNET SAUVIGNON with Sauteed Onions, mushrooms & Edam 
This is a 50/50 blend and is a lot more earthy than the other reds tasted.  It is however, a very nice wine.  The pairing was good, not amazing.  Mushrooms to me are always delicious, but perhaps not the perfect pairing for this wine.

A great idea for a food and wine pairing, relaxed and enjoyable.
I think they have one more this year before summer hits and then they will start up again next year winter. 

UITKYK WINE ESTATE
GPS: S 33 51' 24.8" E 018 51' 50.7"
Tel: +27 21 884 4416
Situated on the R44 between Paarl/Klapmuts and Stellenbosch
www.uitkyk.co.za / www.flatroofmanor.co.za