Sense of Place and a pavlova wreath makes for a festive combination

Posted on 15 November 2022

Versatility and quality characterise Stellenbosch Hills’ flagship range. The award-winning Sense of Place wines takes the headache out of shopping this festive season in a new campaign that offers wine lovers the go-to solution for every occasion.

sense of place

Whether it’s a top-quality gift that’s required, a refreshing all-rounder, or a bold food wine, this flagship range from the premier vineyards of Stellenbosch has it all.

Sense of Place by Stellenbosch Hills comprises three wines: exceptional red, white, and bubbly. To promote their excellence, the winery recruited celebrated foodie, Ilse van der Merwe aka The Food Fox, to create a festive season recipe.

‘This year, for the first time, we’ll all hopefully be able to take a break without fear of last-minute cancellation,’ says Ilse. ‘Goodness knows, we can do with a little time with those close to us; to enjoy time around a table and to treat each other.’

The range is made exclusively from the best individual vineyard components at the winemakers’ disposal and is made to showcase the quality products that the winery offers.

sense of place

The latest vintage of the Sense of Place range is the recently released 2021 Kastanjeberg – a wooded, single vineyard Chenin Blanc. The wine is rich and complex, displaying aromas of stone fruit, honey, dried apricots, violets, and vanilla oak spice.  Only 2 700 bottles are available.

The 2017 Suikerboschrand Cape Blend has abundant aromas of ripe berry fruit, dark chocolate, and cedar wood. The choice of barrels is reflected in this beautiful wine and supports its structure.

The 2020 Anna Christina Cap Classique is made entirely from Chardonnay. It shows fresh Granny Smith apples and citrus blossoms with a nutty yeastiness on the nose. Crisp acidity tingles the well-balanced palate while a delicate mousse delivers a mouth-filling explosion of bubbles. Just 3 000 bottles were made.

It is the Cap Classique that inspired The Food Fox recipe of a pavlova wreath for Stellenbosch Hills. ‘To me, pavlova is one of the best summer desserts. It’s light, always popular and can be decorated to be the showpiece of your table. The dry Anna Christina Cap Classique is an ideal partner for fresh seasonal berries like strawberries and cherries. It brings balance with the fruit and the sweetness of the meringue.’

sense of place

Notably, Ilse has an extra special understanding of Sense of Place. ‘We live in the Vlottenburg Valley, surrounded by the vineyards from which the wines are made. The Suikerboschrand vineyard is actually right behind our house!

‘Earlier this year I had the privilege to visit the other Sense of Place vineyard blocks to get a feel for their terroir. It’s a unique portion of Renosterveld and fynbos.

‘I drive past the Anna Christina vineyards almost every day on my way to town. The wines are absolutely representative of the best of the area – top quality.’

The property from which the fruit for the Anna Christina bubbly is sourced also farms berries, which makes the use of berries in the festive season pavlova recipe most appropriate.

Pavlova wreath with summer berries recipe:

Ingredients: (serves 6-8)

  • 5 XL egg whites
  • a pinch of salt
  • 300 g caster sugar
  • 10 ml lemon juice
  • 15 ml corn flour
  • 5 ml vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
  • 250 ml fresh cream, whipped to medium-stiff peaks
  • a selection of fresh seasonal berries (2-3 cups)
  • a few tablespoons of passion fruit pulp (fresh or canned)

Method

Preheat oven to 150°C (regular convection) with the rack on the middle shelf. Using an electric whisk or stand mixer with a balloon whisk, whisk the egg whites in a big bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the castor sugar to egg whites while whisking, a tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated and the mixture is stiff and glossy. Add the lemon juice and corn flour.

Draw a circle on the back of a piece of baking paper – about 23cm in diameter. Draw another circle in the middle, about 10 cm in diameter. Turn the paper over and stick it to a baking sheet using small amounts of pavlova mixture, then use two large spoons to spoon the mixture into a wreath shape on the paper. Transfer it to the oven, immediately turning down the heat to 110°C, then bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova to cool completely, without opening the door (about 2 hours).

Remove the pavlova from the oven and keep it in an airtight container until ready to use (keep it on the baking paper as long as you can). When ready to serve, carefully remove the baking paper from the bottom of the pavlova and carefully put it on a serving dish – if it cracks here and there, don’t worry, you can patch it with the whipped cream.

Dust lightly with icing sugar (optional), then top with whipped cream, fresh berries, and a few drizzles of passion fruit pulp. Serve at once.

Note: The pavlova can be made a day ahead (undecorated) if kept in an airtight container. Once decorated, it must be served immediately.

Sense of Place wines are available at selected leading wine specialists and restaurants around the country as well as from Stellenbosch Hills’ online store.

For more information about Stellenbosch Hills, visit stellenbosch-hills.co.za; call +27 21 881 3828/9; or, email [email protected].

Pictures: Supplied

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ALSO READ: The Franschoek Cap Classique and Champagne Festival is back!






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