SOUTH AFRICAN WINE TASTING DINNER
The beautiful wines of South Africa bridge Old and New wine worlds in one delicious sip. With over 350 years of winemaking under their belt, it's almost crazy to think we're JUST getting the tip of the iceberg of their craft here in the US.
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Until now.
Join us as we provide you a truly unique experience where we're taking the best of South African wines from our friends over at Vinilandia out of Portsmouth, and creating a beautiful, cravable tasting menu to pair with their memorable wines.
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***FOR PARTIES OF 5 OR MORE, PLEASE EMAIL US AT RESERVATIONS@BIRCHONELM.COM***
*Seating is both Bar and Table seating based on safely seating in our capacity.
For any questions on the evening, please contact us at reservations@birchonelm.com
PREFIX MENU
Wine tasting with Cameron Bartlett of Vinilandia Wines
Menu by Executive Chef and Owner Nick Provencher
CINNAMON ROASTED CARROTS
Pumpkin Whipped Goat Cheese | Golden Raisin Chutney Toasted Pistachio
PAIRED WITH
STORM POINT CHENNIN BLANC
TASTING NOTES
Savory and herbal aromas of stone fruit and citrus blossom. Lemon zest, sea water, a mineral drive with ample weight. Balanced, with acid on the finish.
PORK BELLY
Cornmeal Porridge | Smoked Pork Belly | Slow Roasted Apricot BBQ
PAIRED WITH
LIVE A LITTLE, RATHER REVEALING ROSÉ
TASTING NOTES
This dry Rosé is vibrant reddish pink in color. The nose consists of raspberries, cherries and toffee apple. Sweet flavors of strawberries and cream on the finish.
DURBAN CHICKEN CURRY
Confit Chicken Thighs | Fingerling Potato | Stewed Tomato | Ginger Basmati Rice
PAIRED WITH
DE WETSHOF ESTATE, CHARDONNAY LIMESTONE HILL ROBERTSON
TASTING NOTES
Un-wooded with notes of grapefruit & nuts. Complex with a nuanced elegance, ending with a delicate ripeness.
POTJIEKOS
Braised Brisket Stew | Dunks Mushrooms | Seasonal Vegetables | Garlic Beef Jus
PAIRED WITH
THE CURATOR RED BLEND
TASTING NOTES
A blend of Shiraz, Cinsault and Mourvèdre matured in used barrels, with a lovely bouquet of mulberry, red plum, rooibos and light fennel aromas. Medium-bodied with pepper on the entry, and red fruit toward the finish.
CHAKALAKA
Lamb | Curry and Chile Stewed Beans | Confit Pepper and Carrot | Grilled Cabbage
PAIRED WITH
BEESLAAR TAJ PINOTAJ
TASTING NOTES
Plum and dark chocolate aromas, balanced by a silky, dry finish. Dark plum leads into red fruit and nicely integrated tannins, with a savory note on the backend.
MILK TART
Financier | Spiced Coffee Panna Cotta | Creme Anglaise
THE EVENING'S WINE LIST
STORM POINT CHENIN BLANC
Chenin Blanc is unquestionably the premier grape of South Africa. A cool, controlled fermentation occurred in stainless steel and was left on its gross lees for six months. Malolactic fermentation was blocked to maintain freshness and acidity. Intense aromatics, powerful flavors and bright acidity are the hallmarks of this wine.
TASTING NOTES
This wine is freshly packed with nuance, playfulness and discovery. Savory and herbal aromas lead to subtle stone fruit and citrus blossom notes. This is accentuated by vibrant lemon zest sprinkled with sea water. This is textbook Chenin Blanc featuring a mineral drive with ample weight balanced by poignant acid on the finish.
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LIVE-A-LITTLE, RATHER REVEALING ROSÉ
Cool climate vineyards, located close to the Atlantic Ocean, adds to the unique characteristics of this wine. The largest producer of fine, organic, fair trade wines in South Africa, and are the largest global producer of no added Sulfur wines.
TASTING NOTES
This dry Rosé is vibrant reddish pink in color. The nose consists of raspberries, cherries and toffee apple. Fruit persists on the palate with the sweet flavors of strawberries and cream on the finish.
DE WETSHOF ESTATE, CHARDONNAY LIMESTONE HILL ROBERTSON (2019)
Each vineyard on the estate has a different soil composition, leading to unique expressions in each wine. The soils in Robertson Valley, comprised of limestone and gravel, produce flinty, full-bodied Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The estate vineyards closer to the Breede River Valley are planted on limestone and clay soils and lend structure and depth to the wines.
TASTING NOTES
Un-wooded with notes of grapefruit & nuts. Complex with a nuanced elegance, ending with a delicate ripeness.
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THE CURATOR RED BLEND 2019
This wine is matured mostly in concrete tanks and old casks it’s blended really early so that the components get some time together to integrate properly before the wine is bottled. 15 months maturation is the norm before we start thinking of bottling.
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TASTING NOTES
The 2019 Curator, a blend of Shiraz, Cinsault and Mourvèdre matured in used barrels, has a lovely bouquet of mulberry, red plum, rooibos and light fennel aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a dab of pepper on the entry, and slightly tertiary red fruit toward the finish.
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BEESLAAR TAJ PINOTAGE 2020
. The grapes for the TAJ are sourced from the largest Pinotage vineyard in the world, which is located in the Swartland of South Africa, and is made up of 20-year-old, unirrigated bushvines, planted in soils of decomposed shale. These bushvines are able to weather the harsh conditions of the Swartland, and create smaller, more concentrated berries.
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TASTING NOTES
The 2020 vintage is deep ruby red in color, with pronounced plum and dark chocolate aromas. The richness of the fruit flavors is balanced by a silky, dry finish. Vibrant dark plum fruit jumps out of the glass and leads into a medium fuller palate that has beautiful darker red fruit to core and nicely integrated tannins. With some aeration this gains flesh and mid palate suppleness allowing the wine to take on a silky textural mouth feel. Juicy with vibrant fruit, there’s a savory note on the backend.