Journey to South African via Food and Wine with

This coming weekend our Wine Pairing group is featuring wines of South Africa.  I was happy to host this month and select South Africa as I love rooting for the underdog and exploring the lesser explored.  Probably not a country that first comes to mind when shopping for wines, but there are plenty of values between both red and white wines worth seeking out and it's an amazing country to visit with so much to experience from coast to coast.

Chapmans Peak just outside Cape Town

Winemaking in South Africa dates back to the mid-17th century.  Most of the wine producing regions of South Africa are clustered in the south western part of the Cape.  These include wine regions like Paarl, Stellenbosch, Swartland, Franschhoek and others.  One of the first most popular wines of South Africa included a sweet wine from Constantia.

My visit to Klein Constantia in 2012

Whites abound throughout the country including sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, chardonnay and colombard.  For reds there is the controversial pinotage as well as cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah.  A large variety with a mix of styles between old world and new.  

There is something for everyone and our wine and food loving bloggers are ready to share them with you this coming weekend.  Thanks to our sponsor Wines of South Africa that has provided some samples to the group.  Here is a preview of what is to come.

• Camilla from the Culinary Adventures of Camilla will be sharing "A South African Braai (Rhymes with 'Fry') + A Trio of Chenin Blancs"
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm will feature Grilled Chicken Caesar paired with a South African Chenin Blanc
• Lori of Dracaena Wines will highlight "Unlocking the Marvels of Nature Through Wine"
• David of Cooking Chat shares "South African Chicken with Chakalaka and Chenin Blanc"
• Deanna of Asian Test Kitchen features "South African Chenin Blanc Paired with Vietnamese Food"
• Gwen of Wine Predator writes "3 Summer Wines from South Africa Shine for #CheninBlancDay #RoseDay #WinePW"
• Nicole of Somm's Table will share "A South African Pinot Feast Hamilton Russell, Tesselaarsdal, and a Glazed Pork"
• Sarah of Curious Cuisinere features "South African Chutney Chicken and Chenin Blanc Pairing"
• Cynthia and Pierre of Traveling Wine Profs writes "A Celebration of Wine Industry Upgrading Paired with South African Food Truck Takeout"
• Pinny of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings is sharing "Spier Pinotage/Shiraz from South African Plus Sliced Lamb as Wrappers"
• Jeff of Food Wine Click features "Gemaak en Gebottle Oorsprong: We're Not in Kansas Anymore"
• Linda of My Full Wine Glass highlights "Golden Wine from a Golden Land - South Africa" 
• Jill of L'Occasion writes "Making a Meal with Wine from South Africa"
• Cindy of Grape Experiences features " A Family Affair: South African Chenin Blanc with Scallops, Tomatoes and Pesto"
• Jane of Always Ravenous writes "South African Chenin Blanc Paired with Shrimp, Scallops, and Mango Salsa"
• Michelle of Rockin Red Blog is sharing "Wandering into June with Lubanzi Wine and #WinePW" 
• I'll be hosting featuring Zucchini Quiche with Raats Chenin Blanc from South Africa

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