Mischa Estate Harvest Festival 2011

Mischa Roussanne 2010 - The first Mischa White Wine

We are proud to announce the release of the Mischa Roussanne 2010!!!

After many years of dedicated work in their vineyards and cellar the Barns family is proud to release the Mischa Roussanne our first Mischa white wine. This rich, full and complex wine with floral flavours of pear, herbal tea and ripe fruit notes will age well, with the floral notes evolving into more complex, nutty and mineral characters over time, giving this unique wine at least five to ten years bottle aging potential. We sincerely trust that you will enjoy the fruits of our efforts!

Roussanne:

In the Northern Rhone the variety is used in blends with Marsanne to make white Hermitage wines, it is also used as a component of the red wines of Chateauneuf du Pape. Roussanne is becoming increasingly popular in several other regions of Southern France including Provence and the Languedoc and Roussillon wine regions. It is also a favourite variety among the 'Rhone Rangers' of California, and there are some plantings in Northern Italy.

The aromas of Roussanne are often likened to those of herbal tea and pears. With age the floral notes in the aroma are replaced with more complex characters. Like its sister this variety ages very well, give it five or even ten years bottle age.

Order Now: sales@mischaestate.com

Mischa Estate Harvest Festival 2011

MISCHA WINE FESTIVAL 2011

March 19^th – 21^st

^{Saturday & Sunday: 10h00 – 19h00,}

^{Monday: 10h00 – 14h00}

Mischa Wine Estate is an exclusive, family-run farm that only opens its doors to the public once a year! The time is coming on March 19, 20, and 21 for you to join us for a relaxing day in Wellington.

Kick-back in a Moroccan tent with cushions and stunning views. Chill out to relaxing music and taste the internationally acclaimed Mischa Estate & Eventide wines. Tantalize your taste buds with delicious local food. Special kids area & food! Swim in crystal-clear idyllic fresh-water pool and set off on adventures such as tractor rides through the vineyards. Vertical tastings & wine club member events – Bookings essential! Win fabulous prizes all day from Mischa & local sponsors. End your day by watching the sunset over Table Mountain while sipping on Mischa’s famous, refreshing wine cocktails.

We will be selling raffle tickets and having a Golf Ball hitting competition to raise money for our charity (PETS – Pets Empowerment in Townships)!

We can’t wait to see you!

The Mischa family

021-864-1020

info@mischaestate.com

www.mischaestate.com

What to have for dinner - Bruce Jack

To impress your girlfriend/boyfriend’s parents at your first dinner.

Mischa Shiraz 2007, R120 (021 864 1020). This wine is almost hedonistic. I feel a little guilty when drinking this as it tastes too damn delicious. It was born in the mountain vineyards above Wellington on granitic-based soils, which Shiraz just loves. It’s hand-crafted by third-generation farmer Andrew Barns on the family farm, which also happens to be the most forward-thinking vine nursery in the country. These guys understand vines and vineyards. It shows in this wine, which is worth R300 a bottle.
Full article:http://bit.ly/brucejack
Bruce Jack is the chief winemaker for Constellation South Africa.

MISCHA ESTATE WINS AGAIN AT THE MICHELANGELO AWARDS

The results of the 14th annual Michelangelo CCL Label International Wine Awards (MIWA) were announced at a gala luncheon at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West on September 10, 2010.

The 15 judges from 15 countries spent six days judging the 1 310 wines entered into this year’s competition, awarding silver, gold and double gold medals as well as six trophies.

This year 240 producers entered a total of 1 310 wines of which 426 received medals. A total of 28 Grand D'Or, 116 gold medals and 282 silver medals were awarded by the 15 international judges.

Mischa Estate walked away with 1 Grand D’Or/Double Gold and 3 Gold awards.

Mischa's Award Winning Wines

Grand D’Or/Double Gold Winners:

• Mischa Merlot 2009

Gold Winners:

• Mischa Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
• Mischa Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
• Mischa Shiraz 2008

After planting two different vineyards and putting all our viticultural knowledge into practice we are very proud to have been recognized for the outstanding quality of our Mischa Merlot as well as the consistency of our Shiraz and Cabernets which have now won three gold medals for three consecutive vintages.

To order Mischa’s award winning wines contact Anso @ 021 864 1020 or sales@mischaestate.com

Wellington - SA,s Top Wine Area

Great Terroir Makes Great Wine

For the first time ever a trophy was awarded to the top wine are

a in South Africa, based on a specific winegrowing terrain that produced most of the wines that went to the final round for a SA Terroir National Certificate, as

well as the number of wines that received a National Certificate.

The first winner of the Novare Trophy for SA Terroir Top Wine Area is the Wellington ward

Andrew's notes on food and wine pairing

FOOD and WINE Pairing

The pairing of food and wine is one of the most important aspectsof a good meal. Many would argue that the one complements the other and that the only rule with food and wine pairing is that there are no rules! ! !

As with live, food and wine are all about balance. Even though at the end of the day it all boils down to personal taste, it is possible to break food and wine components into basic categories – structure, flavour and texture, when contrasted between wine and food these components can be present in one or the other, lacking, similar or in contrast to each other.

The human palate (tongue to be exact) has the ability to differentiate four basic tastes: bitter, sweet, salty and sour / acid. These tastes are present in wine, except for salty as well as a tactile response to (grape and wood) tannins known as astringency. Astringency and bitterness result from phenolic compounds derived from grape, oak or both. The sweet components of wine flavour are derived from residual sugars, alcohol or polysaccharides in dry wines. The two dominant grape acids tartaric and malic are responsible for the perception of acidity in wine.

These components combined in a fixed relationship (in which is) true for all wines which states that the perception of sweetness must be in relative balance with the sum of the perceptions of acidity plus astringency and bitterness. Meaning a reduction of the perception of sweetness and visa versa. When pairing food and wine, one must bear in mind that the sweetness, acidity, bitterness and astringency of the food influence the same features in wine.

When matching food and wine the most important structured components are sweetness and sourness (acidity) if the sugar or acid content of a food is increased, the perception of the sugar or acid of the wine is decreased. The intensity of this inverse relationship develop on the intensity of the difference between the sugar and acid in the food and wine bearing in mind that changes in sugar are more noticeable than structural changes in astringency and bitterness.

FOODS

SALT can also influence the perception of acidity and astringency by magnifying the influence of tannins in red wines and acidity in high acid white wines when at fairly high levels.

SWEET FOODS Very sweet foods often make wine taste thin, acidic or sour. Sweet foods and sweet wines can go well together if not excessively sweet and if the wine is slightly sweeter than the food. So using fruits with fair to high natural acidity can work well.

ACIDIC FOODS Wines are acidic and so difficult to successfully combine with acidic foods, however acidity can be modified by adding a source of sweetness or fat to help mute the acidity.

SPICY FOODS Alcohol is perceived as warm or as a hot tactile response, which can amplify the hotness of a spicy dish. It is very hard to successfully match wine to very spicy dishes but with a more moderate spice ones, a simple wine with low alcohol and a crisp refreshing acidity can go well.

WINES

CRISP ACIDITY Foods high in protein and / or fat match better with wine with high acidity as such foods require more acid in the wine to refresh the palate.

DRY – WINES dry wine are usually the best matches for foods but are usually better with foods which are not sweet which can make the wine taste thin, sour, more astringent and oaky. The colder the wine the lower the perception of sweetness and the greater the perception of acidity.

OFF DRY WINES as sweetness increases apparent acidity decreases so off- dry wines are usually better suited to food low in fat, which is also a source of sweetness.

MODERATE ALCOHOL moderate alcohol levels help cleanse the palate, as do tannins and acids. High alcohol wines import a hot tactile response making food pairing difficult, but can be improved by lowering the serving temperature of the wine.

SUPPLE TANNINS Tannins responsible for astringency and bitterness are derived from grape and oak contact. Tannins are vital to the complexity and longevity of red wines. A common problem is that tannins tend to be too astringent in young red wines. Residual sugar makes tannins, while acidity increases bitterness and astringency. Sweetness, fats and proteins in food can reduce the perception of tannin. A wine with relatively smooth tannins can be of help when matching foods with acidity, salt and tannins. Remember tannin decreases over time so older wines tend to be smoother.

WINE TEXTURE

Apart from the structural components we have already examined it is possible to look at food and wine in terms of its textural components. Texture is the quality in wine and food that we feel in the mouth as softness, richness, creaminess, oiliness, harshness etc. We generally speak of structure as being lightweight, medium or heavy in wine, this is called body and refers to how heavy a wine feels on the palate and the length of flavour. Body increases with the concentration of tannin and alcohol. Light bodied wines should be paired with foods of delicate texture and heavy wines go well with richer chewier foods, which have a more weight texture and / or higher fat or oil content. Rich foods include, Game, Lamb, Duck, Salmon, Cheeses and foods made with butter or creams. The majority of foods are best matched with wines of a lighter or medium body. Also light wines go well with light foods. Heavy wines can go well with rich foods, but avoid excessive richness when constructing a rich food with a light wine also avoid excessive extremeness. Temperature can be a textural factor as with contrasting a warm food with a cold wine. The colder the wine the lower the body. Cold temperatures can mask sweetness (and so intensify acidity) and magnify the effect of tannin in reds. In red wines alcohol and tannins have the biggest influence on food pairing.

ALCOHOL can give the impression of sweetness, which can match nicely with slightly sweet foods. Tannin may provide an astringent or dry mouth sensation. Fats and oils in food can neutralize this astringency and harshness. Tannic reds are best matched with creamy rich foods.

FLAVOUR Flavour is another major component of food and wine pairing. One can either contrast or match flavours. It is important to avoid excessively strong flavours when trying to make a successful match. The intensity of a wine flavour depends upon the grape used, the region and the age of the wine. Younger wines are usually coarser in structure and stronger in flavour and combine well with more strongly flavoured foods. Older wines are more delicate in structure and flavour and are best served with milder flavoured foods.

Always drink wines you enjoy! ! !