Pinotage and goji berry chutney
Shaiking up Pinotage
Anna Trapido puts a new twist on SA's favourite spicy condiment.
Pinotage is the coriander of the wine world. It's a love it or hate it grape variety. The fact that it elicits a strong response is not in itself a problem. Very few South Africans would take umbrage if someone said that coriander smells like a stink bug.
But that's because we haven't wrapped our national identity in its leaves. Sadly, the same can't be said for the patriotic fervour that froths up if a foreign wine critic describes a Pinotage as less than perfect. Insult South Africa's signature grape and watch us come together as one.
We stubbornly refuse to acknowledge that, like any other varietal, there are good and bad Pinotages out there. Faced with an outsider daring to suggest that amidst the deliciously spicy, berry, fig and earthy flavours there might occasionally be a less than appealing acetone aroma and we go into rainbow nation overdrive. Archbishop Tutu would be so proud of us.
Or would he? Being patriotic is not the same as being blindly loyal. And sometimes an indiscriminate defence of the indefensible damages the interests of those worthy of praise.
Let's accept that there are good and bad Pinotages out there, ditch the dross and rather focus our national feeding frenzy on what to do with the good ones. Sure there is always the classic, local is lekker, full-bodied Pinotage paired with sweetly spicy Sunday lunch specials like bobotie and ostrich neck potjie. And damn fine they are too.
But Sunday comes round just once a week and a light-bodied Pinotage makes an ideal match for a languorous afternoon of gossip garnished with crusty bread, cheese and chutney. Whether you are wishing to bring out the inherent sweetness in a tart mature cheddar, the creamy consistency of a blue cheese or the gentle nuttiness of an Emmenthal, a well-chosen Pinotage is the way to go.
The apple and grape chutney below is a modifi cation on a standard relish recipe. I have swapped half the vinegar in the conventional mixture for Pinotage and then, in the name of adding a truly South African twist, I have chucked in a fistful of goji berries for good measure.
What are goji berries you ask? Aren't they Tibetan in origin? Well yes, they are, but we made them our own when convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik recently told City Press that, "I'm on goji berries now. Someone told me that with them I'll make a miraculous recovery.
I'm f***ing gorging goji berries till I'm sh**ing the things out." Since the then correctional services minister Ngconde Balfour described Shaik in March 2009 as being worthy of medical parole, because he was "in the final phase of his terminal condition", we clearly have a major South African scientific breakthrough on our hands.
Alternatively, Mr Shaik's survival offers a lesson in the true meaning of patriotism. It really is okay not to like every other South African all of the time. Picking and choosing between Pinotages doesn't make you unpatriotic. When they are good they are very, very good and when they are bad they are horrid.
Pinotage and goji berry chutney
700g apples, peeled, cored and cubed
200g Pinotage grapes, pitted - if you
can't find Pinotage any variety will do
1 onion, finely chopped
150g currants
a fistful of goji berries (they are readily
available at health stores and taste like
small, sour cranberries)
350g brown sugar
150ml Pinotage
200ml balsamic vinegar
juice and zest of one lemon
juice and zest of one orange
pinch of salt
10ml mustard seeds
10ml all spice
1. Combine all the ingredients in a large heavy-based saucepan. Bring the mixture to the boil and then simmer uncovered until the mixture is thick and pulp for approximately 45 minutes. 2. Remove from the heat, leave the mixture to cool and transfer into a sterilised, clean, dry jar. 3. The chutney will be at its best if the flavours are left to blend for a few weeks.
