The show will headline with the Nederburg Food & Wine Theatre experience, presented by winemaker Tariro Masayiti, who fell in love with wine after his first glass and wants to share his passion. He has been making wines at Nederburg since 2006, under the direction of cellarmaster Razvan Macici and focuses on white wines.
Masayiti will also be presenting a series of fun food and wine pairing sessions open to all delegates at no additional charge. These will be run on both evenings with three scheduled for the first evening and four for the second.
Conceived as a taste adventure, his presentation will highlight the impact that the five basic flavours - sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami (a Japanese term to describe a flavor that is intensely savoury) - can have, when it comes to pairing. "It's amazing how one tiny ingredient can change your reaction to a wine. So we'll be looking at the dramatic differences something as basic as a squeeze of lemon or a sprinkle of salt added to a dish, can make to the way you experience a wine," he says.
He stresses that his presentation is not a one-sided lecture. "It involves interaction, tasting, commenting and sharing opinions. Wine is about pleasure, not pressure. Too many people are put off by what they imagine are the do's and don'ts involved in wine consumption. We want to show that the only rule is to drink responsibly. The rest is up to your personal preference. However, we can help to increase your enjoyment of wine by highlighting which food and flavours are more compatible than others."
Presenting red, white and dessert wines in the exclusive theatre created for the festival, he will encourage visitors to try these with foods such as beef, tuna, cheddar cheese and chocolate.
The wine festival is being run by the team who co-ordinates the highly successful annual Soweto Wine Festival. Tickets can be purchased on the premises or online from www.webtickets.co.za.
