The 4C's of Summer Entertaining
Summer is a season for entertaining and we often serve delicious plates of charcuterie, cheese, crackers, jams, patés and fruit to snack on. And while we don't have to overthink food and wine pairings while we are relaxing, there might be some value in applying some thought to your snack selection when you have a delicious wine to enjoy.
As our Culinaria Collection of wines are such wonderful food partners, we were inspired to design them their own snack plates and the result: Charcuterie, Cheese, Culinaria - Curated!
We've chosen four wines from our Culinaria Collection that are favourites to serve with summer snacks.
The obvious choice has to be the Culinaria Cap Classique, a dry sparkling wine made in the original French way. With its beautiful combination of yeasty flavours and minerality, we decided to go with a twist on the meat-based charcuterie board, this “seacuterie” platter highlights tinned fish that is easily accessible and of which we get such an amazing variety in stores nowadays..
The key to a successful tinned fish platter is to have a combination of tastes and textures to pair with the seafood. Acidity in the form of quick-pickled radishes, red onion and cucumber, crunch from flatbread crackers and crisps, spice from chopped green chilli in olive oil and creaminess from Boursin and mild-flavoured Havarti cheeses.
Of course a beautiful rosé is also a popular summer entertainer. The 2024 Culinaria Pinot Noir Chardonnay is sophisticated and a far cry from your regular "pink drink". To bring out the fragrance and berry notes in the Leopard’s Leap Culinaria Pinot Noir Chardonnay, we've added sweet strawberries that are enhanced by roasting them in balsamic vinegar. What a delightful topping for an oozy baked Camembert...
The 2025 Culinaria Chenin Blanc is a glass of gold! Not only is it awarded with a host of gold medals, it is also a sophisticated interpretation of sunshiny South African Chenin Blanc that will take you from brunch to the festive table, but for this snack plate, we were inspired by Italian antipasti with delicious homemade focaccia. The focaccia does need some prep in advance, but what it takes in (minimal) effort, it makes up for in taste. Take your pick of popular Italian cheese - burrata, buffalo mozzarella or even a creamy stracciatella cheese.
And what if you are in the mood for a red. The 2024 Culinaria Pinot Noir is complex and delicious, but its lighter style makes it the ideal choice for summer sipping. The plate for our Pinot Noir echoes the wine. It is earthy and layered and classic. A selection of cured meats is paired with more robust cheeses, while a silky mushroom pâté provides an umami richness to the board.
Summer is a season for entertaining and we often serve delicious plates of charcuterie, cheese, crackers, jams, patés and fruit to snack on. And while we don't have to overthink food and wine pairings while we are relaxing, there might be some value in applying some thought to your snack selection when you have a delicious wine to enjoy.
As our Culinaria Collection of wines are such wonderful food partners, we were inspired to design them their own snack plates and the result: Charcuterie, Cheese, Culinaria - Curated!
We've chosen four wines from our Culinaria Collection that are favourites to serve with summer snacks.
The obvious choice has to be the Culinaria Cap Classique, a dry sparkling wine made in the original French way. With its beautiful combination of yeasty flavours and minerality, we decided to go with a twist on the meat-based charcuterie board, this “seacuterie” platter highlights tinned fish that is easily accessible and of which we get such an amazing variety in stores nowadays..
The key to a successful tinned fish platter is to have a combination of tastes and textures to pair with the seafood. Acidity in the form of quick-pickled radishes, red onion and cucumber, crunch from flatbread crackers and crisps, spice from chopped green chilli in olive oil and creaminess from Boursin and mild-flavoured Havarti cheeses.
Of course a beautiful rosé is also a popular summer entertainer. The 2024 Culinaria Pinot Noir Chardonnay is sophisticated and a far cry from your regular "pink drink". To bring out the fragrance and berry notes in the Leopard’s Leap Culinaria Pinot Noir Chardonnay, we've added sweet strawberries that are enhanced by roasting them in balsamic vinegar. What a delightful topping for an oozy baked Camembert...
The 2025 Culinaria Chenin Blanc is a glass of gold! Not only is it awarded with a host of gold medals, it is also a sophisticated interpretation of sunshiny South African Chenin Blanc that will take you from brunch to the festive table, but for this snack plate, we were inspired by Italian antipasti with delicious homemade focaccia. The focaccia does need some prep in advance, but what it takes in (minimal) effort, it makes up for in taste. Take your pick of popular Italian cheese - burrata, buffalo mozzarella or even a creamy stracciatella cheese.
And what if you are in the mood for a red. The 2024 Culinaria Pinot Noir is complex and delicious, but its lighter style makes it the ideal choice for summer sipping. The plate for our Pinot Noir echoes the wine. It is earthy and layered and classic. A selection of cured meats is paired with more robust cheeses, while a silky mushroom pâté provides an umami richness to the board.
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