A Bit More on South African Wines and Roast Chicken Revisited

Today is going to be a short, general housekeeping post.

Wine Wizard Bob recently held a couple of wine tasting back in the Boston area. As you might expect, given his recent travel to Africa, he chose to showcase SA wines. Here are a few notes.


Just finished a couple of tastings with two diverse groups. One was for a local Adult Education Group, and the other, (the next night - yes, it's hard work, but someone has to do it), an assemblage of the elite clients of a famous stock brokerage company. {Why do the call them Brokers, when you are trying to get Richer and not Broker?}

Biggest hits were the aforementioned Graham Beck Brut Rose Bubbly, the Raats Family Cabernet Franc and the not previously mentioned Rustenberg John X. Merriman. The Rustenberg was the 2003 vintage and is a classic Bordeaux style blend. It compares favorably to 2nd Growth Bordeaux at only $30 retail in Boston area. It does need to be decanted and allowed to breath for about an hour. They are so confident of the quality of their wine, that Rustenberg states on the back label, that the wine will benefit with 10-15 years of aging. WOW! When I visited them, they served a 1999 in magnum and it was a magnificent, but still youthful wine.

If I could take one winery's portfolio, it would be Graham-Beck. I know I've raved about the Champagne, but that overlooks the sensational whites and reds. Virtually everything is priced in the $15 - $20 range. I realize it may be a little tough to find in certain parts of the country, but make a point of remembering the name and grab some when you come across it. I'm going through a withdrawal of painful proportions from lack of South African coffee and croissants, thank goodness I can get the wines. Jumanji!
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I recently made a roast chicken using the sauce recipe from Pork Roast All'Arancia. In some ways the meal was better with chicken than pork. Here's the recipe and a photo. Enjoy.



Roast Chicken with Orange

Arrosto All'Arancia

Serves 4












3 Tablespoons Butter
1 cup Orange Juice (strained)
1 teaspoon orange rind
1 garlic clove, chopped
Pinch of Red Flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you like things)
Pinch of dried oregano
1 Roasting Chicken, split
Salt and Pepper
12 small new potatoes, or 3 medium russet potatoes, quartered

Bring the chicken to room temperature and preheat the oven to 350 deg.

Melt the butter in a pot, add the orange juice, orange rind, garlic, red pepper flakes and oregano. Rub the chicken with salt and pepper.

Place the potatoes in the bottom of a dutch oven or roasting pan and drizzle, lightly, with olive oil.

Put the chicken in the roasting pan in a single layer, covering the potatoes. Pour on the butter and juice mixture. Baste occasionally while roasting. Remove from the oven after 1 hour. Lightly cover the roast with foil and let rest for 10 - 15 minutes. Carve & serve.