If there was ever a wine farm worth visiting that 100% makes you feel at home, then Leopard’s Leap is certainly it. With it’s intimate yet casual setting and enthusiastic staff you are bound to feel like one of the family every time you visit. On my recent trip to Cape Town, I made sure to spend sometime in Franschhoek at this wonderful farm trying out all their amazing Wines and MCC. Seeing as it was the 7 Days of Shiraz & Venison SA Table week, I got to experience a delicious pairing of 11 wines with different types of venison dishes.

The main focus of the 7 Days of Shiraz and Venison was to match Leopard’s Leap Shiraz with an array of venison dishes, while incorporating one other wine variety to illustrate the difference in taste experience. We started the tasting with some welcome bubbles, the Culinaria Brut Methode Cap Classique which is has officially been added to my favourites list. The gentle red fruit aromas where the perfect start to what was about to be an epic tasting with some of the most unpretentious and genuinely friendly people. For the rest of the tasting we were treated to the most delicious poached quail eggs, blesbok carpacio, boerewors and lots and lots more venison. My favourite dish of the day though was the Poached Pear Tart served with Homemade Custard, bless my soul that was the best tart I have ever had WOW. Freshly baked and just melted in your mouth – now I can’t stop thinking about it, thank you Chef Pieter de Jager for giving us such top quality food.

Some of my favourite wines from the day:
2016 Culinaria Chenin Blanc:  showing aromas of apple and tropical fruit flavours supported by sweet-spice flavours and a lively tartness. The best part is it only retails for R90 so if you guys want to send me gifts now you know what you can get me lol. I think this is going to be my go to wine for brunch dates, a perfect pairing for a light and fresh dish.

2016 Classic Shiraz: Dark fruit flavours are always a must in winter and this Shiraz hits all the right spots. The mulberry aromas also bring back the best memories, perfect for a cosy night in on a cold winters night. The Shiraz paired really well with fresh foods that have a slight acidity to them. The Shiraz retails for R55, guys Leopard’s Leap prices are the best – good quality wine that is affordable.

2016 Classic Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot: If you are a red meat lover then this is the perfect blend for those lamb curry dishes. It’s ridiculously smooth with a strong dark chocolate scent.

2017 Classic Chardonnay: This is a regular in my monthly wine purchases – I have always been a fan of the pear and lime aromas, always a must for me when I am having a salad or something light. I like to call it my get ready for a a crazy night out wine. (this one wasn’t part of the tasting but I made sure to get myself a glass – that’s what you call loyalty. lol)

Like I mentioned before we tried out a total of 11 wines and to be honest they were all super amazing, a unique flavour for every palate. Everyone at the SA Table was left super impressed and I am pretty sure case orders will be flooding in soon. For those of you looking for a great place to host big lunches or functions, Leopard’s Leap is super ideal. It’s great for tastings and the space is super comfortable with an amazing team that go over and above to give you a world class experience.