Wine and Dine with The Grand Store

Cooking a scrumptious meal is only part of the job done in a wine and dining setting. A large part of making your wine and dine experience special goes in the wines you select with the food served. The Grand Store has nearly 500 options of wines for you to choose from and shop wines online. You will find wines suited for all kinds of food, right from the appetizer to the main course and the desserts. So, how should you go about wine selection? Which wines are best paired with which wines? Come, let us help you make the task of wine selection easier.

 

At The Grand Store, we have the following types of wines:

* Sparkling wine     * Fortified     * Rose wine     * White wine     * Red wine

 

* Sparkling wines are fizzy wines due to carbonation and can be made from red, pink and white wines, although white and pink varieties are more common than red ones. Most of us have heard of Champagne, a white sparkling wine. One point to be noted is that all champagnes are sparkling wines, but not all sparkling wines are Champagne. Champagne wine is exclusively produced only in the Champagne region of northern France. Sparkling wines can range from dry to sweet and their flavours depend on the type of grapes used, the climate in which the grapes were grown, the winemaking method etc. Example: Boschendal Brut

* Fortified wines are wines to which a distilled spirit such as brandy is added during or before the fermentation process and this increases the overall alcohol content of the wine. Fortification gives out additional distinct flavours and aromas to the wine. These wines can be both dry and sweet varieties. Example: Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve

* Rose wines are pink-coloured wines that are created by soaking the juice of red grapes along with their skins for a short time. The winemaker controls the colour of the wine by removing the red grape skins when the desired colour is obtained and further allows the juice to ferment. Wine gets its characteristic colour from the pigmentation of grape skins. Example: Babylonstoren Mourvedre Rose

* White wines range from clear straw-yellow colour to various shades of golden-yellow colour. They are produced from light-skinned grapes usually, though there are some varieties made with dark grapes having light-coloured flesh. While making white wines, the grape skins are removed before the fermentation process which results in a clear-coloured beverage with low tannin content. Example: Diemersdal Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

* Red wines are made from dark-coloured grapes by macerating the grape juice with the skin, seeds and sometimes the stems as well, which adds tannin, colour and flavour to the wine and the process is typically known as whole cluster fermentation. Tannins are the reason for the familiar drying sensation in the mouth while drinking wine similar to that of drinking black tea. Example: De Grendel Sir David Graaff

- Which wines will pair well with my food?

A sparkling wine such as a classic Champagne as an apéritif which is easy to drink and feels clean and refreshing is a great start to a fabulous meal.

Your next wine to be served with the main meal course will depend on the type of food served and the climate. White wines like Steenberg 1682 Brut Chardonnay or Groote Post Sauvignon Blanc usually pair well with lean meats and vegetarian meals, whereas red wines like Boschendal Stellenbosch Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon or Lismore Pinot Noir work well with red meat. Remember that delicately flavoured food like crayfish is paired with delicately flavoured wines like a Chardonnay while a dish with bold flavours such as barbequed beef ribs is paired with a bold, robust flavoured wine like Shiraz.  You can choose to serve both red and white wines, as even if red wine is more suited for the food served, there may be some guests who prefer white wines and vice-versa. It is a good idea to have a rose wine like a Beyerskloof Pinotage Rose 2021 with grilled pork chops or a Bottega Prosecco Brut Rose DOC with a mushroom cheese pizza during summer parties.

Instead of the usual tea or coffee, consider serving a dessert wine like a Port wine or Moscato if you want to add a special touch to the party. A good combination will enhance the taste of both the dessert as well as the wine. Just remember not to pair a very sweet dessert with a very sweet wine to avoid an overload of sweetness. KWV Classic Collection Cape Tawny Dessert Wine with dark chocolates or a good cheese platter is a terrific combination.

You are all set now to gather your drink supplies from our online wine store and get the wine and dine-with-style evening started.

Place your order today.