Cape Town - Each winter the Vineyard Hotel hosts a series of wine-paired dinners that celebrate their relationships with the Western Cape’s most esteemed wine estates.
This year is the tenth ‘Tastes’ series of wine-paired dinners and the hotel has chosen the theme of ‘knowledge sharing’. The concept was born out of the desire to expand and develop the Vineyard team’s experience and understanding around the food and wine creation process, a press release says.
In April, six young, up-and-coming chefs and wine stewards from Vineyard Hotel went to the beautiful Morgenster Wine & Olive Estate in Somerset West to learn more about the multi-award winning olive oil that is made there.
Up until the mid-1990s, South Africa knew very little about olive oil and it was only sold in pharmacies for use on skin. Giulio Bertrand changed this perception forever however, when in 1992 he bought Morgenster and set about testing the soil with the view to producing high-quality olive oils and wine. While producing both on the same farm is the norm in Bertrand’s native Italy, it was a rarity in South Africa and after consultation with experts, it was confirmed that Morgenster’s terroir was perfectly suited to red wine grape varieties and olive trees.
Bertrand’s expertise and the perfect growing and bottling conditions at Morgenster has seen their Extra Virgin Olive Oil go on to be judged the “Best Blended Olive Oil in the world” by L'Extravergine in 2006 and the Morgenster mill awarded “Mill of the year” by L'Extravergine 2007.
More recently, according to Flos Olei (guide to the world's best extra virgin olive oils, 2010 – 2013) Morgenster is one of only seven oils in the world that has achieved consistent quality at an exceptionally high level over four years.
“I learnt an enormous amount during our time at Morgenster, it was an enlightening and fascinating experience,” says Vineyard’s Sous Chef, Luvuyo Mtwecu. “The guided tour and presentation was excellent, but the highlight was the olive oil tasting. I walked away with a wealth of knowledge about the correct use of olive oils and have been able to confidently implement this into my daily cooking and menu planning.”
Chef Luvuyo’s “Morgenster-inspired” pasta recipe: Garlic, anchovy, chilli and bacon linguini
10ml Morgenster lemon enhanced extra virgin olive oil
20 grams streaky bacon lardons
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1 red chilli de-seeded and chopped
2 anchovy fillets
100g fresh linguini
Chopped parsley
Finely grated parmigiana
Method:
Heat oil in heavy based pan over low heat. Add bacon and brown slightly, then garlic and chilli, cook for 2 minutes. Add anchovies and cook until garlic just begins to colour (roughly 2 minutes).
Meanwhile, cook linguini in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Return pasta to pot. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Season with pepper. Sprinkle generously with parsley and more olive oil. Serve, add Parmesan if desired.
* To book a table at the Morgenster Tastes of 2016 dinner, taking place on 26 August, please call 021 657 4500, or email [email protected].
* To see the full line-up for Tastes of 2016 visit http://www.vineyard.co.za/dining/square/.
Adapted from a press release for IOL