Recipe: South African Biltong and Alvi’s Drift Wine Pairing

Every South African will tell you – there’s a special place in our hearts for biltong. It’s a go-to snack for road trips and rugby watching, and a guaranteed-to-please gift for Father’s Day. But what if you want to elevate your – or Dad’s – biltong experience with a wine pairing?

We asked foodie duo Amy and Duart from An Earthen Life to create an easy but tastebud-satisfying recipe that includes our country’s beloved biltong and pairs perfectly with Alvi’s Drift wines.

Cheese Platter with Mushroom Parfait Topped with Biltong Shavings and Served with an Alvi’s Drift Wine Pairing

South African wine and biltong are naturally a perfect match. Throw in a crackling indoor fire with a good African hardwood on a cold winter’s evening and you’ve got yourself a recipe for success. With that in mind, we want to give you some ideas to add to your snack arsenal.

For the cheese platter, go for a variety of cheeses, preferably something mature and hard – an Emmentaler will work too. Then add a sweet preserve to balance the platter – fig or melon will be a hit.

Our earthy mushroom parfait topped with salty aromatic biltong shavings is great for dipping or smearing. It has a smooth, creamy texture to go with your soft and crispy baguette or crackers.

Here are the ideal Alvi’s Drift wine pairings for the multitude of different taste sensations we’re serving up:

• Biltong and wine pairing: Biltong goes well with Alvi’s Drift Pinotage (which is also typically South African). Another option is to go with Alvi’s Drift Reserve Drift Fusion Blend as it is a blend of Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.
• Mushrooms and wine pairing: We recommend Alvi’s Drift Signature Shiraz, Alvi’s Drift 221 Special Cuvée Blend or Alvi’s Drift Icon Albertus Viljoen Bismarck Blend.
• Cheese and wine pairing: Preferably, for this platter and the different tastes included, you should go for a hard, mature cheese such as mature Cheddar or Edam, Gruyere or Comté. These pair well with Alvi’s Drift 221 Pinotage or Alvi’s Drift Flagship Verreaux Pinotage.

TOP TIP: Want to turn the experience into a mini wine tasting? Read our guide to hosting a casual wine tasting.

Mushroom Parfait Recipe

Serves 4-6

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 20 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ red onion
• ¼ tsp garlic
• Pinch thyme
• 75ml sherry
• 35ml Alvi’s Drift Reserve Drift Fusion Blend
• 250g button mushrooms
• 250g shitake mushrooms
• 150g butter
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Marinate the onions, garlic and thyme in the Alvi’s Drift.
2. Cook until the liquid has evaporated, stirring gently to make sure nothing sticks and burns. Set aside.
3. Cook mushrooms in batches with some olive oil.
4. Add the butter to pan and combine.
5. Blitz all the ingredients together until smooth.
6. Serve topped with biltong shavings and alongside cheese platter and your chosen wine pairings.

Shop for Alvi’s Drift Wines Online

Ready to get started with our wine pairing recipe? You can order your Alvi’s Drift wines via our online shop.