9th Avenue Bistro revisits the past

This week, the 9th Avenue Bistro puts out its long awaited new menu, but Gina and her wonderful staff revisited the Natal of old at their recent Classic Natal Dinner paired with Luddite wines from the famous wine estate in the Houw Hoek Mountains in Walker Bay.  This really was a gastronomic tour de force, with the wines complementing the dishes perfectly.  On arrival, the Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc whetted our appetites for the meal ahead.  The salmon tartarte with kewpie and radishes and crayfish with shellfish mayo were sublime, and paired perfectly with the Oak Valley Chardonnay, the Luddite Syrah 2005  balanced the roast chicken with parmesan and apple and a pear and bacon jam tart, and the 2006 Syrah, with its more mellow notes, was a rich and warming partner to the short rib and oxtail pie which followed.  The 2007 Syrah, served with celery, gorgonzola, pine nuts and orange completed the vertical tasting and the three years in succession taught us a lot about how the Syrah grape matures in the bottle and evolves to be a complement to different foods.  If you love your food and wine, look out for the next dinner, at R350 a head you will not be disappointed!  The cooking was sublime, the winemaker informed and charming, and the whole evening was a treat.