POLOKWANE – Great wine, good friends and exceptional food set the tone for an evening in Greece, at Basil’s Restaurant at The Ranch Resort on Thursday evening.

The Ranch Resort hosted yet another culinary delight, paired with Baleia Wines & Olive Oil.

The Ranch Resort general manager, Paul Shearer, welcomed guests and thanked all those involved for making wine pairing evenings at the Ranch such a memorable experience.

Baleia, Portuguese for ‘whale’, winemaker Gunter Schultz, took guests on a culinary journey, thanks to head chef at the Ranch Dan Gee and his team, perfectly paired with Baleia wines.

“The uniqueness of the Baleia property lies in the soil, which consists largely of pure, solid limestone with a very high mineral content. This creates a very unique and particular mouthfeel to the wines, reminiscent of chalky minerality and maritime salinity,” Gunter explained.

The farm is perfectly set in the beautiful Southern Cape, a picturesque setting, with canola fields, sheep, and tractors dotting the landscape near Vermaaklikheid.

“An ever-present south-easterly wind that batters the vineyards, along with the rock-hard soils, make growing conditions difficult. This invisible force causes the struggling vine to yield a small crop of concentrated berries with thick skins which give good tannin,’’ Schultz said.

From a pear and honey tartlet, Gorgonzola foam, candied walnuts and rocket, sipping on a Baleia Deborah Rose to a perfectly cook beef rib eye, loaded baby potatoes, fried shallots, confit garlic, spinach puree and chimichurri jus, with a glass of Baleia Limitados Syrah, the evening was all about laughter, paired with exceptional food.

“Wine pairing evenings at the Ranch is a must, we were transported to Greece tonight and the food, as always, was sublime. We cannot wait for the next one. Every pairing offers something different, and bringing these evenings to Polokwane is such a spoil,” one of the guests remarked.

If you have not experienced a wine and food pairing evening at The Ranch Resort, you are truly missing out.

Make sure you visit their Facebook page to enjoy the next one.