One almost expects a spiritual experience where you emerge into something magical.

It is quite a name to live up to when a wine label carries the words: Cathedral Cellar. One almost expects a spiritual experience where you emerge into something magical. Your visit to the Cathedral cellar will unveil this mystery where the wine is made and guarded underneath a towering cellar.

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Carving history of winemaking onto barrels

In 1968, father and son duo, Karl and Karl-Heinz Wilhelm were commissioned to carve the history of winemaking onto the large barrels in the Cathedral Cellar.

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See the history of the wines come to life.

The brand has set the trend with modern technology allowing you to hover your mobile phone over the Cathedral Cellar label and see the history of the wines come to life.

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90-92 points from Wine Master Tim Atkin.

Arguably one of the most awarded brands, the Triptych alone has consistently been awarded gold in global wine competitions, scoring 90-92 points from Wine Master Tim Atkin.

“Augmented reality is dramatically changing the way consumers engage with their wine,” says Cathedral Cellar’s brand manager, Tanya Blokdyk. ‘It is a fun, informative, and engaging way to bring SA’s rich wine heritage to life and adds a unique layer to Cathedral Cellar’s wines.”

FIVE TIPS FOR MATCHMAKING

RED WINE WITH ICE CREAM

If you love ice cream, even a red wine float will rock your boat. The Cathedral Cellar Triptych 2017 is no pushover when introducing bold flavours. It is often the ice cream trimmings that make or break the experience. We paired the Triptych with a Brownie Sunday, drizzled with hazelnut chocolate sauce, caramel, roasted pecans, and finished off with maraschino cherries.

It is not easy pairing red wine with ice cream, but where there is a will, there is a delicious outcome. Bottle age will complement the silkiness of the ice cream and enhance the fruit notes in the wine.
Madagascan Vanilla ice cream juxtaposes the freshness in the wine.
Don’t use dark chocolate when making your brownie. The cacao will disturb the balance of the wine’s natural acidity and clash with the otherwise integrated tannins.
Maraschino cherries make the wine appear super velvety and luxurious.
The caramel adds a medley of sweet, salty, fat, and bitter nuances that always helps to mellow a young but bold red wine.

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MORE RECIPE INSPIRATION.

If you prefer a more savoury ending to your meal but would love another glass of the Triptych, Chef Mynhardt Joubert recommends an assortment of cheeses, red grape preserve, and cashew nut brittle.

Red grape preserve

Serves 4

Prep time: 5mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients

500g seedless red grapes, stalked

300g white sugar

50ml fresh lemon juice

100ml water

Method:

Place the grapes, sugar, and water in a medium-sized pot and place on low heat. Once the mix is slowly boiling, skim off some foam that might rise to the top. This will ensure a clear jam.

The jam will cook for approx. Half an hour before you can add the lemon juice. This will provide some pectin for the jam to set. Boil the jam for another 5 minutes or until it, become syrupy. Pour the jam into a sterilized jar and seal properly.

Let it cool down completely before opening the jar.

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Cashew nut brittle

Serves: 4

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

100g roasted and salted cashew nuts

125ml castor sugar

50ml water

5ml apple cider vinegar

Method:

Place the castor sugar, water, and vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. Shake the pan until the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should not boil until before the sugar is dissolved; otherwise, the mixture will crystallize. Boil the sugar mix until it starts to caramelize to a light brown colour. Take it off the heat and add the cashew nuts. Mix through and pour onto baking paper. Once cool, break into shards.

Our Experience

If you ever had to repeatedly write your “Never again, shall I …” on the high school chalkboard, this pairing will come pretty close to that naughty but nice feeling. However, if you have already tried our red wine and brownie Sunday, you will understand that happy place, despite the possible repercussions.

I remember the first time we had the privilege of walking into the Cathedral Cellar at KWV with its soaring barrel-vaulted roof and stained-glass windows. It is impossible not to be moved by the profound character thereof as you wander down the aisle guarded with beautiful handcrafted wooden vats.

Maybe it is because we knew the history and the unscrupulous attention to detail in constructing this wondrous space. One can run your hands along with the carvings on the barrels and feel the energy slice through you, real stories at your fingertips. If I was alone, I would try to see how far my voice would carry in the belly of this wine shrine, and it took me back to the time I tried to photograph the ceiling of the Sistine chapel.

The guards in the Vatican have mastered the art to catch any tourist trying to steal a glimpse of the day they stood in the world’s most visited painting chapel. So, instead, I tried to see if shouting “I am happy” towards the ceiling would ignite any magic from the celestial beings luring over me. I only caught sight of the stiff-lipped ordinance making his way to me through the crowds. I escaped, left the Vatican unceremoniously, and opted for some authentic Italian gelato and red wine in the courtyard.

Luckily, I found a Cathedral, not in the Vatican but in the humble town of Paarl, where you are invited to eternalize your experience through every bottle of wine you savour.

Also inspired by the paintings of old masters, Cathedral Cellar’s custodian chef Mynhardt Joubert illustrated the timeless character of their wines by pairing them with art and creative dishes. Joining forces, we chose to feature the Cathedral Cellar Triptych 2017, a wine they paired with a painting done by the Dutch painter Willem Kalf called Still Life with a Chinese Porcelain Jar. Again, chef Mynhardt surrounded this lush wine with a decadent purple-red display of ripe black figs, freshly cut nectarines, grapes, and raspberries. And again, my heart pulled back to that day in Rome where my love for art, wine, and ice cream collided.

The Cathedral Triptych is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Shiraz, 12% Tempranillo, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Petite Sirah, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 1% Malbec. The wine brings homage to a great vintage, and the Cathedral Cellar is synonymous with consistently producing wines of great depth, colour and flavour. However, nothing is rushed, and after numerous tastings and 18 months in barrel, the best wines were selected to make up this blend.

We loved it as every cultivar, whether big or small, contributes to the entire palate and exuberant ripe fruit. As Cabernet Sauvignon takes the lead, the wine is hemmed with an earthy note of crushed herbs and wet tobacco that relieves the richness and opens up to savoury dishes.

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