September Wine Dinners

Nana's Restaurant Fall Dinner Series

We took a nice summer vacation from our wine dinners, but we are excited to announce a Fall Wine Dinner Series with our dear friends at Nana's.  We've got fantastic dinners coming in September, October and November, so mark your calendars and make your reservations now!

South African Wines Dinner

Tuesday, September 26th
7:00 PM

With the first dinner of our Fall series we are going to explore some of the beautiful wines currently coming out of South Africa.  For many American wine drinkers, South African wines are a bit of a mystery.  Although South Africa has been producing wine since the late 1700s, the horrible Apartheid politics of the country made their wines banned for decades from export to the US and many European countries.   Since the early 1990s and the end of those prejudiced policies, the export laws and import restrictions have changed and more and more South African wines have become available in the American market.  Mirroring the social and political change, the South African wine community has also changed rapidly with increased international exposure, absorbing new technologies, methods, and trends.  While their wines are usually considered 'New World' wines, being new to the game compared to France or Italy, they in reality truly seem to bridge the gap between Old World and New World wines, with a balance of fruit and earth tones, and also a blend of tradition and modernity.  As their wines have been exposed to previously forbidden export markets, and as demand has increased, they've brought a more international style to many of their wines, and are making some of their most impressive wines ever.  For a long time now, one of the best importers of South African wines for the North Carolina market has been Cape Classics, the company that brings such notable wineries as Kanonkop, Raats Family, DeMorganzon and more to our market.  We've featured Cape Classics at previous Nana's dinners before, and have gone back to the well for this dinner with some favorite current vintages.  We'll have a couple classic South African whites with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc and lively unoaked Chenin Blanc, as well as a newer style white in a blend based on grapes mostly associated with France's Rhone Valley, and which recently received a 93 point rating in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.  For the reds we will feature first a gorgeous Pinot Noir, one of my favorite wines of the past year, and a great example of the potential this grape has out of the area.  We'll also feature a wonderful Pinotage, (a hybrid red grape developed in and most closely connected to South Africa), made by Kanonkop Winery, and renowned as perhaps the ultimate expression of this unique grape.  Finally we'll wrap up with a sweet (but not too sweet) Muscat based wine.  We'll be joined for the dinner by Zingo Munger, Chapel Hill native and longtime friend of both Nana's and Hope Valley Wine.  Zingo has been a part of the Triangle wine scene for years now, and as a manager for Cape Classics has helped spread the gospel of the upward trajectory of South African wines.  As always, Chef Scott Howell and staff will work their culinary expertise and pair up delicious courses to each wine, with that signature Nana's style.  We hope you can join us as we kick off our Fall series!
 
Reception
Bayten 'Beyond' Sauvignon Blanc
Coastal Region, South Africa, 2017
 
1st Course
Raats 'Original' Chenin Blanc
Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2016
 
2nd Course
DeMorgenzon 'Maestro' White
Roussanne, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Viognier
Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2015

3rd Course
B Vintners 'Black Bream' Pinot Noir
Walker Bay, South Africa, 2015

4th Course
Kanonkop Pinotage
Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2015

Dessert
Jam Jar Sweet White
Muscat
Western Cape, South Africa, 2017

$65.00 per person plus tax and tip

Please call Nana's at 493-8545 for Reservations

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The Rest of the Fall Nana's Dinner Series:

4th Annual Fresh Seafood Wine Dinner
Tuesday, October 24th

Sokol Blosser Winery Dinner
Tuesday, November 14th

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We have several other dinners that are still in the early planning stages.  We'll have more
information on these soon:

Primal Food & Spirits
American Wine Dinner
with Laurence Vuelta of Aveniu Brands
Wednesday, October 18th

Piedmont Restaurant
Burgundy Wine Dinner
Thursday, November 2nd 

Blu Seafood & Bar
Oysters & Bubbles 2017
Wednesday, November 15th