It may be that you were on another planet yesterday.
In 2020 everything is possible.
But if you weren’t, you are probably very aware that it was (International) Pinotage Day.
I will not go into a detailed history lesson about this South African varietal right now, maybe we can explore it together at a later stage. In the meantime, you’re welcome to check out The Pinotage Association’s website if you are not familiar with this varietal and would like to get better acquainted.
Leading up the #PinotageDay, I received a bottle of the newest release of the Barista Pinotage to try. Years ago, this was one of the first coffee-style pinotages I tried and it left a lasting impression.
I was inspired by the mouthful of decadent mocha chocolate you get taking your first sip, so the idea of a delicious dessert topping immediately came to mind. Maybe something like a boozy Blackforest Coffee Cake?
So why not make a pinotage and berry ice cream sauce?
This is actually so easy, it feels like cheating.
But here we go.
You will need:
- 1 cup frozen summer berries
- 1 cup Barista Pinotage
- Optional: a tablespoon or two brown sugar, if you prefer to have it a little sweeter.
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan, slowly bring it to boil, reduce the heat and slowly simmer for about 45 minutes until the berries are soft and almost consumed by the pinotage.
And, that is it.
Let the pinotage-berry sauce cool down a bit and served it over ice cream with a liiiiittle bit of finely grated dark chocolate and low and behold – fruit cake! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I already had my first bite of fruitcake this year. Thank you Woolies, it soothes the pandemic anxiously-riddled soul.
Just look at the beautiful colour, dark purple like ripe plums! My husband is not a ‘dessert’ person at all and he really enjoyed this pinotage and berry sauce. Score! You can even have another glass of Barista Pinotage while you’re at it.
*I received the bottle of Barista Pinotage as a media drop, with thanks to Vinimark*