Any self-respecting person who eats food such as the Spicy Portuguese prawns in beer cringes if they are offered wine as beer is considered the best partner. So if you're a beer person this dish will suit you perfectly and you have a great choice of local beers as well as many foreign beers (including Portuguese).

I, however, am not a beer drinker (unless it's to quench a thirst on a boiling hot day) so, in my mind, the only style of wine suitable for this dish is an off-dry to sweetish Gewurztraminer. The two we chose had the aromatic spicy flavours to handle the prawns…

Paul Cluver Gewurztraminer 2007 — R53.50

The Paul Cluver Estate is located in the heart of the well-known apple growing area of Elgin. As Elgin benefits from a cool climate (ideal for wine production) several farms, of which Paul Cluver was one of the pioneers, decided to replant some of their orchards with vines. The results have been rewarding with magnificent aromatic white wines and soft elegant reds.

The Gewurztraminer has tropical litchi/ honey and Turkish delight aromas and flavours which seem to linger on the palate forever!

Simonsig Gewurztraminer 2007 — R46.50

Since the Malan family bottled their first wine in 1968 they continue to reap in awards for consistently producing quality wines. Pieter, Francois and Johan Malan, present owners, are the sons of the late pioneering founder of Simonsig, Frans Malan.

Frans Malan was instrumental in setting up the Stellenbosch Wine Route in 1971 and in the same year produced the first Cap Classique sparkling wine called Kaapse Vonkel (Cape Sparkle).

This delicious semi-sweet wine with a dry finish, has rich spicy aromas with intense rose petal and litchi fruit flavours.

To order these wines, or for advice on wine pairings, contact Wine Concepts.