Culinary treat for wine enthusiasts

Lifestyle Reporter
Wine enthusiasts have a culinary treat in store later this month, when Harare’s Tinkabell restaurant hosts a lunch and wine tasting with a Portuguese theme, along with a fun food and beverage quiz.

Organised and presented by the Grapevine wine group, the event is open to the public and will take place from 12 noon on Saturday March 24.

“It is open to anyone with an interest in wine, and is not only for the more serious wine drinkers, “ said a Grapevine spokesman.

“The afternoon will start with a tasting of Portuguese wines and will be followed by lunch, ending with a fun quiz focused on general food and beverage questions. It has an accent on fun and enjoyment, though as always there will be some learning and an opportunity to get to know more about wines.”

The Grapevine wine group is a gathering of people who have an interest in wine, from serious enthusiasts to people with a keenness to know more about wine on a casual level. It holds monthly tastings and events, mainly focused on wines but also on other beverages. In January it hosted a whisky tasting on Burns Night, an important Scots celebration, and in February the group had a tasting of South African wines supplied by Albert Nhau, owner of Danai Wines. While many of the events take place at the ‘home base’ of the five-star Meikles Hotel, the group goes to a range of venues for other activities, which range from formal and informal tastings to food-and-wine dinners, wine weekends in the Eastern Highlands and vineyard tours.

“Our emphasis is always on the enjoyment factor and, while we do have a lot of education and information, we ensure people know that wines are there for pleasure in moderation,” said the spokesman.

Tinkabell Restaurant, owned and operated by Jasmine and Rui Fonseca, is situated in Ardbennie and is a daytime venue for all-day dining and socialising. The restaurant has earned a reputation for quality Portuguese-style cuisine, as well as for seafood, and also has its own delicatessen and food and beverage retail outlet.

“It will be a fun family day and youngsters will have entertainment and activity laid on, to complement the adults’ activities,” the spokesman said.