WHAT REVIEWERS SAY

Take the whine out of giving – From books to bottles, you can’t go wrong with wine

Myrna Robbins in her tabletop column in The Weekend Argus of December 19th, 2009

MUST-HAVE: Good pairing guide

“A second reference tool that makes an excellent gift comes as another pocket-sized hardback, simply titled The Food and Wine Pairing Guide, written by Katinka van Niekerk and Brian Burke and published by Struik Lifestyle.

This fills a gap in the market which has existed since the first of its kind, writen by Allen Mullins, appeared in 1997, sold out and was not reprinted. The new title is more scientific in its approach and includes fare like sushi and sashimi and other trendy items.

Van Niekerk is well known as an entertaining presenter of food and wine pairing  courses, characteristics evident in her introductory section. Part two covers almost every type of food diners can expect in restaurants or would want to cook at home, including Indian, Japanese and Thai dishes, with suggested wine partners. Recommended retail price is R135.”

Books on my bedside table during 2009

Michael Olivier in South African Wine.co.za on 5 January 2010. He recommends a bottle of wine to go with it.

The Food and Wine Pairing Guide – Katinka van Niekerk & Brian Burke

“I have known Katinka for a couple of years. She is an elegant, educated, amusing lady who spent some years in the diplomatic service in Europe. She knows so much about food and wine and how best to pair the two. This is a book I will keep on my bedside and when I am dreaming up dishes to cook at home, I will refer to it in order to ensure maximum pleasure.

If you love food, if you love wine, this will help you put the two together, so perfectly. The price R135, is not much more than a good bottle of wine and just think how many more bottles it will help you enjoy.

Sadly the book lacks descriptive information about Brian Burke and does Katinka little justice too.

Wine for Katinka? A classical Cape Cabernet like Morgenhof. Breathing elegance, dignity and always perfectly turned out.”

This review appeared in Struik’s Lifestyle @ BOOK Southern Africa

Katinka van Niekerk and Brian Burke Present The Food and Wine Pairing Guide
November 6th, 2009 by Amanda

“Finding the perfect wine to complement a carefully prepared dish is often a hit and miss affair, but this handy guide aims to change that. Written in an accessible manner, The Food and Wine Pairing Guide conveys the principles that underpin a good wine and food match.

The bulk of the book consists of an easy-to-use directory of dishes, from soups and salads, through main courses to cheese and dessert. Each dish is briefly explained and matched with a wine recommendation, based on the ingredients and cooking methods used. The introduction covers topics such as how to pair food and wine, the relevance of sauces, and cooking with wine. Wine styles and grape varieties are given in-depth coverage so that the reader can understand the characters that make particular wines good matches for specific foods. Established ‘rules’, such as ‘red wine with red meat’ and ‘white wine with fish’ are examined and the authors provide sound reasons for retaining or rejecting them.

Packed with practical, useful information, The Food and Wine Pairing Guide is an indispensible reference for anyone who takes an interest in what they eat and drink.”