Photo by Mohau Mannathoko
Wine is a big part of Kenyan culture. From nights out to evenings with friends and family, it’s often the drink of choice. For a Kenyan lady who enjoys a good glass of wine, it can be tough to find the right bottle. Here are some of my favorite reds and whites:
- Red: Cabernet Sauvignon
- White: Sauvignon Blanc
- Best pairing: Chicken in red wine sauce or fish with garlic butter sauce
- Best occasion: Night out with friends or lounging at home on weekend evening.
You can buy these wines for Kshs. 1500 each at your local supermarket. Store them between 40-50 degrees Farenheit in a dark place away from sunlight and vibrations. Each bottle will stay fresh as long as you finish it within one week, so invite some friends over! These wines are best enjoyed chilled, about 30 minutes after taking them out of the fridge.
1. Rosé all day
First off, Rosé wine is beautiful and smells heavenly. This one would look really nice out on a picnic or at a late lunch, on a Wednesday, surrounded by beautiful ladies.
Rosé is a versatile wine that pairs well with summer foods, like salads, shellfish and grilled chicken. Rosé is also great on its own as an aperitif.
2. Pinot Grigio
Pinot grigio is a dry white wine that originated in Italy. It has fruity and acidic tastes, making it a great choice for seafood, salad and chicken dishes. A glass of pinot grigio pairs perfectly with summer vegetables like tomatoes or asparagus.
3. Cabernet Sauvignon
One of the most popular red wines in Kenya is Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a full-bodied wine, with firm tannins and high alcohol content. The flavors are often described as black currant, anise, cedar and tobacco. This is perfect for an evening out with the girls, paired with red meat.
4. Chardonnay
Chardonnay pairs well with fish, seafood, chicken and pork. It’s also a great match for soft cheeses like brie and bleu cheese. Think mushroom risotto, butternut squash soup, or a warm baked brie.
Kenyan Chardonnays are crisp with flavors of apple and limestone and are typically medium-bodied. They tend to be less opulent than their New World counterparts from Australia, New Zealand, or California because the climate is cooler in Kenya than in those regions.
5. Riesling
This is a great choice for both white and red meat, as well as spicy foods. Riesling is a sweet wine, but not too sweet—the perfect match for dishes like General Tso’s chicken or pad Thai that may have sweetness in their own right. In addition to being suitable to pair with many meals, Riesling also makes a stellar dessert wine. It will complement fruit-based desserts such as apple pie or peach cobbler, but can also be delicious on its own after dinner has been cleared away.
6. Zinfandel
For ladies who find red wines too earthy, a Zinfandel is a great place to start. This dry, light red wine is often described as having a “jammy” flavor. What does this mean? It means the flavor has hints of fruit and sweetness to it. While many red wines have an earthy or heavy taste, the Zinfandel’s smoothness makes it more palatable for newbies to red wine.
The first thing to know is that you should drink what you like. It’s as simple as that. If you don’t like red wine, don’t force yourself to drink it because it’s “more sophisticated” than rosé or white wine. Drinking a certain type of wine won’t make you more refined or knowledgeable about wine, especially if the flavor makes you want to vomit.
You probably already know this, but if not: Red wines typically pair better with meats than fish or poultry because their earthy tones are often lost among the lighter flavors of seafood and chicken. The same applies to the reverse—rosés and whites go great with most seafood dishes while reds can overwhelm them.
