Winemakers are delving deep into their cellars to find their finest wines for the Vintage Wine and Dine series at Signal Restaurant. It’s a special night because some of these wines are no longer even available and many are highly awarded. These top wines are being paired with a 6-course dinner from the culinary genius of Malika van Reenen, Signal’s Executive Chef.

This month, it’s the ladies’ turn as the Q&A spotlight falls on Bosman Family Vineyards Winemaker, Corlea Fourie:

Q: IF YOU COULD DO ANY OTHER JOB IN THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
A: I would love to be a wine consultant on a BBC Food show. Lights…camera…action (but behind the scenes, not in front)!

Q: WHAT ‘CHEAP & CHEERFUL’ WINE WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?
A: Rand for Rand you can get value for money on any Chenin Blanc in South Africa. It’s a cultivar we do extremely well – and for which we often ask too little.

Q: CORK OR SCREW CAP?
A: Cork for older white gems or reds that need to be aged. On youthful white and rose wines I prefer screw caps.

Q: WHAT’S THE BEST CURE FOR A HANGOVER?
A: Have enough water with the wine to start off with. A good hearty breakfast should do the trick the next morning!

Q: DO YOU ENJOY COOKING AND IF SO, WHAT’S YOUR SPECIALITY?
A: My husband does the cooking. I make a mean summer salad and hearty winter soup, but my repertoire is getting smaller as he becomes more experimental.

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU ORDER AS YOUR LAST MEAL?
A: Beans on toast – childhood lunch prepared by my grandmother.

Q: WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE 2012 HARVEST?
A: Fantastic clarity of fruit on the white (earlier) varieties. Tannin management on reds will be interesting as we had some heat, and harvest was relatively long.

Q: TELL US ONE FUN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF THAT NOT EVERYONE KNOWS
A: I worked as a barmaid in Scotland and I can pour a pint of Guinness and draw a shamrock on top!

Q: And lastly, ANY PARTING WORDS OF WISDOM?
A: Everything will be ok in the end – if it is not ok – it’s not the end.

And because it certainly isn’t the end, we invite you to join two very talented and ‘perfectly paired’ ladies, Corlea and Malika, on the 22nd September in Signal Restaurant. The evening costs R650 per person and the menu can be viewed here.

BOOK NOW: contact René on 021 410 7097 or email.

You can also read our previous Q & A with Francois Haasbroek, Winemaker at Waterford Estate and see the full schedule of Wine & Dine events here. The following are still to come so book ahead as space is limited:

25th OCTOBER: Iona Wines
29th NOVEMBER: Rustenberg Wines