BY DATHAN KAZSUK
If you’re into wine and food and saying, “Why not?” when it comes to pairing the two, then you’ll want to keep a close eye on Foxcroft Wine Co. in Raleigh. Their wine dinners are always worth the reservation. Foxcroft’s next dinner will be on May 20, and will feature the seminal wines of Napa Valley’s Chappellet vineyards and a visit from Mitch Boyd, vice president of global sales.
But hold up—we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s rewind to April 8. That wine dinner? Yeah, you missed a good one. And yep, it was delicious.
Foxcroft’s most recent wine dinner took guests on a journey to South Africa with a bit of help from Mathilda Joubert—cofounder and owner of SA-vor. She and her husband, both proud South African natives, launched their company after realizing just how hard it was to find top-tier South African wines here in the States.
Their portfolio has already made waves at several other Foxcroft locations, and now they’ve brought the wine to Raleigh. Pair those stellar wines with a beautifully crafted dinner from executive chef Stephanie Klos and her crew in the kitchen, and yeah—it was a night worth savoring.
Truth be told, I wasn’t even there for the wine dinner. I had another reason for showing up that night (P.S.—keep an eye out for the May/June issue of Midtown and I think you’ll catch my drift). But once those glasses started pouring and the plates hit the table, well … let’s just say I was more than happy to stick around.
With around 40+ people attending this tasty event, Foxcroft’s assistant general manager, Kathryn Turley, introduced Joubert, who then discussed the history behind the success of South African grapes while the first set of wines was being poured.
We began with a duo of chenin blancs—the 2023 Piekenierskloof ($19.99), followed by the 2020 Piekenierskloof “Bergendal Old Vine” ($44.99). The 2023 was a solid start, but that old vine chenin? It’s way more layered and way more intriguing.
Both wines were paired with the tuna vetkoek—a South African fried bread stuffed with a savory tuna mix. This gave off chicken salad sandwich vibes, but instead of the chicken we got tuna. It’s comforting, and a clever match for the wines.
Next, it was time to think pink—and dive into a couple of refreshing rosé wines. First up, we had the 2023 Leeuwenkuil ($18.99) and the Tierhoek ($21.99), both hailing from the sun-soaked soils of Swartland and Citrusdal, respectively. Honestly, I’m just thankful Joubert was there to pronounce those names—because, let’s face it, I wasn’t about to give them a shot.
These beauties were paired with a dish that made me rethink everything I knew about comfort food: chicken bobotie, topped with sambal and a corn and cucumber relish. The chicken was tender, with a touch of heat to give it a kick—just enough to make my taste buds stand up and salute. This bobotie was a fresh take on the traditional, swapping out the usual minced meat for chicken. And honestly? I was all in for it. The spice was just right, and it turned out to be one of those unexpected flavor combinations that made my food-loving heart happy.
This was a four-course feast, and by the second course my stomach was already feeling pretty content. But then we moved on to one of my favorite varietals—pinot noir. First, we were poured the 2024 Whalehaven ($31.99) and then the 2023 Oak Valley ($26.99) Pinot Noir.
These were paired with perfectly grilled pork sosaties, sweet apricots and juicy pearl onions. What in the world is a sosatie? It’s just meat on a skewer, or what we might call a shish kabob. The sweet and savory combo of the pork and fruit, paired with the elegance of the pinot noirs, was just the kind of flavor magic that makes you want to take your time and savor every bite. And I did!
Our final course brought a showstopper—my favorite wine of the evening: the 2022 De Kranz Tritonia ($31.99). This was a magical blend of touriga nacional, tinta roriz and tinta barroca grapes, and let me tell you, my tastebuds were in heaven. I even managed to sneak a second pour of that beauty. The other wine wasn’t too shabby, either—the 2019 Idiom C Cape Blend ($47.99), made with South Africa’s top red grape, pinotage. In hindsight, I should’ve just taken both bottles home with me.
These two wines were paired with what was, hands down, my favorite course of the evening. With tannic wines that brought deep, bold flavors, they were a perfect match for the lamb chops, durbo and chutney. The chops were cooked to perfection with just the right amount of spice. And that chutney? It had a little heat that paired well with the wine, creating a balance of flavors that hit every note. It was the kind of dish that makes you appreciate the art of pairing food and wine.
From the refreshing pinks to the bold reds, each pour was a little slice of heaven, and each bite of food? Cheers to more meals, more wine, and definitely more second pours at Foxcroft Wine Co.
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