I’m always on the lookout for something special to squirrel away to enjoy on some great occasion with amazing people. A few years ago I did a wine tasting at Haute Carbriere, and the Ratafia was on the list. I wasn’t sure if I enjoyed it so much because of all the other wine I’d had preceding it, but now I am sure.
There should always be a dust-free square, exactly the dimensions of the Ratafia box, on our drinks trolley from now on.
The Ratafia is a 100% Chardonnay wine, or Chardon-yay! as my wife calls it, which is then fortified with potstill brandy, from the estate. It’s a playful drink that will impress and pack a punch.
At the moment Haute Cabriere is the only wine farm to make the Ratafia (in South Africa), which is historically a fruity fortified wine, drunk to celebrate the ratification of treaties in Europe, which is probably where the Ratafia got it’s name.
I think the winemaker’s description is spot on:
Ratafia is a fun drink, packed with rich honey flavours. The taste is delicate and enticing. The nose a melange of tropical flavours. As aperitif or with starters: Liver, liver paté & scallops, escargots. With decadent desserts it is a delicious digestif. – Achim von Arnim
Last I checked, the Ratafia goes for just under R90, which makes it incredibly affordable considering what you get.