September is "sister"-time at Stellenbosch Hills. To celebrate Heritage Month this year, the popular winery has tweaked its famous Local-is-Lekker Biltong & Wine Pairing at its cellar – for a limited time only – to also feature a most traditional confection: the koe(k)sister.

The quintessential South African dessert treat will be the kicker on the Stellenbosch Hills' experience that pairs its wines with biltong and droëwors. Extending the celebration of cultural diversity, tasters will be offered the choice of two versions: a plaited, sweet-and-crunchy koeksister or the Cape Malay-style equivalent koe'sister. The latter generally comprises a spiced dough-ball that's deep-fried, dipped in boiling hot syrup and rolled in desiccated coconut.

Launched in 2005, Stellenbosch Hills’ Local-is-Lekker Biltong & Wine Pairing pioneered a genre that has subsequently been taken up by wineries far and wide.

Heritage Month is an extension of South Africa's official Heritage Day, celebrated annually on September 24. It was officially launched in 1995. Like biltong, koe(k)sisters are regarded as an unmistakable part of the South African culinary lexicon.

Stellenbosch Hills' Heritage Month offer will feature the full meaty experience of six wines, with the koe(k)sister paired with Stellenbosch Hills Muscat de Hambourg.

With a colour reminiscent of sunset, the wine is explosively fragrant with aromas and flavours of candy floss, boiled sweets, rose petals and violets. It shows best when served with koe(k)sisters; on crushed ice; over vanilla ice cream and strawberries; or, or at room temperature in winter.

The other members of the pairing board are:

Springbok Biltong & Stellenbosch Hills 1707 Reserve White: a perfect balance between lean, dry gaminess and the wine’s sumptuous citrus and buttered toast flavours;

Moist Beef Biltong & Stellenbosch Hills Polkadraai Pinotage/Merlot: succulent complexity matched with sweeter notes of the premier red blend;

Ostrich Droëwors & Stellenbosch Hills Merlot: milder game meat perfectly complemented by the plummy, ripe fruit flavours of a well-rounded companion;

Smoked Beef Biltong & Stellenbosch Hills Shiraz: A unique oak-smoked and cured biltong, gently spiced connect seamlessly with smoky flavours of a wine that exhibits a hint of dark chocolate;

Kudu Droëwors & Stellenbosch Hills Cabernet Sauvignon: Subtle yet rich game flavours perfect match for silky tannin and notes of ripe black fruit; and,

Traditional Beef Droëwors & Stellenbosch Hills 1707 Reserve Red: Exotic zest of roasted coriander offsets the wine’s clean spice and ripe tannin.

This exclusive and proudly South African pairing is available only for the month of September and at the give-away price of R75 per person. Bookings are therefore, strongly advised and can be made at 021 881 3828/9 or email info@stellenbosch-hills.co.za.

The cellar is located at the intersection of the R310 and Vlottenburg Road, just outside Stellenbosch. It is open Monday to Friday, 09h00 – 17h00; and, Saturdays: 10h00 – 15h00; and, closed on public holidays.

For more information, visit www.stellenbosch-hills.co.za.

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Pictures: SUPPLIED