This is a goody for both Johannesburg and Cape Town.

“Come Wine With Us is a marketing and promotions platform that brings together wine estates, restaurants and new potential clients.”

What this description from the website doesn’t convey, is how much fun these events are. I was invited to attend the Valentine’s Razzle Dazzle with KWV Classic wines in Johannesburg last week, and decided to go on my own. The event was held at La Vie En Rose in Illovo, the dress code “Elegantly smart with a touch of pink”, and the promise “to be dining with other like minded foodies while indulging in an aphrodisiac inspired three-course meal paired with KWV classic wines.”

I’ve only been to La Vie En Rose once, and the only dish I’ve tried was the Careless Love – deep fried Toblerone chocolate. It is such a lovely venue with outdoor seating (that can be closed off with canvas when the weather turns), and fully prepared for load shedding. The dishes served at the event were perfection.

Our starter – Norwegian salmon with a lime and mint dressing served on a bed of wild rocket – was perfectly complimented by KWV Classic Sauvignon Blanc 2014.

Since I’m not a big wine drinker, the KWV Classic Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 didn’t appeal much to me, but again, it was the perfect accompaniment to the rump steak topped with cherry balsamic reduction, served with wilted spinach and rosemary roasted potatoes.

My favourite course, of course, was dessert – a decadent bite-sized trio: strawberry macaron, deep-fried Toblerone, and dark chocolate cherry tart, served with my favourite wine of the evening, KWV Classic Full Cream, which I was also fortunately enough to win a bottle of, thanks to my tweeting 🙂

The portion sizes of each course was absolutely perfect – a well-rounded meal that left me feeling happy. The service at La Vie En Rose is friendly and attentive. Owner Yanky stopped by our table to chat about the food and magically produced a second helping of dessert after one of the guests and I told him how much we enjoyed it (and considered snatching other guests’ who left theirs unattended). In fact, he even offered to whip up a full-sized portion of Careless Love for another guest and his girlfriend. So if you need two reasons to visit La Vie En Rose, the deliciously deep-fried treat and impeccable service are at the top of the list.

I met so many great people at the event. Considering that I’m a little awkward and usually stuck to my phone screen, I was thrilled to be seated among people who a) worked in social-related industries and understood about the phone’s presence on the table without being offended, and b) seemed to be completely ignorant about my shyness (granted, greatly diminished after the KWV Moscato Aperol Spritzer cocktail that was our welcoming drink) and chatted to me like we were all old friends.

Come Wine With Me organises these events to experience the best of restaurants and other partners in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. In March they’ve partnered with Roodeberg wines. You can book for these events now – hurry, they are so fabulous they sell out really quickly.