This past week, I watched a very emotional documentary titled Blind Ambition, about four Zimbabwean men who represented Zimbabwe in an intercontinental wine tasting competition.

The movie showcases how four friends, Joseph Dhafana, Marlvin Gwese, Tinashe Nyamudoka and Pardon Taguzu escaped starvation and political instability in their homeland of Zimbabwe and how their passion and sheer will to succeed pushed them to heights in the wine industry.  

The documentary follows the four men as they strive to become Zimbabwe’s first team to take part in the World Blind Tasting Championships in Burgundy, France, in 2017. We see their joys and triumphs as they take us through their training to go to the competition, their time in France with an eccentric French wine personality and their scars as they remember what drove them to flee their country in the first place.  

The documentary does an excellent job of showing the side of what some migrant workers face in this country, it also shows the resilient spirit of said migrants. I surprisingly found myself feeling touchy about the way SA was being portrayed in some parts of the movie, it comes off as a very dark, hopeless, crime-infested place. However, I pride myself in being a level-headed and objective person but I guess you never know how entrenched your blind patriotism is until you get triggered in a certain way.

This doesn’t take away from the four men’s truth, it just made me question myself.  

Dhafana, who was the captain of the Zimbabwe team, was there at the screening organised and exclusive to the Pick n Pay Wine Club. Dhafana arrived penniless in the country, worked as a gardener, dishwasher and finally as a bartender. On his 28th birthday, he tasted wine for the first time and discovered his passion. He was determined to succeed as a sommelier and threw himself into becoming an expert.

“I’m so glad that the documentary is touching people, it’s actually about Africans. I’m an African before I am a Zimbabwean…,” he said.

Dhafana was the sommelier at Cape Town’s La Colombe restaurant for seven years; he gave it up to become a full-time winemaker and co-founded of the Black Cellar Club. According to Dhafana, the club “brings together and inspires talented winemakers and helps make wine less intimidating, especially to people of colour in South Africa”.

Dhafana was also launching his range of wines on the nightm, which will be available at selected Pick n Pay retailers. The Tongai wines are available as a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Freedom Red. The wine retails for between R145 and R165 a bottle.

Egg and boerewors? There’s a recipe for that!

If you’re looking for something different to do with the eggs and wors in your kitchen, take a look at this recipe from the South African Poultry Association. Eggs contain protein and just the right mix of essential amino acids needed by humans to build tissues. They’re suitable for all ages and offer benefits at every life stage. Also, you can impress your friends and family with this take on eggs and wors. The high-quality protein found in eggs also makes them one of the most affordable substitutes for more expensive proteins.

Boerewors and egg quichelettes

These quichelettes make excellent snacks for lunch boxes, padkos or a light lunch with a side salad.

Serves 4-6

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 500g boerewors
• Oil for frying
• 4 eggs
• 250ml (1 cup) milk
• 120g (± 1 cup) cheddar cheese, grated 
• Pinch of mixed dried herbs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 x 400g roll frozen short crust pastry, defrosted

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Remove the casing of the boerewors and roll the meat into golf ball size balls.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and over medium heat gently fry the boerewors balls until golden and cooked.
3. In a bowl, beat eggs and add milk. Add the grated cheese and seasoning to egg and milk mixture. 
4. Unroll the dough and roll out flat, cut out circles to fit your tart/muffin tin. Ensure it is big enough to cover the sides with room to spare.
5. Line the pan/s with the pastry.
6. To bake blind: cut pieces of baking paper larger than the pastry lined tart tins, place over the pastry and fill with baking beans or dry rice. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove baking paper and baking beans, and bake until the base is lightly coloured, about 5-6 minutes longer.
7. Spoon egg and cheese mixture into the pastry cases. Bake until the top browns very slightly, about 15-20 minutes. Cool before removing from the tart tin.