Menu for Chenin Blanc day with Leopard’s Leap
Chenin Blanc in the spotlight
The 13th of June was International Chenin Blanc Day, and to celebrate, Leopard’s Leap Wines asked me to develop a few recipes to pair with their lovely range of Chenin Blancs. They not only have one, but three options for you to enjoy. Try their refreshing 2026 Classic Chenin Blanc, their sophisticated, oak-matured 2025 Culinaria Chenin Blanc or their beautifully balanced Culinaria Natural Sweet Chenin Blanc which reveals layers of yellow fruit like apricot and honey.
2026 Leopard’s Leap Chenin Blanc is a refreshing white wine with herbaceous notes, ideal for any time of the year. You may pick up layers of ripe stone fruit, white pear, notes of fresh melon, guava and hints of jasmine, violet and even peach blossom. The fruity and florally flavours go absolutely brilliantly when paired with our light and colourful winter Crisp salad with broccoli & citrus. You can serve it as a refreshing starter or side dish and this Chenin Blanc enhances the flavour of the citrus dressing and toasted nuts so well. See recipe below.
2025 Culinaria Chenin Blanc, as part of their Culinaria Collection, is a Chenin Blanc based on the original French-style, which uses oak fermentation. This wine has complex layers of flavour and a smooth consistency, making it an exceptional white wine for a special winter meal. It pairs perfectly with creamy dishes, as well as seafood, so we couldn’t resist serving it with our Mussel tagliatelle in a creamy chenin blanc and dill sauce. The balance between the aromatic wine and creamy sauce and seafood is a delicate, yet absolutely beautiful synergy of flavours. See recipe below.
To round it all off, the 2025 Culinaria Natural Sweet Chenin Blanc is fresh, vibrant, full-bodied yet mellow. This is an off-dry, sweet dessert wine. Add flair to your dinner party and serve a small glass to each guest with this Elegant cheese platter with baked pears (click here for the recipe). A drizzle of the aromatic, sweet spice-infused sauce from the pears, poured over the creamy goats’ cheese enjoyed with shop-bought biscotti and some roasted, mixed nuts is soooo good! If you’re not one for an overly sweet or baked winter pudding, then this is just the dessert for you. The combination of flavours is truely sublime and the wine is just the right partner to complete it all. The goats’ cheese can be substituted with a mild blue cheese, if you prefer, or even plain, smooth cream cheese will be a good choice.
Recipes
Mussel tagliatelle in a creamy chenin blanc & dill sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients
15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
7,5 ml (½ tbsp) butter
1 small onion or 4 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
125 ml (½ cup) each dry white wine like Leopard’s Leap Chenin Blanc and vegetable stock
7,5 ml (½ tbsp) lemon juice
10 ml (2 tsp) lemon rind
500 g half shell uncooked fresh mussels, well rinsed
125 ml (½ cup) cream
30 ml (2 tbsp) fresh dill leaves, torn
salt and pepper to taste
250 g cooked pasta like tagliatelle or linguine, retaining some of the cooking liquid if needed (see method)
more fresh dill and lemon wedges to serve
Method
- Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium temperature. Add oil and butter and sauté onion and garlic until soft. Add wine, stock and lemon juice and rind, and bring to the boil.
- Add mussels, put the lid on and simmer over low-medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until mussels are just cooked.
- Remove mussels from liquid and keep warm. Add cream to the liquid in the pan and mix well. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in dill and season to taste.
- Toss cooked pasta and mussels into the sauce. If needed, a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking liquid can be added to the sauce, for extra creaminess. Enjoy warm in bowls and garnish with fresh dill and lemon wedges. Serve with an ice-cold glass of Leopard’s Leap Culinaria Chenin Blanc.
Crisp salad with broccoli & citrus
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
Salad
100 g broccoli, cut into small florets or broccolini
3 whole naartjies or soft citrus or 2 oranges
1-2 handfuls salad leaves like radicchio, baby spinach or micro herbs, or a mixture of these
30 ml (2 tbsp) toasted flaked almonds, sesame seeds or dukkah
Dressing
30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
finely grated rind of a small soft citrus or half an orange
30 ml (2 tbsp) orange or naartjie juice
5 ml (1 tsp) honey
2,5 ml (½ tsp) wholegrain mustard
lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Salad: Place broccoli or broccolini in a glass bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 5-8 minutes until broccoli is just bright green in colour and still crunchy – take care not to overcook the broccoli. Drain well and pat dry with paper towel.
- Peel the citrus and cut into thick slices.
- Dressing: Mix all ingredients together in a jug and season to taste.
- Arrange salad leaves on a large platter or individual small plates and spoon broccoli and citrus on top. Garnish with nuts or seeds and serve with dressing. Enjoy with an ice-cold glass of Leopard’s Leap Chenin Blanc.
Images: Thivesha Naidoo