Recommended South African Wines at Jiko?

[MelanieC]

Hi there,

I'd love to know some of your favorite South African wines at Jiko. We definately want to try one of the South African ones so it will be a unique experience.

DH likes whites best, but will tolerate red. He prefers them semi sweet.

I like a red wine and don't mind dry or sweet. I even like whites as well.

We are not real up on wines, but we were in Niagara and bought a few bottles and did a few wine tastings while we were there. We are slowly trying to learn.

Thanks in advance for any information.

Does anyone have a current wine list along with prices?

 

[M 'n C]

I've never been there myself so I can't really say what wines are good or not but I will say that I frequently buy wines from Wholefoods and one of my favorites is a white wine from South Africa - its in the Reisling family. I find them to be in between a pinio grigio (very sweet) and a chardonnay (dry).

 

[laughinplace199]

I've tried several wines at Jiko, but can't remember the names of any of them. The wait staff is excellent in recommending the right wines to go with your food choices. If you explain your preferences to your server, I'mn sure he/she will suggest something great.

Enjoy!

 

[Maggi May]

Yes, the wait staff is very knowledgeable about wines and can recommend a bottle or glass based upon your preferences and your meal.

We had the Hartenberg Estate Shirraz, which paired very nicely with the oak grilled filet. Shirraz is one of our favorite reds anyway, and this one was really special. I'm hoping to find it locally.

Enjoy your meal at Jiko!

 

[johnsonet]

As everyone has said, you can count on your server to help you select the perfect wine. I recommend telling them what you like and letting them choose for you
I love white wine too and recently had the Warwick "Professor Black" '05 Sauvignon Blanc from Stellenbosch. My server recommended it once I told him I wanted a SB, but didn't care for a lot of grassiness. It was wonderful with Jiko's DELICIOUS chicken entree
That particular wine is $10.75/glass or $50/bottle.
The wines are all from South Africa and range from 6.75 - 15.50 per glass. Bottles are from about $30-$35 and on up into the Reserve Wine List $$$.

Enjoy your dinner at Jiko!!!!

P.S. If you like reds, the Anura Pinotage is SUBLIME. $11.75/$55

 

[Inkmahm]

Asking the server at Jiko's is exactly how my DH found his most favorite wine in th world. DeToren Fusion V I think they have a different year now as that was back in 2003 or2004 that he started drinking the DeToren. It's a blended red (from my very very limited wine knowledge.) He finally found a place online that would ship a case of this stuff to us in WI so now he has his own supply between trips to WDW.

 

[PrincessMinnie28]

I agree that the servers are wonderful in helping you pick out wines. I read somewhere that a very high percentage of Jiko's staff are trained sommeliers (maybe one of the highest percentages in Florida restaurants?). We ate there back in May and our server helped us pick out some great South African wines that accompanied our meals perfectly.

 

[jcemom]

I had the Nederberg Stein. My server recommended it to go with my Kenyan Coffee BBQ chicken flatbread appetizer. It was delicious. I don't normally even care for wine, but when I do drink it I prefer white to red. I can't wait to go back in September so I can get another glass. I tried to find it locally but I guess it isn't sold anywhere and PA doesn't allow wine to be shipped in so I can't even order it.

 

[Leota]

I had a delicious Raats Chenin Blanc to pair with my appetizers from the Cooking Place. But the real epiphany was the Rustenberg Five Soldiers 2004 Chardonnay that paired with the Maize Crusted Sturgeon. Well balanced oak & fruit with natural malactic fermentation bringing out some smooth buttery creme brulee tastes on the finish..... Like a previous poster, I loved it so much, I tracked it down & ordered myself several bottles for my celler.

These were both recommendations from our server who was a trained Sommelier. Ask for a Sommelier, tell them your preferences & put yourselves in their hands. You won't be sorry, I guarentee.

 

[webray]

That Five Soldiers Leota mentions is quite good.

Like everyone else says..just ask your server, they do a great job with finding something just right for your tastes.

Wine is very subjective..so what one person likes, another may not.

Go, experiment and enjoy..that is, after all, the only way to figure out what you really like!

 

[MagikMom]

When we went there, we described the type of wine we liked. Our server brought us small sample glasses of 4 different wines that fit our preferences. We were able to sample each one and decided to get a bottle of the one we liked best! I thought that was excellent service.

 

[madalex]

I've tried several wines at Jiko, but can't remember the names of any of them. The wait staff is excellent in recommending the right wines to go with your food choices. If you explain your preferences to your server, I'mn sure he/she will suggest something great.

I second this. I was there in April and the waitress recommended the wines. The first glass I had was a fabulous cabernet (but I cannot recall the name of the wine). After this, the waitress then let me try two or three others to see what I wanted. They are happy to help in this regard.

 

[bearzabout]

We love Pinotage with red meat. It is an excellent South Africa red varietal. I don't like red wines in general, but I like this one with prime rib with Boma's spicy mustard sauce. At Boma, we get a wine flight which has several wines to try with different foods from the buffet. Check to see if Jiko has a wine flight option, or just ask the server what goes best with the dish you order.

Check out Fairview's Goats Do Roam white wine at your local wine shop. It sells for under $10 and is a nice wine for the price.

At the Italian wine shop, make sure to try a glass of Banfi's Regal Regale sparkling red. It is a best seller at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. It is very sweet and tasty (for those not into big red wines).

 

[MEM]

I am a huge fan of both South African and Australian reds. I recall a Cape Indaba merlot at Jiko that I enjoyed and I think a Gamekeeper's Reserve.

I want to echo what everyone else said, however, and ask their excellent servers for a recommendation. Personally, I think they are the best on Disney property.

 

[MEM]

At the Italian wine shop, make sure to try a glass of Banfi's Regal Regale sparkling red. It is a best seller at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. It is very sweet and tasty (for those not into big red wines).

Just before every trip I make a note to try the Rosa Regale in Italy. And on every trip I forget! That is the one you are referring to, correct?

 

[Leota]

I found the Rosa Regale to be a huge disappointment. Just another example of how subjective wine taste is.

 

[MelanieC]

I had the Nederberg Stein. My server recommended it to go with my Kenyan Coffee BBQ chicken flatbread appetizer. It was delicious. I don't normally even care for wine, but when I do drink it I prefer white to red. I can't wait to go back in September so I can get another glass. I tried to find it locally but I guess it isn't sold anywhere and PA doesn't allow wine to be shipped in so I can't even order it.

Really - That stinks! I live in PA too.

 

[MelanieC]

Thanks everyone for your wonderful recommendations. I will ask for a sommelier! I am so excited to try Jiko this year!!! 17 days till we leave for Disney- Can't wait!

 

[Jill in Chicago]

Be sure to ask for a sample of wine before getting a bottle. If the wine is offered "by the glass" on the menu then samples are available.

It's always fun to ask for other people's recommendations, but you have to be sure you are both talking the same language. For instance, my girlfriend was just telling me that she doesn't like really sweet wines, and in the next breath she was telling me about a fruit wine that she loves. Fruit wines are usually very sweet, with of course, some sweeter than others. My point being I do not like sweet wines (usually) so if I had tried to offer her a choice of a "semi-sweet" wine that I liked, it would not have been sweet enough for her.

Also remember what you like, is what you like. Doesn't matter who else likes it, or how it is rated, or what it costs. You liking it, makes it a winning wine.

I also believe (correct me if I am wrong) that Florida has a law that you can bring an open bottle of wine home from a restaurant. (Do they "seal" it somehow at the restaurant?) That way you and DH could each get your "own" bottle of wine, bring the leftovers home, and enjoy them after a day at the park on another evening.

 

[johnsonet]

Also remember what you like, is what you like. Doesn't matter who else likes it, or how it is rated, or what it costs. You liking it, makes it a winning wine.

That is also the motto of my favorite wine experts, Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, from the Wall Street Journal. It makes drinking wine and experimenting so much less intimidating and so much more interesting!

I also believe (correct me if I am wrong) that Florida has a law that you can bring an open bottle of wine home from a restaurant. (Do they "seal" it somehow at the restaurant?)

Yes, they put the cork back in it! (sorry, couldn't resist) I've done this once or twice at Jiko.