The crystals of salt range in colour from pink rose, through ruby cherry to a luscious burgundy: Oryx Desert Wine Salt. An exquisite combination of salt that’s been infused in Shiraz wine.
The wine comes from Baleia, a winery where the vineyards grow a gentle sea breeze away from St Sebastian’s Bay – renowned as the whale nursery of South Africa due to the record number of Southern Right whales that migrate there annually. Hence the name Baleia which means whale in Portuguese.
We send the wine to the salt pans, where it’s infused into the salt over several days. The Shiraz provides its gorgeous colouring in addition to flavouring the salt with its natural black and green pepper spice box taste.
It’s a unique combination because the grapes grown along the coastline already have more minerality in the soil, and the waxy layer around the grape berries collects crystalised salt from the sea winds, so salt is naturally brought into the wine. It’s why wines from the coast are often softer, saltier and tastier than inland wines.
There’s something deliciously poetic about the marriage of salt from the desert, and wine grown next to the sea. We know it’s small comfort, but our wine salt just might be the closest you’ll get if you’ve run out of wine during the lockdown period.
Why not experiment with our wine salt recipes: Wine Salt & Bitter Chocolate Sauce and Divine Wine Salt Tortellini Canapes are flavourful places to start. Or try creating your own Wine Salt & Herb seasoning.
It’s the sort of taste treat you’ll remember.
