Viognier was only introduced as a wine in South Africa in the 1990s, but since then it has grown in popularity and is now planted in all the country’s wine-producing regions. As the country’s largest producer of viognier, Alvi’s Drift has a particular soft spot for this intricate grape variety. So we’re always looking for ways to introduce viognier to wine lovers who may not yet have discovered it.

And what better way to learn about a new wine than to enjoy cooking and pairing it with a delicious meal? In celebration of International Viognier Day (29 April), we asked foodie duo Amy and Duart from An Earthen Life to come up with an original recipe using Alvi’s Drift Signature Viognier (winner of the South African Viognier Challenge 2022) as an ingredient.

For pairing, their tasty buttery wild mushroom ravioli can be served with our CVC Reserve Blend (a blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Chardonnay).

Serve the wine chilled, but not fridge temperature. If served too cold, you may miss out on the character and complexity (most refrigerators will bring the temperature down too much if stored for long periods). This vine is difficult to grow and the blending process requires a scrupulous attention to detail, so one would do well to serve the wine with equal care.

Buttery wild mushroom ravioli paired with Alvi’s Drift CVC Blend.

What Other Foods to Pair with Alvi’s Drift Viognier?

Alvi’s Drift Signature Viognier, with its intense aromas of apricots and hints of rose petals, complements spicy food such as Thai-style green curries, or Indian kormas. It will also pair well with sushi and sashimi as well as pasta served with a carbonara or a puttanesca sauce.

Alvi’s Drift CVC Reserve Blend, with its aromas of peach, stewed quince, honeysuckle, hazelnuts and hints of butterscotch, will complement mild curries, Asian dishes, seafood, roast pork and chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce. It can also be served with most soft cheeses like chevre, Gouda, Cheddar, Emmental as well as creamy gorgonzola.

Ravioli is easy to make but takes time to prepare, so choose a day when you can relax and enjoy the process.

Buttery Wild Mushroom Ravioli Recipe

Ravioli is such a lovely meal to share with family and friends. It is really easy to make but is does take some time to prepare, so choose a day when you can relax and enjoy the process. Otherwise you can make this delicious recipe with store-bought ravioli or any other pasta.

Serves 2

Prep time: 1 hour | Cooking time: 20 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the ravioli:

• 600g or 4 cups unbleached stone flour (coarse is best)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 egg whisked together with 1tsp of water, milk or cream (for egg wash)

For the filling:

• Olive oil
• 2 shallots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 125g exotic mushrooms
• ¼ cup walnuts, crushed
• ¼ cup Alvi’s Drift Signature Viognier
• Grated pecorino cheese, for serving
• Lemon zest, for serving

For the sauce:

• ¼ cup butter
• 2 shallots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 125g exotic mushrooms
• ½ cup Alvi’s Drift Signature Viognier
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Measure out your flour, make a well in the centre and break in your eggs.

Method

1. Start making your pasta dough on a clean surface or in a bowl. Measure out your flour, make a well in the centre and break in your eggs. Use a fork to gently whisk the eggs and slowly bring in the flour from the outside until it forms dough. It will be very stiff and lumpy so keep kneading and working it until it becomes smooth. Wrap in cling film or seal in a plastic container and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Start working on your filling. Add olive oil to a pan over medium to high heat. Dice your shallots and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Chop mushrooms and add to the pan, frying until golden. Add crushed walnuts, thyme, salt and pepper, and Alvi’s Drift Signature Viognier. Mix together and set aside to cool.
3. Take your ravioli out of the fridge. Place on a board and cut into 4 pieces. Use a rolling pin or pasta machine to roll 2 pieces out into long sheets (60cm) about 10cm wide and less than 1mm thick.
4. Dust a clean surface with flour and lay one sheet on the surface. Brush the pasta sheet with egg wash and set your filling on top in rows about 3cm apart in the middle of the sheet. Lay another sheet directly over the pasta that has the filling on it. Compress the two sheets together at the gaps between the fillings so that your filling is snugly packed. Use a cookie cutter or a glass to cut out the ravioli pieces.
5. Place the ravioli pieces in boiling water and cook until they float. You can fry the ravioli in a pan just to get them golden brown, but that is optional.
6. Make your sauce by frying chopped shallots, garlic and mushrooms on a medium to high heat in the butter. Once the shallots have cooked a bit, add in Alvi’s Drift Signature Viognier. Season with thyme, salt and black pepper; simmer for 2-3 minutes.
7. Place the cooked ravioli on a plate, pour the sauce over and top with lemon zest and grated pecorino. Crack some black pepper over and sprinkle with thyme.
8. Serve paired with Alvi’s Drift CVC Reserve Blend.

Watch to discover the Alvi’s Drift CVC Reserve Blend.

Shop for Alvi’s Drift Viognier Wines Online

Ready to get started with our pairing recipe? You can order your Alvi’s Drift Viognier wines via our online shop.