To many of us, claims about the compatibility of viognier with artichokes or shiraz with roquefort sound a little spurious. Wine pairing is usually the preserve of fine dining restaurants; it’s one of those things, like cufflinks and a valet service, that many of us don’t quite understand the need for. That said, if you’ve ever encountered a really great wine pairing, you’ll realise what a difference it can make – and how much more delicious it really can be when it works.

At the Stellenbosch Wine Festival presented by Pick n Pay earlier this year, organisers went some way to make the whole field a lot less intimidating. 30 Stellenbosch restaurants – from bistros and wine estate restaurants to chains, internet cafés and humble student hangouts – took part in the American Express Wine and Dine competition. Tasked with creating a wine pairing with one of their dishes, the participating restaurants were then scored by diners out of 10.

The competition resulted in a host of great wine pairings, but it was Après Bistro on Church Street that took home the laurels.

“We had really great feedback on our pairing,” says Ian Naude, managing partner of the restaurant. The bistro, which is modelled on a European ‘après ski’ or ‘after-ski’ haunt, complete with bar, vibey atmosphere and televisions for sports fixtures, turned out a wine pairing for fish and chips. Their winning dish was a black pale ale-battered deep water hake, served with chips and home-made tartar sauce, and paired with a glass of L'Avenir lightly oaked chardonnay.

Prior to managing Après Bistro, Ian put together the champagne and cocktail menu for sister restaurant, Osetra. At Après Bistro, the wine list is similarly carefully put together. “I try to stick to smaller boutique farms,” says Ian of the list, explaining that it’s possible to get much better value wine from smaller producers. Ian also tries to keep it local: most of Après Bistro’s wine list hails from Stellenbosch-based farms, with a few, like Glenwood Boutique, from Franschhoek.

In addition to the wine offering, the bistro also serves a wide range of craft beers on tap, including Jack Black Pale Ale and Johnny Gold and Naked Mexican by Boston Breweries. (Read our list of where to drink craft beer across SA.)

As for food, they’re famous for their wood-fired pizzas. “We don’t skimp,” promises Ian of their ingredients, which include good quality salami, mozzarella and other toppings. Their most popular pizzas? The Milano, with bacon, avocado and feta, and The Stagione, with artichokes, olives, salami, ham and mushrooms. The burgers are also winners, with real meaty patties with interesting toppings like gruyere and fig syrup, camembert and pinotage jam, and bacon, mozzarella, feta and sliced salami in the case of the monster Après burger. Other popular dishes include the ribs, the salad of salmon roasted with lemon zest, olive oil, and cherry tomatoes, and the chicken tagliatelle.

Our pick of the menu? The churros with chocolate sauce. Piping hot, crispy on the outside with soft middles, dusted in cinnamon sugar and served with a scrumptious chocolate sauce, they’re textbook examples of the dish. “I discovered those during late nights in Spain,” says Ian, “but that’s another story…”

The restaurant also now serves breakfasts. Tuck into a healthy melon basket – a half-melon filled with muesli, yoghurt and strawberry preserve – or give the Apres Hangover Fix a bash, which comes with potato and veggie hash browns stacked with bacon, eggs, mushrooms and chips, and is paired with an optional Virgin Mary.

By Katharine Jacobs

Keen to give wine pairing a bash for yourself? Try out this easy brie and chorizo pasta, one of the restaurant’s new menu items, paired with a glass of Glenwood’s shiraz/merlot blend, in the comfort of your own home. 

The Stellenbosch Wine Festival presented by Pick n Pay will take place next year from 24 January to 2 February 2014. For more information visit www.stellenboschwinefestival.co.za.