As the wine culture catches on in Nairobi, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to indulge in a glass or two.

Indeed the wine you choose is so important that Chef Mohsine from Pango restaurant at the Fairview Hotel in Nairobi says he prepares the meal according to the choice of wine.

At a wine tasting event for The Secret Vineyards range of wines by BSG, Mohsine said, “After the diners order their choice of wine, I then recommend what they should eat with it.”

Sommelier Brilliant Rendani of Secret Vineyards says Kenyans are more aware about what wine they prefer with their food.

And wine and food blogger Jean Wandimi suggest that more events should be held to educate people on how to pair their food with wine.

Now that wine is being produced in the country with grapes grown locally, awareness is on the rise. Rift Valley Winery, makers of Leleshwa Wine, recently unveiled a new look for their range of wines.

Rift Valley Winery chair Pius Ngugi said, “If you look at the time we have been in operation, wine consumption has simply moved from being considered a foreign drink, and has gained gaining an appreciation locally. A good bottle of wine captures a time and place and this is what I hoped for when I grew the very first vines in Kenya. The new look Leleshwa offers a snapshot into the art of establishing vineyards and wine making on the Equator, a process that has taken 20 years to understand and that can only get better with an increasingly discerning market and growing lifestyle class.”

Rendani says that, to be a sommelier, one needs to study geography, geology, art and music in addition to spending time in the vineyard, cellar and restaurant.
So raise a glass this Valentines, with a well-paired meal, music and art, and celebrate love.