You do realise that it’s almost Christmas, don’t you? Of course you do.

I like getting ready for Christmas well in advance. Obviously I don’t mean the actual gift shopping part (I hold an extreme talent for leaving it until the last minute). I mean the decorating and the food and list making.

This Friday, for instance, I am having a tree decorating dinner. And I cannot wait. Everyone has to bring a delicious finger food and we make a feast of it – a long table filled with the finest foods that my creative friends have to offer. But how to be different?

One of my favourite things to make is Angels on Horseback, but I have now made that for three years running. It’s time for something new. And I need to impress. I like to impress.

I wanted to try pairing some lovely summer wine with my food, and remembered an amazing little recipe I had seen on Excelsior’s website. Did you know they have a beautiful restaurant called Graze where you can literally wine and dine all day long? The recipe is called “Galloping Horses”, and, in keeping with my horse theme, I think they will go down well.

To serve 18 you will need: 

• vegetable oil
• 8 shallots , finely sliced
• 2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 small fresh pineapple or 4 rings from a tin, cut into cubes
• 1 lime
• 1 red chilli , sliced finely
• handful coriander leaves

What to do: 

1. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots until they brown.
2. Reduce the heat and add the peanut butter, sugar and soy sauce and stir until the sugar has melted. The mixture should be sweet and salty so add a little salt if you need to.
3. Cool.
4. Arrange the pineapple cubes on a plate and put a heaped tsp of mixture on each.
5. Top each with a squeeze of lime, a piece of chilli and a coriander leaf.

I’m going to pair this with the Excelsior Viogner, which is crisp, light and fresh, and will perfectly match the 30 degree weather we’re expecting.

Speaking of Christmas and leaving presents for the last minute and then having to wrap them all on December 23^rd in a complete state of panic, why not instead, gift something you don’t really have to wrap?

Have a look at The Manor Guesthouse at Excelsior Wine Estate. It’s an old, glamorous Victorian building that has been made into something quite spectacular. Think the ostrich era of the 1800’s and tell me you don’t want to go for a little getaway yourself. The added bonus is that it’s a beautiful drive from Cape Town, and perfect for a weekend getaway… talk about a brilliant gift for the parents or in-laws!