Thursday, September 05, 2013

Media launch of Durbanville's Season of Sauvignon

We met in front of the wine cellar at Klein Roosboom and had a welcoming glass of their bubbly
An innovative flower arrangement
Petal strewn pathway into the cellar
We sit to hear about the Durbanville Season of Sauvignon which will be held on Saturday and Sunday 5th and 6th October
Winemaker Thys Louw of Diemersdal  tells us how we will taste the wines with the food pairings in the cellar. There was lots to taste. It was a very good way to experience the wine as well as sample some dishes from four of the local Durbanville wine farm restaurants.
Karin de Villiers, owner an winemaker of Klein Roosboom tells us about her wines
While the media listens, makes notes, takes photos and tweets
Smoked trout, orange segments, lime, ricotta cheese with mixed baby leaves and vanilla to match the De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc 2013.  A wonderful match by Chef Ian Bergh of De Grendel echoing the wines flavours and complexity perfectly
From Chef Louisa Greeff of Durbanville Hills, Smoked snoek pate topped with cape gooseberry jelly and a bread stick.  Good but rather difficult to eat, we had to resort to the back of a fork!  Paired with Hillcrest’s passion fruit and lime dominated Sauvignon
This is her menu and wine pairing
Chef Barend Gouws at Cassia’s (on Nitida) menu and the wines they were paired with
Daring colour combinations from him with his smoked west coast sea salt marinated gravadlax, cooked beetroot a poached quails egg topped with a little under-seasoned Maltaise sauce. This went well with all three wines.  He also did a small double baked camembert soufflĂ© with a parmesan crisp, blue cheese mousse and green fig preserve we enjoyed.
Chef Barend Gouws with his dish
Someone has been burning the candles in the cellar while writing in a ledger. Very Edgar Allan Poe
Chef Ian Bergh of De Grendel’s menu with his wine pairings. Lynne found the Spanspek Gazpacho very challenging as it contained two of her most disliked ingredients: fresh cucumber and fresh coriander but the sweet melon helped a lot and it did indeed match the wine extremely well.  His Granadilla parfait with a cold savoury marscapone ice cream, a tuille and fresh granadilla was an absolutely beautiful dish, possibly one to try to recreate at home.
Chefs preparing the salmon salad in one of the wine kuipe – old concrete wine tanks which still have wine residue on their surfaces
The menu of Chef Nic van Wyk from Diemersdal was judged the most innovative and delicious of the day by many of us.  His simple green apple panna cotta was soft, creamy and perfectly wobbly, such a good counterpoint to the crisp apple and gooseberry in the wines.  His Waldorf like salad with the best local smoked chicken we have tasted so far was inspiring. Then came his apple marinated slices of pork belly charcuterie with a green apple dressing which brought out minerality from the wines.
Norman McFarlane
Lynne talking to Nic van Wyk
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013

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