Saturday, October 19, 2024

In MENU This issue - Pinot at Strauss, Morvino trade show, Blaauwklippen blending, Caroline’s WWR, Alto 100, John Collins, Ramenhead, Martin Moore memorial, CWG Auction, Diemersfontein Puccini recital, Extreme Wines, Veritas Awards


This has been a marathon. A large number of stories to write and edit in between visits to doctors and hospital, conducting tours and a myriad other obligations. So we have twelve stories for you, some longer than others and mostly about events in the South African wine industry. And we have managed to complete them in time for boarding a plane to England, where we will visit friends and, most importantly, attend a very special family function. Enjoy the stories and we’ll be in touch again on our return

Sunday Pinot noir tasting at Strauss Auctioneers


On a Sunday afternoon in late August, John attended a tasting of the best South African Pinot noirs at the Strauss & Co premises in Salt River. Read on...

Morvino trade wine show at The Mount Nelson


Another event attended by John on his own with Lynne in hospital for surgery on her broken arm. There was a good turnout of invited guests from the wine trade, hospitality industry and wine enthusiasts. Read on...

The 41st anniversary Blaauwklippen blending competition lunch


The awards ceremony of the annual Blaauwklippen Blending Competition was held in the main restaurant at Blaauwklippen. Present were the top three wine clubs, the judges, and the media. Read on...

Caroline's 2024 White Wine Review


This year's opportunity to taste some of the very best South African White wines chosen by Caroline Rillema of Caroline's Fine Wine Cellar was held at the DHL Stadium, a very good venue for rugby matches and wine tastings. Read on...

Alto celebrates the centenary of their iconic Alto Rouge red blend


We joined the other guests in the Alto cellar for a candle lit tasting of the last five vintages of Alto Rouge. Read on...

John Collins trade wine tasting at Den Anker


John Collins has hosted his wine trade show at Den Anker in the Waterfront for several years. It is a very popular venue for the event with superb Belgian canapés and even a refreshing Belgian beer on tap for the thirsty. Read on...

Restaurant Week lunch at Ramenhead


We love Restaurant Week, even when it's nearly five weeks long, It gives us a chance to try out some restaurants that we couldn't normally afford and others that are new and in our own neighbourhood. There are always some very good specials. We love Peter Tempelhof's restaurant Fyn and had not yet managed to get to his Ramenhead which is below Fyn, in the same building, near Parliament Square. So, seeing it listed on Restaurant week inspired Lynne to book it for lunch on the very first day. Read on...

Martin Moore memorial sundowner at Durbanville Hills


We were invited to Durbanville Hills wine cellar to join the team and other guests at a memorial sundowner to their much-loved late cellarmaster Martin Moore. Martin was a good friend who was an important mentor to us when we were studying for our wine diplomas and he was winemaker at Groot Constantia. Read on...

The 2024 Cape Winemakers Guild Auction


After an early start, we arrived at the Lord Charles Hotel's Conference Centre in Somerset West at 9am. Read on...

Sunday Passion for Puccini recital at Diemersfontein


Lynne caught up with Johan Bongani Olivier at the John Collins tasting and he asked her if we would like to join him and his partner at this recital. Read on...

Extreme Wines trade tasting at Judd's Local in Kloof Street


One of the best and most experienced representatives in the business, Michelle Stewart and her daughter Kirsten have an impressive list of wines and showed them at Judd's Local in Kloof Street. . Read on...

The 2024 Veritas Awards at the CTICC


A rare event for us in 2024; the 2024 Veritas Awards dinner at the CTICC. The invitation said "Strictly black tie" and many of the men did, indeed, wear suits with black neckties with a reasonable number in proper evening gear, but it was disturbing to note how few had polished their shoes. The women, naturally, were beautifully, mostly glamorously, turned out. The men need to polish their act. Read on...

All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

If you do not wish to receive e-mails from us, please email menucape@gmail.com with the word 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in your email

Posted by MENU at 12:29 pm 0 comments

Friday, October 18, 2024

The 2024 Veritas Awards at the CTICC

A rare event for us in 2024; the 2024 Veritas Awards dinner at the CTICC
The invitation said "Strictly black tie" and many of the men did, indeed, wear suits with black neckties
with a reasonable number in proper evening gear, but it was disturbing to note how few had polished their shoes
The women, naturally, were beautifully, mostly glamorously, turned out. The men need to polish their act

Dr Winifred Bowman CWM, Wosa CEO Siobhan Thompson, 
Kendra Thompson, Neil Pendock

Lynne in her finery, looking suitably glamorous

Glasses of good local Cap Classiques served to keep us hydrated and happy. They did

Deep fried prawn tails in abundance with a dipping tartar sauce. Good prawns, but they needed a little salt?

Pouring Boschendal Brut Rosé MCC

Beetroot canapés

Etienne and Aaltjie Gouws, Leon and Marie Uys of Amorim Cork

At Wegner of GetWine
Great to meet his beautiful daughter who is not in the industry, but works in the bush at Kruger National Park

Nice moist lamb Koftas

A loud rock band played all the old favourites like Elvis, Country and Western and solid rock
and made conversation difficult

At our table were Alvi and Junel van der Merwe CWM owners of Alvi's Drift in Worcester

Also at the table were Gera and Johan de Wet of DeWetshof in Robertson

Bennie Howard CWM started proceedings

followed by Christo Pienaar, President of Veritas Awards

There were three Wine Legends awards this year. Sadly, Johann Rupert was unable to attend
His award will be delivered to him in London

Philip Jordaan of Dutoitskloof Winery in Rawsonville

Tim Hutchinson was instrumental in steering the DGB group
to become one of South Africa’s largest independent wine and spirit producers and distributors

A moments silence for those we have lost  this year. 

A televised address by Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, saying how much he would like to be there
as he is a great lover of Cape Wine, but he had other commitments away from home

And we had some great wines on the table. This De Wetshof Calcrete Chardonnay, crisp and clean and delicious,
went so well with the rich starter

Deliciously rich duck confit with citrus segments, herbed quinoa, parsnip and beetroot purée,
and a great duck jus. It would have made a meal on its own

The main was a duo of South African Beef:
a rich Beef Wellington in the pastry caseenrobed in mushrooms, 
long and slow cooked Beef brisket, Duchesse potato, roasted baby carrots, a melanage of wild muchooms,
crushed peas and a roasted butternut purée  

John's dinner sans Mushrooms, the Brisket and a rare fillet of beef in a chilli sauce

Our table had several good wines to sample, to see which went best with dinner
The one that excited us most was the rich and full Buitenverwachting Double Cab,
a blend of Constantia Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc made by cellarmaster Brad Paton 

The highest performing winery, the KWV team with their gold and double gold medals, 
photographed with  Bennie Howard and Christo Pienaar

Desert was a chocolate bar filled with a Marquise chocolate mousse, a good macaron, fresh strawberries
and a brandy snap circle

Executive Chef Roberto Carvalho is in charge of all the catering at the Cape Town Convention Centre

We will publish the list of Award winners when it becomes available 

All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

If you do not wish to receive e-mails from us, please
email menucape@gmail.com with the word 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in your email

Posted by MENU at 4:59 pm 0 comments

Extreme Wines trade tasting at Judd's Local in Kloof Street

 

One of the best and most experienced representatives  in the business,
Michelle Stewart and her daughter Kirsten have an impressive list of wines
and showed them at Judd's Local in Kloof Street

The Extreme Team - Michelle and Kirsten Stewart and Harry 

Zelda Fox, winemaker at Charles Fox 

We tasted and enjoyed the Reserve Rosé Cap Classique, a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier
Lovely red berry fruit, crisp and lively with long flavours

Hier wines are from the farm Rivergold in Bonnievale and are made by Entrepreneur and Cape Wine Master Jaco Pienaar
on Lourens van der Westhuizen's farm Arendsig, which is across the way from Rivergold

The Cinsault is made in a concrete egg and is full of dried fruit and cherries

Henry Kotze and his viticulturist wife Riette make Pilgrim and Mulderbosch wines
There were some impressive wines
The Steen op Hout Chenin has fruit, acidity and wood in perfect balance and is a great food wine

They make a Viura, which is a very unusual Spanish grape
Floral perfume on the nose, pretty enough to wear
Full on on the palate, great acidity to the balance the white stone fruit flavours.
Their Carmenere is juicy. Shy on the nose at first, full on flavour and warmth with dark berries, another wine for food

Billy Hughes, Mark Herd and LRJ

Riette Kotze with Jodi Schiff, sales representative for Nativo wines

Vrede en Lust cellarmaster Karlin Nel and Maia Bezuidenhout, Sales manager

Their Sarah Cap Classique is an impressive blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Bready on the nose, chewy on the palate with cherries and red berries and good crispness


Carsten Migliarina never fails to really impress us with his carefully and thoughtfully made wines
His Bush Vine 2023 Chenin Blanc was our wine of the day and we were not the only ones
A beautifully perfumed nose with jasmin, rose and musk, then rich golden fruit
which follows through on the crisp, complex and layered palate, full of ripe stone fruit and delight

His 2023 Chardonnay from Elgin has lime, lemon and wonderful layers of crisp fruit and toasted wood
The Bushvine Chardonnay, the first, is hard to describe
Silent at first, quite elegant and French in style, then its rounded stone fruit opens to give warmth and wood

The 2023 Albariño has a delicate nose with some roast chicken umami notes
On the palate, lovely texture, layers of ripe yellow fruit, melon and lime. Lots of complexity
The 2022 Grenache is perfumed, lighter in colour and texture, with warmth and full on berry fruit. Chill this in summer
The 2021 Equilibrium has lovely red berries and spice on the nose and palate, full of texture and layered fruit

Two wines from Bizoe really impressed
The 2020 Idioglossia Malbec was served chilled, A dark heady red, full of black and red berry flavours with umami notes
A Wow!

The 2018 Semillon from Robertsvlei Road in Franschhoek was, as expected, excellent, full and layered
with wonderful mouthfeel and long flavours

Rikus Neethling, Bizoe

Juliette Torr, daughter of Clive Torr and Tanya Beutler, following in her parents' footsteps,
She is studying viticulture and oenology at Stellenbosch and already producing her own wines labelled Conviction
The Cabernet is from Elgin and has umami on the nose and palate
Fermented in barrels for 15 months. Pure cassis fruit delights and wood just supports
The C3 Cool Climate Cabernet has fruit to the fore and spent 15 months in new French oak
It is concentrated, the wine has been supplied with everything it needs and the wood is present,
it just needs time and cellaring to show its full potential

Marcus Nel and Juliette Torr

The Swanepoel wines
The SMG Rosé has perfume, rhubarb and chewy fruit
The 2021 Grenache Noir has roses and berries on the nose; the chalk bites, the rose continues
The 2020 Mourvedre has licorice umami, a good rush of red berry fruit and is a good food wine
THE 2022 SMG has a complex nose, hints of all three varietals, this wine has quality and needs time

Dirk Swanepoel

Terre Paisible from Franschoek

It was too busy at the counter, so we did not get to taste these

All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

If you do not wish to receive e-mails from us, please email menucape@gmail.com with the word 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in your email

Posted by MENU at 12:49 pm 0 comments
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