Wine in the sunset at Thelema

Boules on the lawn outside the Webb family house on Thelema

One of the most perfect views from anyone’s terrace

Gyles Webb braaiing those boerewors sausages for the tasting

Thomas Webb at the tasting table with avid tasters

Kyle Martin and his wife Sjanel. 

Kyle represents John Collins, who distributes Thelema’s Sutherland wines

All that wine tasting is making us hungry

Gyles demonstrates the gentle art of braaiing in old oil drums

Discussing wine and the market under the trees and in front of a magnificent  showing of tall hydrangeas, known as Christmas flowers in the Cape.

One of the Webb family’s elegant Weimaraners. 

The textbooks say their temperament is:  Aloof, Stubborn, Intelligent, Alert, Steady, Energetic, Powerful, Fast

Discussing the dog!

Discussing the food

Father and son enjoying the tasting

Say cheese! Ludwig and Lodine Maske of La Cotte Inn Wines/Fromages de France in Franschhoek with their sons

How to make a good ice-cream cone

Alison Digby of Manuka wines and Lynne get busy making ice-cream cones for the boys

as the sun sets over the misty mountains...

... we line up to taste more of these great wines

The highlight of the evening, Thomas presents their 1994 Bubbly made from Chardonnay. This was for tasting only, rather than sales, because there is rather a lot of bottle variation due to the age of the wine. The bottles tasted were superb. Very much to the ‘gout Anglaise”.

The whole line-up for the tasting. We tried but we could not manage to taste them all.

The view from the top of Helshoogte, out over Stellenbosch, and further to the Cape Flats towards the Cape Peninsula mountains, with the sparkling lights and the beautiful sunset as we left.

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2012

Dinner at Leinster Hall with the Cape Town Club

Taking our seats in the elegant dining room and getting to know each other

The line up of La Vierge wines which we were served with dinner

The first course: Crayfish salad with semi-dried tomatoes, cucumber, prawn, caviar, orange and mustard dressing. Served with La Vierge  2011 Original Sin Sauvignon Blanc

The Christmas dinner menu in full

Lots of cutlery for all the dishes to come, a teeny bit daunting.

The second time we have been served rabbit this month, after eating none for years. Second course was Confit rabbit ballantine, with pistachios, chorizo, smoked rabbit loin wrapped in black forest ham and a plum puree. This came with the 2011 Jezebelle Chardonnay

Third course and yes, the first of three main courses. Very succulent turkey breast stuffed with Italian sausage and cranberries and walnuts, with a cranberry jus and creamy mashed potatoes. They poured the 2010 Satyricon, a spicy Italian blend of Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Barbera, probably the best wine of the evening for us.

The fourth course was the most tender duck we have both ever had. The breasts were pan fried, served on a thin potato galette with a sour cherry sauce, stunning. It just needed something green and refreshing on the plate like spinach or broccoli. They matched this with La Vierge’s Anthelia 2009, a blend of Shiraz and Mourvedre.

The fifth course was almost a bridge too far for many of us. They served deliciously tender, rolled and braised shoulder of lamb, crisp ratatouille vegetables, Pommes Anna and a smoked tomato puree. La Vierge Nymphomane Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec matched the richness of the dish.

We thought we would not be able to manage one bit of the dessert but, somehow, it all disappeared. Pecan Nut Pie with Vanilla pod ice cream. This was served with the very young and smoky Seduction  2012 Pinot Noir, not a marriage in heaven, but interesting to taste another Pinot Noir from Hemel en Aarde.

The very modest chef, Albert Venter, with his sous chef

©John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2012