The launch of the Graham Beck The Game Reserve wine portfolio

Arrival at the Camps Bay Retreat and Nature Reserve in the Glen in Camps Bay, a magnificent old house now part of the Village and Life Group, built in 1908 overlooking the bay, welcomed with Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 2008 and some good canapés

The small dining room for guests

The table under the pergola all set up for the Graham Beck The Game Reserve wine tasting and then lunch

Very good smoked salmon and caper berries, served with the Graham Beck 2008 Blanc de Blancs Cap Classique

Fresh oysters with Cape gooseberries and ginger

Old friends catching up, some of us from a function just the previous day

The delightful golden retriever in residence kept us all amused and wanted to play

CEO of Graham Beck wines, Chris du Toit, gets proceedings started by introducing the concept of the Nature reserve and The Game Reserve wines

The Camps Bay Retreat is a very elegant building built in 1908 in what Lynne terms “Early Cape Tuscan” style. Our small Sea Point house built in 1924 has some of the same features but this is a very grand and stately lady.

Nicolette Waterford, whose Public Relations Company so ably organised the function for Graham Beck

Wine Merchant Mike Bampfield Duggan, Managing director of Wine Concepts in Newlands and, recently, in Johannesburg

Mossie Basson,  formerly of the Department of Conservation and, currently, Graham Beck Wines’ conservation manager tells us about the Graham Beck Reserve

Graham Beck’s award winning Cellarmaster, Erika Obermeyer, tells us about The Game Reserve wines

Marketing Manager Etienne Heyns

It was a perfect late summer’s day.

Allan Mullins of Woolworths Wines enjoys the view from the terrace

The lunch menu

Crisp breaded baby squid stuffed with herbed cream cheese and served with a fennel and tomato concasse. This was served with the Cape Eagle Owl Chardonnay and/or the Honey Badger Viognier

The most fantastically tender slow-cooked rack of lamb with rosemary jus, pomme dauphine – crisp potato mixed with choux pastry and then deep fried - and perfectly cooked mini seasonal vegetables

Wines served with this course were the Cape Clawless Otter Merlot or the Eland Shiraz

Dessert was a Chocolate Delice (tart) with a puff cereal crust, on chocolate soil with a dark chocolate sorbet and a hazelnut tuile and raspberries. Wine served was the Leopard Cabernet Sauvignon

And there were yet more delights on a plate of Petits Fours: a smooth and deliciously dark chocolate shard with pistachio nuts, homemade toffee and coconut ice followed by coffee or tea

Bees buzzing in the lavender

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013