We all met in the Conservatory for drinks pre
lunch and watched the storm beat upon the windows
From the left Horst Frehse, Janie van der Spuy,
Peter Finlayson, Lungile Nhlanhla, Daryl Balfour
No. Lunch will not be on the terrace today... It’s
ankle deep in rain water
Horst Frehse welcomes us all and tells us about
the hotel and his Table of Friendship lunches
Horst introduces us to Michael McIntyre, the Head
Chef
who was in charge of preparing this delicious lunch
Peter Finlayson, winemaker of Bouchard Finlayson
wines in Hemel and Aarde valley
The amuse of cured salmon ceviche, salmon caviar
and Mrs Bea Tollman’s secret sauce
First course was Lobster Risotto topped with a
lobster tail served with either Bouchard Finlayson’s 2012 Sauvignon Blanc
Reserve or their Sans Barrique Chardonnay 2012. Both matched perfectly.
Horst tells us how he learned that Table of
Friendship lunches had started at the Ritz Hotel in London in the early 20th Century and how he has carried on this tradition throughout his career as a
hotel manager.
He then told us about the Bouchard Finlayson wines
served with lunch
Gregory Mutambe, the Sommelier of Azure restaurant, suggests a wine with the current dish.
Greg’s decision to put the 2012 Galpin Peak into a
decanter and to pour the 2000 straight from the bottle was absolutely the best
way to showcase both wines. The 2000
would have died in a decanter and the 2012 needed a bit of space and time to
breathe. All the wines and the Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Cap Classique
bubbly were served in the correct glasses
Greg pours wine for Lungile Nhlanhla, the junior
food editor of DRUM magazine
And for Janie van der Spuy, owner of FIVESTAR PR
The most impressive wine of the lunch, Bouchard
Finlayson’s Tète de Cuvée Galpin Peak 2000 Pinot Noir. ..
...which went perfectly with the main course of a
tender pink Chalmar Beef fillet with a
gem squash purée, a courgette and asparagus salad, a rich beef jus and rocket
crumbs
Dessert was a Passion Fruit cremeaux with tonka
bean, pear gel, raspberries and almond dacquise
And lemon in hot water for someone else
It is really good to see sommeliers teaching their
staff about the wines served
Horst introduces us to his colleague Michael Nel
Lungile Nhlanhla, the junior food editor of DRUM
magazine
Lungi saying goodbye to Horst
and to wildlife photographer Daryl Balfour. Note the lovely log fire in
the background, most necessary on a very chilly day
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013
