The entrance to this lovely building
A very welcome glass of one of our favourite
Graham Beck bubblies, the Blanc de Blanc 2008,
Served with two canapés:
Beetroot cured salmon crostini and Caprese tartlets
The flight of wines we are about to taste
Chatting before we begin on this balmy day
Graham Beck cellarmaster Erika Obermeyer seated
next to André Morgenthal of WOSA (Wines of South Africa)
The glorious view
The red wines, lined up
The whites cooling in an ice bath
And we begin
The media and Graham Beck staff: Tasting,
listening, writing and tweeting: multi-tasking at its best. On the left winemaker Rocco
de Villiers; Sales Ambassador Kerry Kirby, Nelia Vivier of Get
It Magazine, Erika, André Morgenthal, Chloe Canderle and, on the right,
Christiane Von Ulmenstein, Jonathan Snashall, PRO Nicolette Waterford, Greg Landman
of Country Life and Lynne
Magnificent view of the Atlantic with our tasting
table through the Dutch style door
Into the dining room for lunch: Jonathan Snashall,
Erika, Chris von Ulmenstein, Graham Beck Sales Ambassador Chloe Canderle, Global Sales & Marketing Exec Etienne Heyns, André Morgenthal of WOSA.
Sales Ambassador Kerry Kirby Winemaker
Rocco de Villiers , PRO Nicolette Waterford, Nelia Vivier of Get It
magazine and Lynne
They served a really well balanced and perfectly
cooked five course menu, if you count
the canapés
First Course: small butternut ravioli with sage and walnut
beurre noisette. Comment: delicious, but
we all wanted more. Served with the well-matched Bowed Head 2011 Chenin Blanc
Etienne, Photographer Danie Nel and Chloe Canderle
A plethora of glasses awaiting wines with each
course
The second course:
an excellent tranche of belly of pork with a smoked apple butter and a
crackling twirl. Served with The William
2009 and The Ridge Syrah 2011
Discussion in and about the wine industry over
lunch. Spot another attendee on the left, Radio personality Guy McDonald of Good Hope FM
The main course of pepper encrusted fillet with a
mushroom jus and truffle frites. This was served with a herb and parmesan
shaving salad and some well roasted vegetables with feta and balsamic
reduction. Tender beef, good flavours.
Only gripe for some was the overcooking of the fillet, others were perfect. Oh you noticed, this is John’s portion sans
the mushroom jus. Accompanied by the 2011 Coffeestone Cabernet and The Joshua
2011
Dessert was a rich macadamia topped cheesecake
served with a sublime salted caramel ice cream which sang when matched with the
Rhona Muscadel.
Etienne Heyns and Kerry Kirby
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013
