Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Celebrating 20 years of Chardonnay Pinot Noir at Haute Cabrière

This is one of the best selling wines bought by the public and it is on very many restaurant wine lists. It is amazing to think that it has been around for 20 years. On Sunday we were invited to come and celebrate with a lunch in the Cabrière restaurant with the Von Arnim family and all the people invited were generously allowed to bring their families so we had many children, all very well behaved. It was extremely gemütlich. Chef Ryan Shell produced a lovely informal lunch which lasted until 5, when we all scattered home as the next winter storm and cold front was about to arrive
A welcome drink on the terrace in the sunshine. There was snow on the mountains but we had a lovely sunny afternoon until about 4pm
Owner and Cellarmaster Achim von Arnim
Achim with his lovely wife Hildegard
Nathalie Leblond and Monica Elias, publisher of Wine Tourism South Africa and originator of the Klink! Awards
Everyone looking very relaxed as we await lunch
Journalist Jos Baker with Achim von Arnim and Alan Mullins of Woolworths Wine
Discussing the lunch with our helpful waiter
Takuan von Arnim pouring us some wine
The musicians played a very good range of music during the lunch. From old Jazz to Goema to pop
Lunch is on its way says Chef Ryan Shell ...
... serving freshly baked bread
Supervising his sous chefs at the pass
The lunch menu was on a blackboard at the entrance
Views to die for
A selection of delicious things that go with the Charcuterie platter. Sweet roasted chilli peppers, artichokes, good creamy labneh cheese in oil, semi dried tomatoes, humus, pesto, olive tapenade and pickled mushrooms
The charcuterie and some absolutely superb crunchy deep fried aubergine slices. We confess we had four bowls of these as a good Banting substitute for bread. Want more!
Another view of the accompaniment showing black olives
They do have very pleasant and well trained staff
And each table received several of each so we were not short of food
Dieter Zettler gives a speech about the von Arnims, Cabrière and the wines
Yes, another one
John slipped out mid lunch to take a picture of the view of Franschhoek and mountains beyond from the restaurant
Lynne and Jos Baker comparing notes on a restaurant review we have both done, and amusing Achim and Alan
Scrumptious main course of a deeply flavoured fish broth topped with a portion of Kabeljou, mussels, prawns and scallops. This was accompanied by a small slice of toast topped with garlic aioli
Achim, Takuan and Alan enjoying the wine and the soup
Chef Ryan Shell with his cheese table. You could help yourself to a good selection of local cheeses.
Jeanne Zettler with Hildegard von Arnim
Achim with Chef Ryan Shell when lunch service was over
Lots of Cabrière Chardonnay Pinot Noir on ice to drink
Achim makes his speech
The cheese table
Ian Manley of Manley Communications with a friend. Many of us wore the house colour red to the lunch
A lovely vignette of a dad reading a story to his young daughter, who was so enjoying it
The house Bubblies: Pierre Jourdan Rosé, Brut Reserve and Brut
The wickedly sweet dessert had soft poached pear, marshmallow, baked ginger cake, caramel, nuts, and lemongrass ice cream
These were gifts for all the guests
Wonderful atmospheric pictures at 5 pm of a storm approaching Franschhoek down the mountain valleys from the North West. This brought more snow on the mountains and very cold weather on Monday


© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014

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