A green Overberg landscape near Caledon
Robertson Wine Valley dinner
We write about
our experiences in MENU, not only to entertain you, but to encourage you to
visit the places and events that we do. We know you will enjoy them and we try
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Cape Wine Week Cape Wine
is the largest trade wine exhibition in South Africa and it is currently held
every three years. It was held on from Tuesday 15th to Thursday 17th at the
CTICC and has been very good, very professional with many overseas buyers and
media attending as well as local. There have been many social wine events
connected to it and we were invited to several. Pictures from the exhibition here
On the Beach with the Chenin Blanc
Producers An informal gathering on the beach at The
Grand turned into a great fun event with the Chenin Blanc Association members
showcasing their best Chenins while we partied "on the beach" from 11am
to 3pm on the Monday before Cape Wine opened. And despite rumblings of thunder,
the weather held. This was our first Cape Wine function of the week and the
foreign trade were also invited and turned up. Photos here
Amorim Cap Classique Awards at The Twelve
Apostles Hotel These Amorim annual awards, now in their
14th year, took place on the eve of Cape Wine at The Twelve Apostles Hotel. The awards are divided
into four categories: Blanc de Blancs, Rosé, Blended Brut and a Museum Class
for wines including and before the 2008 vintage. There is an overall winner,
and the award this year went to Altydgedacht for their Blanc de Blanc MCC 2013.
To promote inclusivity among producers, entries were open to non-members of the
Cap Classique Producers Association. The competition was judged by Chairman Allan Mullins,
writers Cathy Marston and Samarie Smith, sommelier and wine exporter David
Clarke and critic Christian Eedes. Pearl Oliver, sommelier at the Belmond Mt
Nelson Hotel, was an associate judge. All the wines are tasted blind and the
judges do not know until the awards who the winners are. Read on.....
Robertson Wine Valley dinner at The Twelve
Apostles Hotel Robertson went to town with their event
this year and brought its wines to a gala dinner at The Twelve Apostles Hotel
on Tuesday night. It was made up of the producers who were showcasing their
wines at Cape Wine and was a glittering occasion. See it here....
Wine and Art at Tokara Every
year in September, Tokara hold an event called Wine Made Art to showcase the
release of their Premier Black Label new vintage wines and, this year, they
were also celebrating 10 years of Tokara wines. The art exhibited is from the
Marie Stander School of Art and is a selection of paintings done, not with
watercolour, but with wine and very accomplished they were. The wine, donated
by Tokara, has to be boiled down to produce an ink-like consistency and is then
applied, often in many layers, to watercolour paper. Also showcased was the
food of Executive chef Richard Carstens and his team who served brilliant
canapés all evening. We were delighted to be invited. See the event here
Amorim Cork launches a new closure During Cape Wine, we were invited to the
Westin Grand next to the CTICC by Amorim Cork to attend the launch of their new
cork closure, Helix, a mushroom shaped composite cork designed for easy opening
without a corkscrew. It is for use with wines which will not be kept longer
than two years. Amorim Cork launches a new closure During Cape Wine, we were invited to the Westin Grand next to the CTICC by Amorim Cork to attend the launch of their new cork closure, Helix, a mushroom shaped composite cork designed for easy opening without a corkscrew. It is for use with wines which will not be kept longer than two years. The bottles which have a special raised helix in the neck, are manufactured at a factory in France. The corks can be used on normal bottling lines with some adaptations. More here....
To Borage Bistro for dinner
We have been meaning to return to Borage all year after an excellent
lunch there just after they opened and jumped at the chance when an
advertisement appeared on Groupon this week with a very special offer for a
three course meal for two. Lynne admits she relished the thought of someone
else cooking a great meal for us after a very, very tiring week and it did made
a great finish to it, as we had lovely food in a very necessary relaxed
atmosphere.
Chef Frank Marks has worked under some top chefs here
and abroad and has had his own restaurant in Portside, the FNB tower on Hans
Strydom Drive for just over a year. It's a bistro and is open for breakfast and
lunch Monday to Saturday and dinner only on Friday and Saturday and closed on
Sunday. Check out their menu on the web site www.borage.co.za
and see our pictures here
This week's recipe We love Mexican food and we were given some
new tacos to try by a chef recently and Lynne wanted to use those Pasillo and
Californian dried smoked chillies she bought recently at Wild Peacock.
She made a spicy mince, some guacamole, the refried beans did NOT work as the
pan boiled dry while she was working in the study (Note, we need more tinned
beans!) and she decided to make some Mole sauce (pronounced Mo-lay) to go with
the dish. This is a rich chilli and chocolate sauce that the Mexicans normally
use to accompany chicken and stewed meat but she wanted to see what it was like
and it did go very well with the mince. There are some surprise
ingredients and there is almost no cooking involved. The left over sauce keeps
well in the fridge and freezes well.
Mole Pablano
sauce
3 or 4 dried Pasilla and or
California dried smoked chilli peppers -1 T olive or canola oil - 1 small
chopped onions - 1 cloves garlic, minced -3/4 cup hot chicken stock - 1 T
peanuts - 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped - 35g 85% dark unsweetened
chocolate, chopped - salt and freshly ground pepper
Remove the stems and seeds from the chillies. Soak them in a little hot
water for about 15 to 30 minutes. Fry the onion in the oil until it is
golden but not browning. Add the garlic to the onions and stir briefly, do not
burn it. Make your chicken stock and when hot pour it over the chocolate in a
deep mixing bowl or in the jug of your stick blender. It will start to
melt. Add the peanuts, the onions and garlic, the oregano and
season. Drain the chillies but keep back the water in case the sauce is
too thick. Add the soaked chillies to the bowl and blitz with your stick
blender until you have a thick chocolaty sauce to serve with or on top of your
meat or chicken. Don't forget to season it.
There are no substitutes for the chillies. The peanuts are
essential, they help to thicken the sauce. You can however use almonds.
Mexicans add sugar and raisins and lots and lots of different dry spices like
cinnamon, coriander, cumin - the list is very long and we will be experimenting
in future. But we don't like a sweet sauce and loved the rich dark bitter
chocolate combined with the slightly smoky and sweet chillies. They are
not at all hot, they just give a tiny buzz. Tonight we will have the remainder
over chicken.
A reminder: 1T - 1
Tablespoon & 1t = 1 teaspoon
Coming Events:
SEPTEMBER
Tuesday 29th September at 5.30 pm MERCURIAL CATS, an exhibition of ceramics, paintings and
papier mâché by Ardmore, Carol Mangiagalli, Ceramic Matters, Clementina
Van Der Walt, Hennie Meyer, Leora Lewis, Lisa Ringwood, Lynnley Watson, Margie
Malan, Nicolaas Maritz, Niki Daly, Ruby Lara, Tania Babb, Tiffany Wallace,
Wendy McClachlan at The Lutge Gallery, 109, Loop Street. The Exhibition will be
open for two weeks. Gallery opening times: Monday to Friday: 9 am to 4.30 pm, Saturday 10 am to 1 pm. Sundays:
Closed. Enquiries: Penny Dobbie, 021 424 8349, e-mail: denarius@mweb.co.za
Wednesday, 30th September Nedbank
CWG Winemaker Dinners The Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction Dinners
offer intimate food and wine experiences at top winery restaurants in the Cape
Winelands. With Guild Members hosting the tables at the dinners, you will have
the opportunity to meet and talk to the personalities behind the wines you will
be enjoying. With sumptuous menus, each dinner promises to be a unique and
unforgettable experience. There will also be a special charity auction at each
dinner. Funds raised will be donated to the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild
Development Trust which supports the Guild's Protégé Programme.
Restaurant Venues:
Cassia at Nitida Wine Farm, Durbanville
Catharina’s at Steenberg Winery, Constantia
De Grendel Restaurant at De Grendel Winery, Durbanville
Tokara Restaurant at Tokara Winery, Stellenbosch
Jordan Restaurant at Jordan Winery, Stellenbosch
Cuvee Restaurant at Simonsig Winery,Stellenbosch
Rust en Vrede Restaurant at Rust en Vrede Wine Estate, Stellenbosch
For more information or to make your booking, please contact the
CWG office on 021 852 0408 or e-mail us on bookings@capewinemakersguild.com
Wednesday, 30th September Around the World with Ingredients at Durbanville Hills. Beat the winter chill with an interactive food- and
wine-pairing evening with ingredients from around the world, led by chef,
Louisa Greeff, and Durbanville Hills winemakers. A tasting of four differently
styled cheeses ranging from soft to hard, paired with a selection of wines from
Durbanville Hills’ three wine ranges. The tasting will be followed by savoury
snacks, Welsh rarebit, chicken prepared with ricotta, and gorgonzola soufflé.
The cost is R395 per person for the interactive demonstration, snacks, three
course meal, wine and coffee. Booking is essential as seats are limited. To
book or for more information, contact Simone Brown on 021 558 1300 or send an
email to sibrown@durbanvillehills.co.za.
OCTOBER
Thursday, 1st October CWG Sports Day, De Zalze Golf Course,
Stellenbosch
Thursday, 1st October Sample the Sommeliers Selection at The Taj. The Reserve at The Taj Hotel in Cape Town, in conjunction with
First Thursdays – a global trend fast growing in popularity, whereby likeminded
people explore art galleries and cultural events on the first Thursday of every
month - will play host to the Sommeliers Selection Listed Wines on Thursday, 1
October. Join fellow wine enthusiasts as you sip, sample and savour a selection
of the listed wines. Doors open at 5pm and tickets cost R150 per person, which
includes entry and tastings of the wines on show. A tutored tasting, which is
limited to 40 people adds to the experience of the evening. For more info and
to book your place visit www.webtickets.co.za.
Make the most of the evening and use the opportunity to relax and unwind,
but not forgetting the wine sales and show specials on offer. Pre-book through www.webtickets.co.za.
Thursday, 1st October Nobu Cape Town’s Wine & Dine 2015
Series: Bottega Distillery. Nobu Cape Town welcomes Italy’s finest
Prosecco producers, Bottega Distillery to their shores. From their home in the
Veneto, the Bottega family produces a range of outstanding sparkling wines and
delicious grappas and liqueurs. The four-course wine evening is priced at R495
per person. Bookings are advised as soon as possible. To reserve your table at
Nobu Cape Town, call 021 431 4511 or mail to restaurant.reservations@oneandonlycapetown.com. For more information and future dates
please click here
Friday, 2nd October CWG
Final Pre-Auction Tasting, Spier Conference Centre
Saturday, 3rd October Nedbank
Cape Winemakers Guild Auction will take place from 09h00
at the Spier Conference Centre in the Stellenbosch Winelands. The auction is
open to the public. To find out more, visit: www.capewinemakersguild.com,
email info@capewinemakersguild.com or call +27 +21 852 0408
Saturday, 3rd October VAN LOVEREN’S JAVA MTB CHALLENGE. A fun-filled sporting event for the whole family with additional
activities, which includes food stalls, music, wine tasting and so much more.
Not forgetting lucky draws and awesome prizes up for grabs! Taking place
at Van Loveren Family Vineyards in the beautiful Robertson Valley (90 minutes
from Cape Town), you are spoilt for choice between four MTB routes (8km, 20km,
45km, 80km) and a 10km Trail Run. The routes boast spectacular views of
the mountains and vineyards. The 8km is ideal for children while the 80km is a
gruelling monster only for the seriously fit and experienced rider.
Medals will be awarded to all entrants. For more info www.javamtb.co.za or e-mail java@vanloveren.co.za. The Java MTB Challenge is a fundraising platform for local
schools and charitable organisations who in return provide event services.
Beneficiaries for 2015 includes Robertson Preparatory School, Robertson
Primary School, Goudmyn Farm School and Wakkerstroom Farm School
Learn about wine and cooking We receive a lot of enquiries from
people who want to learn more about wine. Cathy
Marston and The Cape
Wine Academy both run wine education courses, some very
serious and others more geared to fun. You can see details of Cathy’s WSET and other courses here and here and the CWA courses here. Karen Glanfield has taken
over the UnWined
wine appreciation courses from Cathy. See the details here
The Hurst Campus, an accredited school for people who want to become
professional chefs, has a variety of courses. See the details here
In addition to his
Sense
of Taste Culinary Arts School, Chef Peter Ayub runs a
four module course for keen home cooks at his Maitland complex. Details
here
Nadège Lepoittevin-Dasse has French cooking classes in Noordhoek
and conducts cooking tours to Normandy. You can see
more details here
Emma Freddi runs
the Enrica Rocca cooking courses at her
home in Constantia
Nicolette van
Niekerk runs baking courses at La Petite Patisserie in Montague
Gardens
George Jardine
will be running a series of winter cooking courses and other activities at
Jordan. Details here
18th September 2015
PS If a word or name is in bold type and underlined,
click on it for more information
Phones: +27 21 439 3169 / 083 229 1172 / 083 656
4169
Postal address: 60 Arthurs Rd, Sea Point 8005
Our Adamastor
& Bacchus© tailor-made Wine, Food and Photo tours take
small groups (up to 6) to specialist wine producers who make the best of South
Africa’s wines. Have fun while you learn more about wine and how it is made!
Tours can be conducted in English, German, Norwegian and standard or Dutch-flavoured
Afrikaans.
If you like the photographs you see in our publications,
please look at our Adamastor
Photo website for our
rate card and samples from our portfolio
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Recommendations
of products and outside events are not solicited or
charged for, and are made at the authors’ pleasure. All photographs, recipes and text used in these
newsletters and our blogs are © John & Lynne Ford,
Adamastor & Bacchus. Our restaurant reviews are usually
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