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The weather is playing "4 seasons in one
day" fun as is usual in the Cape at this time of the year. We hear there
are extreme heat waves in the rest of the country, we have lit several fires in
the last week or so and had some refreshing rain and then some balmy days. Our sunsets
are superb. We have been able to get more organised at home as the media circus
is winding down for the year and we are enjoying time at home to plan the next
few months. But there are still some great events coming up for you to book. Do
check our Coming events list below.
Stellenbosch Hills celebrates 70 years
of winemaking heritage It is really rewarding to watch a winery
raise its game. We have been enjoying events held by Stellenbosch Hills for the
last few years and watching their wines take their place in a very competitive
market. This 70th celebration was held last week at the Cape Grace hotel with a
lovely lunch accompanied by their wines and we are impressed at how well they
are drinking and how well they went with the food.
The event was also the launch of La Serena, an unusual
blend of Muscat de Hambourg and Pot Still Brandy. This mellow sweet liqueur
would make a great gift for someone for Christmas. Read on
DeMorgenzon for the Oenophiles Our
wine club likes jaunts into the country and this Saturday we all met at DeMorgenzon for a tasting of their multi award winning wines on the farm that
plays classical music to their vines. Richard in the tasting room was expecting
us and we had a very lively tasting inside of some of their excellent wines. Read on
Off up the hill for lunch at Jordan
Bakery We then drove next door to Jordan where one of our members had arranged
for us to have a great wine tasting on the terrace and then a lovely informal
lunch on the deck below. See the pictures here
Summer festival at Jordan Jordan
are holding their annual Summer Festival on the Sunday, 29th November and it
will benefit a good cause. Enjoy wine tasting, boules, croquet, vineyard &
cellar tours, CWG wine tasting* and live music while savouring gourmet food
from the Bakery at Jordan. *R200pp for CWG Tasting.
Picnic snacks and treats will be available for
purchase from the Bakery and can be enjoyed under the trees or on the lawns of
Jordan Wine Estate. Don’t forget your picnic blanket and umbrella. A silent
auction and raffle on the day will include prizes, such as a night’s
accommodation for 2 guests in the newly opened Jordan Luxury Suites; tour &
tasting vouchers and exclusive offerings of wine.
PLEASE BRING: Dog and cat food, old blankets and pet
accessories, which will be donated with a portion of the entrance fee to Animal
Welfare Society in Stellenbosch, The Border Collie Rescue Association and PETS.
Booking essential: info@jordanwines.com
/ 021 881 3441 R100pp – early bird or
R120pp – at the gate
A night to remember at the Radisson We
had great delight in telling people we were going to drinks, dinner and to
spend the night at a 5 star hotel right on the ocean - just 5 k from our home!
We were invited to the Radisson Blu which is next to the V&A waterfront
last Saturday for the night followed by breakfast and really enjoyed the very
comfortable stay with lots of food and wine. Read on
This week's recipe We
love to use "in season" vegetables and at the moment courgettes are
looking superb. This is not a main course, but makes a wonderful accompaniment
to any dish.
Courgette chips
Top and tail some larger courgettes (about
14 or 15 cm long) and slice in half lengthways. Allow about 4 or 5 per person.
Put some foil on a large ovenproof tray and heat the oven to 180⁰C. Sprinkle
some extra virgin olive oil and some dried herbs and seasoning over the
courgettes and make sure they are well covered. Lay the courgettes cut side
down on the foil and cook for about 20 minutes. When you turn them over they
should be quite soft but browning slightly. Put them back into the oven until
they are nice and crisp on the edges . You will find they shrink quite a bit
but the flavours concentrate so well. Serve as you would chips
Coming Events:
NOVEMBER
Until end November Franschhoek Art in Clay For more information and accommodation bookings, please
call 021 876 2861 or visit www.franschhoek.org.za
Saturday, 14th & Sunday, 15th November Bosman Release
Celebration on the Bosman family estate,
Lelienfontein in Wellington. The day begins at 11h00 and ends at 16h00. The
tasting journey is open from 12h00 to 15h00 in the cellar. This event
marks the release of new vintages from their Fairtrade De Bos Handpicked
Vineyards and signature Bosman Family Vineyards wines. Exclusive releases for
Bosman Family Wine Club Members will also be launched on the day including a
Weisser Riesling, a Pinot Gris and, for the first time in South Africa, a Nero
d’Avola. A festive food market will be set up on the lawns. Live music. Trained
crèche staff will look after smaller children. Wine maker theatre sessions can
be booked on a first come first serve basis during 12h00 to 15h00. Tickets at
R150 per person include access to both days, a wine glass and a R50 voucher
redeemable with your first purchase of six bottles of wine on the day. Children
under 12 enter free of charge. Food sold at R50 per station. Space is limited,
so book now at http://bosmanwines.com/tickets/ to secure your place. For more information please contact
Neil Büchner at neil@bosmanwines.com or call 021 873 3170
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
Emma Freddi runs
the Enrica Rocca cooking courses at her
home in Constantia
George Jardine
will be running a series of winter cooking courses and other activities at
Jordan. Details here
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
to make each write up as graphic as we can, so you get a good picture of what
is on offer at each place, restaurant, wine farm, festival we visit.
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
We apologise if MENU caused
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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
unsolicited. We prefer to pay for our meals and not be paid in any way by
anyone. Whether we are invited or go independently, we don’t feel bad if we say
we didn’t like it. Honesty is indeed our best policy. While every effort is
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