Spring flowers near Darling

As we were in the area last Saturday, we were able to drive from our appointment at Ridgeback through the very green countryside through Malmesbury and Darling, looking for spring flowers which we had heard were spectacular this year. They were good, but perhaps the best are inside the Postberg Nature reserve

A blindingly acid yellow field of daisies

And they stretch almost as far as the eye can see

There is also a lot of oxalis about

A close up of the first field of daisies. We have not seen this kind in such profusion before

More round the bend

It is also the season when rape seed is in bloom

This is sign that summer is on the way, our sour fig succulent Carpobrotus edulis, also know as pig face, blooming. And next to it Cape Snow Bush or Kapokbossie, often called wild Rosemary, though not related

Misty mountains and more yellow daisies with a blue flower

Nice contrasts of Cape fynbos, probably Renosterveld up in this area, wheat fields, resting vines, spring flowers and Cape thatching reeds (restios)

Blue flowers with yellow centres, we have looked but cannot identify them, growing alongside the yellow daisies

A shiny black beetle on an Arum lily

Another blue flower, rather like a harebell

John was standing near this kiewiet’s (crowned plover’s) nest and he was the beneficiary of a lovely display of GO AWAY! with loud warning noises from the breeding pair

Those blue flowers in profusion

These were growing in the Tienie Versveld wild flower reserve near Darling

Colourful Mesembryanthemum - locally known as vygies (fairies)

Up close they glow

More star flowers, Cape Star or Spiloxene

 Ornithogalum thyrsoides, known here as chincherinchees, just beginning to bloom. There were acres of them

It seems to be a predominately yellow year in this region

The yellow daisies laced with blue flax Heliophila

Romulea Rosea

Bright orange gerbera daisies

Such pretty colour mixes

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016

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A visit to Ridgeback Wines

We hadn't visited Ridgeback since 2013 and they invited us to return and taste their wines recently, so we decided to combine the visit with a trip to see the Spring flowers up the West Coast last Saturday, which was a lovely sunny day. The tasting was followed by lunch on the deck and then a chat with the owner Vernon Cole and his daughter. They are originally from Zimbabwe where the Ridgeback dog is famous.. It was a very friendly tasting and we were ably led through the wines, which are made by Toit Wessels, by Pieter van Straaten. Then we motored off through the Malmesbury and Darling countryside to spot the daisies

The rustic tasting room. They have about 14 wines on their current list, we tasted many of these. We bought a box of the good Lion Hound 2015 White for drinking this summer, it was on special at R300 for 12. It is a blend of their rather tropical Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier - crisp, clean full of peaches and limes so refreshing. We also rated the Ridgeback 2015 Chenin R80 and the Ridgeback 2014 Viognier 2014 quite highly. Both are well made and drink well. the Viognier is wooded but this has softened with age. Both are 4 star Platter wines, as are the 2 reds below.

We sat inside as it was a bit windy on the deck initially. Then it was time to taste the reds. The well wooded 2013 Cabernet Franc, R110, impressed with lots of savoury umami, red fruit and black olive notes with plums and rhubarb. A food wine. The His Master's Choice 2013 R150. a blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Grenache also had us talking: Rich intense fruit with cherries, pomegranate and cassis and salty savoury liquorice from the Mourvedre, this Rhône blend finishes with white pepper on the end. We also liked the spicy Shiraz 2013, R110

The restaurant and tasting room are built on stilts over a huge pond filled with water birds and koi fish

Just one duck awake

An unusual duck. There are also white swans and a pair of New Zealand black swans

Lots of huge koi carp, in gleaming colours

They all look the same size but apparently the smaller ones swim deep

The wind had dropped, so we moved outside for lunch on the deck under the trees

Owner Vernon Cole and his daughter Vanessa

Pieter chose this sweet and sour pork dish for his lunch

Lynne had two starters instead of a main: Calamari was on special and the other was spicy Thai fish cakes with a sweet chilli sauce. The portions are very generous.

John chose the rump steak with a Teriyaki dressing, pepper cream sauce and chips. We had no room for dessert and finished with coffees. Thank you all at Ridgeback 

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016

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Wine Concepts Seductive Sauvignons at The Vineyard

This annual opportunity to taste some of the best newly released Sauvignons Blanc and the current vintages of the Cabernet Sauvignons was hosted last Friday by Mike Bampfield Duggan of Wine Concepts at the Vineyard Hotel. It always is a serious and fun tasting. We attempt to taste as many as we can on the evening, but there are many new wines to taste and, even if we did speed tasting (which we don’t), there are lots of questions one wants to ask the winemakers 

There were many interesting wines; we're not sure if some of the newly released Sauvignon Blancs are showing their best frocks at the moment. Many are shy and retiring, one or two were a bit flat and bottle shocked, but we wait to try them later next year. Those we expected to be good, are. It was a difficult harvest with the drought. The few Reds we tasted were superb. Also included this year were some Bubblies, Rose’s and Dessert wines and a couple of older vintages which impressed

GM of the Vineyard Hotel, Roy Davies enjoying the evening

The Bloemendal crew: Etienne le Roux, cellar door manager, and Michelle Moller

Thinus Botha of Buitenverwachting

On the Cape Point stand, we found winemaker Riandri Visser, Jeanne Roosendaal, Jenna Bruwer of Springfield and Charles Pohl of Rust en Vrede

Sue Proudfoot of Wine Concepts, Kloof Street converses with Ian Corder from Corder wines in Elgin

Old friends Anne and Kevin Gleeson chat to Mark Lester of Tokara

Two fun wine people: John Collins, who represents several good wine farms, but was showing Springfield wines on this occasion, with Sarah Revell of Vinimark

Klein Constantia wines on offer. Winemaker Matthew Day has just been recognised by international wine writer Tim Atkin MW as his choice of Young Winemaker of the Year

At last a great picture of my old man, instead of him always being behind the camera. With Sarah Revell. You rock John Ford

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