Summer coming in – a Southern Double-collared sunbird hen and wilde dagga
This is truly a silly season. We are running flat out to stay in the same place and, in truth, to try and do all the necessary writing and editing after covering all the stories you’ll see in this issue, as well as a few which we’ll tell you about next week, and to have a few moments for ourselves, so please read on... or click any of the following links to look at a story
Enjoying Durbanville Wine Valley Pinotages It is obvious from various tastings we
have experienced over the last few months that Pinotage is coming of age in a
big way. And that it is doing well outside of the recognised terroirs. This was
reinforced by a tasting of some the Durbanville Pinotages at Meerendal
recently.
The Sommeliers Selection Wine list Once a year the Sommeliers Association
puts together their recommended list of wines, the wines they would like to see
on a wine list. We tasted these wines at
a trade and media tasting, which was held this year at the MOMO Gallery in
Buitengracht Street. This is always an interesting selection, showing some wild
cards, some favourites and some new entries
Reciprocal Trade Tasting in Cape Town Reciprocal has a very good selection of imported
wines and spirits and, once a year, they come down to Cape Town so that their
good customers, trade and media can taste a selection of these. This is a
chance to taste before you buy and people were putting in orders for these
iconic wines and enjoying this unique chance to experience these excellent
foreign wines. We certainly were very pleased to be invited. You, too, can
order these wines from Reciprocal. Check out their web site http://www.reciprocal.co.za
The 2016 Veritas Awards dinner This Annual Competition has been running since
1991 and is one of the largest wine competitions in South Africa, with 1 670
entries this year. Five overseas judges Joe Wadsack (UK), Thomas Lüber
(Germany), Janåke Johansson (Sweden), Guido Francque (Belgium) and Denis
Lahouratate (France) joined over 100 local wine experts to taste these wines
blind over four day. We were invited to this year's Awards Ceremony, which is a
black tie event with dinner in the Ballroom at the CTICC
Graham Beck A Glass Affair Did you know
that different glass shapes have been made to enhance different wines (and
other beverages)? Millions have been spent by the top glass makers in research
to find the perfect shape for each varietal to showcase that particular wine in
the best way. For many years, German and Belgian brewers have used glasses
shaped to enhance the flavours of their products. We have experienced several
tastings over the years in these different glasses and started out being
sceptical. But we have come to see how well this works. Graham Beck have now
done their own research and hosted this event o show us the changes they are
making to their glassware in order to help showcase their Methode Cap Classique
bubblies. Flutes are out, here is the future
Dinner at The Alphen's new Blanko restaurant You may, like us, have been to the Alphen
restaurants in Constantia many times over the years under their different
guises, there have been several over the years. The Five Rooms was the name of
the previous restaurant in this historic building till September, now it has
begun a new life as Blanko (an Esperanto word we are told). It is part of the
group owned and run by restaurateur Paul Kovensky . He has initiated a new
change: the Five Rooms have gone and Blanko has opened. The house has been
transformed from historic into a modern all white, leather and glass space with
lots of modern art from the Goodman Gallery. Gone are the antiques and the
Cloete family art collection. We were asked to come and experience the place
and the food. Group Head Chef, Amber-May Deetlefs, delivers Italian style food
This
wine is lively, zesty, green plums and elderflower with great minerality. It
sings in the glass. Sip it before dinner and it will make you hungry, serve
with seafood or fish and it will be the best compliment possible. See below.
1
onion, very finely chopped – 1 clove of crushed garlic – ½ t olive oil – 1 T butter
- 2 cups of rice (not Basmati or jasmine) 100 ml dry white wine - 5 cups of
fish stock –-sprig of thyme – half a bay leaf – a good pinch of saffron – salt
– white pepper - 500g raw peeled and deveined prawns - 1 T chopped parsley
Fry
the onion and garlic gently in the oil and butter with a pinch of salt. Do not
brown. When it is soft, add the rice and
stir till all the grains are transparent. Add the white wine and let it bubble
away. Add the stock, a good shake of white pepper and the herbs and saffron.
Stir, then cover the pot with some greaseproof paper, then its lid and put into
a 170°C oven for 20 minutes. Add the peeled prawns to the rice and put back
into the oven for 10 minutes.. By this time the liquid has almost all gone and
the rice will be very moist and glossy. Taste and adjust the seasoning as
necessary. Stir in the parsley. Serves 4
Phones: +27 21 439 3169 / 083 229 1172
/ 083 656 4169
Postal address: 60 Arthurs Rd, Sea Point
8005
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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 made to avoid mistakes,
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A small galley kitchen, well equipped, is at one end
of the main room
