.: July 2017

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Tasting Vriesenhof wines at Auslese

An invitation this week to attend a tasting of Vriesenhof wines at Auslese with the wines paired with food prepared in Chef Harald Bresselschmidt's kitchen sounded really exciting. He is rather good at this

We were welcomed by Delight Aitken, helping out on her day off. She had the two vintages of Vriesenhof's unwooded Chardonnay, 2016 and 2017 on offer. Both fresh and crisp and refreshing, the 2017 still settling

Julian Richfield enjoying the tasting with PRO Pippa Pringle

Vriesenhof owner Jan Boland Coetzee with industry guests David Smollan and Claudio Missaglia

Paired with the 2015 wooded Chardonnay, full of apple and pears and gooseberries

was this Prawn mousse with cucumber and tomatillo

And with the 2011 wooded Chardonnay rich and elegant , a pairing of seared Swordfish on a creamy caper sauce with water lilies

The Vriesenhof Pinot Noirs always impress, they are juicy, full of raspberries and strawberries with minerality and aging potential without showing any heavy wooding or tight tannins

The 2015 was paired with duck hearts and breast with a forest mushroom ragout, a very good pairing

And a juicy roll of springbok loin marinated with aged raspberry balsamic vinegar was another special match

We were able to taste a 2015, a 2009 and a 2003, The 2009 really sang

Then to the 2016 Pinotage, perfumed and full of blueberries and raspberry fruit, showing more of the Pinot face, it is delicate with no metallic flavours or heavy wood. It was paired with a rather cold Cape Malay Lamb Bobotie topped with a relish of pineapple, peppadew and carrot, spicy but better warm

Lynne being schmoozed by Ed Saunders of Fork, he is very good at it

Graham Howe dips in to hear some industry gossip

A selection of the wines we tasted

There was another pairing for the 2016 Pinotage; pork shoulder on skewers with Jerusalem artichoke slices and a prune jus

Two chefs, no doubt discussing business. Pete Goffe-Wood talking to Chef Harald Bresselschmidt. And in the background, another Chef, Giorgio Nava of Carne and 96 Keerom St

Kallista is one of Vriesenhof's flagship wines, a rich and complex Bordeaux blend it never fails to impress. We tasted three vintages and they just got better and better as they got older. The 2013 pairing was an ostrich medallion with a bone marrow crisp, on a broccoli fondu

Paired with the 2013 was cured air dried Beef Tartare with a blackberry dressing, one of the favourites of the tasting, it kept having to be replaced. Deliciously moist and flavourful beef with the blackberry dressing perfectly matching the cassis flavour in the wine

We really like the new labels

The Vriesenhof 2015 Grenache was meaty and a little wild with dark fruit, as one expects from this grape. A food wine. The pairing with Lamb’s liver with black garlic was the talk of the room; you were encouraged to go and taste this excellent pairing

The Grenache had another pairing - Beetroot Borscht with a crisp rabbit Pierogi, very flavourful

With the Vriesenhof 2016 Red blend of Grenache 50%, Shiraz 34% and Mourvedre 16%, there were another two pairings. This was a really nice wine with which to finish the tasting; good dark fruit, spicy with black cherries and pepper. First, Duck Ham with purple Kohlrabi - puréed and made into a crisp salad

Giorgio Nava with the Bryan sisters from the Caribbean, Mala and Nasheka

And then with a small cup of warm mushroom soup, with roasted leeks and pine ring mushroom cubes, very comforting indeed and a great ending to an epic tasting

Broadcaster Guy MacDonald of Magic Radio delegated to take a photo with an unfamiliar camera

Another happy group enjoying the day was Seth Shezi, Tshepang Molisana, Malu Lambert and Lesedi Ramonyane

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Wednesday, July 26, 2017

This Week’s MENU. Breakfast at Mondiall, Hemel and Aarde Valley, Creation, Lunch at Newton Johnson, Geometric Gin, Raath Tasting, Chicken and Corn Chowder, Bartho Eksteen Blom Rosé

Moorhens in their mating rituals, Hemel en Aarde Valley

A busy week. We had a wonderful weekend in the Hemel en Aarde Valley, celebrating a milestone birthday with a special friend and using the opportunity to taste some great wines and have lunch at a favourite restaurant. Then back to Cape Town to taste gin and more wines...

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Breaking our fast at Mondiall Kitchen and Bar

Continuing our search for the perfect breakfast in Cape Town we bought vouchers from Hyperli which took us to Mondiall in the V&A Waterfront. We think it was good value at R109 for a voucher for two people. Known for its wonderful position on the quayside at the end of the V&A Hotel, we have enjoyed dinner there and we liked the hamburgers from the Burger bar which we took home after a non-catered Waterfront event, but this was the first time we’d had breakfast there....

Celebrating Life and being 70 years young in the Hemel and Aarde Valley

We spent the weekend in the Hemel and Aarde Valley at a friend's 70th birthday celebrations and much fun was had. As part of the celebration they had arranged to have an informal tasting with winemaker Bartho Eksteen on his property Die Wijnskool. Bartho was in great form. He told us he prints all his wine labels in Afrikaans only. He says the French, Italians, Germans and Spanish do it, so why not him. He reassured us that if you want to know about the wine, his web site and all sales material is in English. The wine that absolutely blew us away was....

A Tasting at Creation

Creation co-owners JC and Carolyn Martin were at the Birthday party we attended on Saturday night and they invited us to visit the farm next day so, as the day was beautiful and we were not due for lunch at Newton Johnson till 1pm, we decided to take the short trip up the valley. There is a lovely view of the Babylonstoren mountain over the Creation farm dam...

Lunch at The Restaurant on Newton Johnson

As we were in the valley for the weekend, we wanted to try out this restaurant as we had not visited since its change of chef from Erik Bulpitt to Ricky Broekhoven. They wanted to do less fine dining and more artisanal food. Chef Ricky was sous chef to Erik Bulpitt and it is good to see such a young and talented chef - he is only 26 - take charge of his own kitchen. He did his training at the TCA under Rebecca Hurst and has lots of good experience locally and overseas while he climbed the kitchen tree. He has worked in good restaurants in Sweden and with several respected South African chefs...

Gin is In, how about a Gin and Tonic? Or a Martini?

We were invited to taste Geometric Gin this week at the Gin Bar in Wale Street. The gin is named after our much endangered Geometric tortoise. It is produced by the Geometric Drinks Company and made by Jean-Baptiste Cristini, with help from co-founders Andrea and Chris Mullineux, who were inspired to "produce their own expression of Botanical and Grape-based drinks". Analjit Singh, the force behind the Leeu Collection, is also involved. Jean-Baptiste, known as Tista, decided to distill his own gin using locally sourced botanicals...

A Trade Tasting of Wines from the Raath stable

We took an Uber from Wale Street to get to Harrington's Cocktail Lounge in Harrington Street, as Lynne has twisted her knee. Kathy and Dane Raath represent several excellent wine farms and this is the annual chance to taste them for the trade. The winemakers are present, so you can ask lots of questions about vintages, terroir and the making of them. We tried new wines, new vintages, some old, some favourites, one or two not, and an exciting bottle of Chenin hoping to make it into the CWG Auction. The judging of the CWG Auction entries will take place on Thursday this week...

What’s on the MENU this week - Chicken and Corn Chowder

The Chicken soup recipe seems to have gone down very well so we thought you might like a variation. This is enough for a couple of helpings for two people; just double up the quantities if you want to feed four. You can use oil instead of butter, but it does lose some richness. Chowder is half way between a soup and a stew and must have sometexture from the vegetables.....

MENU's Wine of the Week - Blom Rosé 2017 from Bartho Eksteen

This palest of pale rosé wines is made from Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. Bartho took a risk. He says the grapes were producing such beautiful juice this year that he blended the juice first and then made the wine. It is a risk, and very hard to repeat. The wine was so pale ...

25th July 2017

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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, we are human and they do creep in occasionally, for which we apologise. This electronic journal has been sent to you because you have personally subscribed to it or because someone you know has asked us to send it to you or forwarded it to you themselves. Addresses given to us will not be divulged to any person or organisation. We collect them only for our own promotional purposes. If you wish to be added to our mailing list, please click here to send us a message and if you wish to be removed from our mailing list, please click here to send us a message.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

MENU's Wine of the Week - Blom Rosé 2017 from Bartho Eksteen

The wine was so pale that he had to add a dash of red to give it some colour. It has produced a delicate wine, with a floral perfume of rose geranium on the nose and the palate. If you close your eyes it smells and tastes like a gentle Rhône red wine, but it is so pale. Pure gorgeousness, how all rosés should be. We cannot wait for summer Sunday lunches on the deck. R98 a bottle from the cellar

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What’s on the MENU this week - Chicken and Corn Chowder

The Chicken soup recipe seems to have gone down very well, so we thought you might like a variation. This is enough for a couple of helpings for two people; just double up the quantities if you want to feed four. You can use oil instead of butter, but it does lose some richness. Chowder is half way between a soup and a stew and must have some texture from the vegetables

1 dessert spoon of butter - 1 teaspoon of oil - 1 small onion, finely chopped - 1 carrot , cut into ½ cm cubes- 1 leek, sliced - 1 stick of celery, chopped - 1 clove of garlic, sliced - 2 corns on the cob - 500 ml chicken stock - 3 rashers of smoked streaky bacon - 1 dessert spoon flour - 2 bay leaves - 1 Table spoon of finely chopped parsley - 1 Table spoon of finely chopped celery leaves - 2 medium potatoes , cut into 2 cm cubes - 2 sprigs of thyme - 1 cup of chicken cut into pieces, raw or cooked - a good grating of nutmeg - several grindings of black pepper - 100 ml cream- salt to taste

Chop the vegetables into small cubes and, beginning with the onion, fry them gently in the butter and oil. While this is happening, using a sharp knife, strip off the corn from the cobs. When the vegetables have softened, add the bacon and fry gently, then add the flour, stir and let it fry gently for a minute or two. Add corn and the stock and then everything else, except the salt and the cream. Simmer gently till the potatoes are cooked and beginning to fall apart. You do need texture in this chowder. Add the cream, bring back to a simmer, taste and then add the salt, if it needs it. Serve with crisp bread. Lovely with a good Viognier or Chenin Blanc

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A Trade Tasting of Wines from the Raath stable

From one gin tasting to another. Esperanza from Hope on Hopkins was served with this Fitch and Leeds Pink tonic, a rather strange mix of roses and cucumber of all things. Lynne liked the gin. They were also serving it warm with tea, which Lynne found very comforting and soothing. So now we have an alternative to a whisky or brandy toddy. Almost look forward to needing one.... It did take one back to Prohibition days and drinking gin in tea cups

The bar with the huge array of glasses needed for a large tasting like this

Sebastian Beaumont talks to James Pietersen about his wines. It was the Beaumont wines that were the most talked about and praised that evening, the buzz in the room, his Hope Marguerite Chenin was on everyone's lips, literally and figuratively. We suspect this may sell very well this year, there were many sommeliers and restaurateurs present

The queue to taste was led here by Gosia Zielinska, sommelier at The Pot Luck Club

Michael Pownall chats with Teddy Hall. In Teddy's hands is an unlabelled bottle of the Chenin Blanc he has entered for the CWG auction. Lynne tasted it and it reminded her and others of Teddy's 2005 Rudera. Full, layered a compliment to the varietal and so excellent

Mike Bampfield Duggan of Wine Concepts in discussion with Katherine Miller, Marketing Manager of the Wine of the Month Club

A new label for us. Pandora's Box grapes come, Lynne was told, from Nabygelegen and the wine is made by James McKenzie. It has his inimitable stamp all over it!

Hope on Hopkins Gin with those roses and the tonic

The Chamonix table, deservedly popular

Thinus Neethling, winemaker at Chamonix, told us all about the new wines and the changes on the farm. We will visit soon

The long and the short and the tall at the end of the evening, when everyone is happy and tired. Lynne with Thinus, JD Gilloway representing Rosalie wines, and Pardon Taguza, sommelier from Aubergine/Auslese

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Launch of Geometric Drinks

Gin is In; how about a Gin and Tonic? Or a Martini?

We were invited to taste Geometric Gin this week at the Gin Bar in Wale Street. The gin is named after our endangered Geometric tortoise. It is produced by the Geometric Drinks Company and made by Jean-Baptiste Cristini, with help from co-founders Andrea and Chris Mullineux, who were inspired to "produce their own expression of Botanical and Grape-based. drinks". Analjit Singh, the force behind the Leeu Collection, is also involved. Jean-Baptiste, known as Tista, decided to distill his own gin using locally sourced botanicals

He also produces three different tonics to go with the gin; they are called Symmetry Botanical Tonics. Made from local botanicals with minimal sugar content. We were told that they have one quarter of the sugar found in commercial tonics. You buy them as cordials and mix them with carbonated water yourself. We tasted these first with soda water and they are all very different. Opened, the cordials last for 2 months in the fridge. The Citrus has multi citrus zest flavours and buchu. It has a rather bitter pithy taste which will appeal to those who enjoy bitters in their gin. The Spice is full of cardamom, cinnamon, clove and Kapokbos (local wild rosemary), with other recognisable spice notes. The Floral is gentle with notes of lovely camomile, lavender and rose scented pelargonium. We would like to find the tonic bottled and ready to take home, but Jean-Baptiste insists that he does not want to go in that direction. (We don't always have soda water at home)

There was a great selection of canapés served at the function, made by Source catering. This was warm popcorn 'salted' with seaweed powder

The Geometric gin in its retro Art Deco bottle with the tonic cordials. And some prawn crackers with guacamole

Next, we ventured to the other corner where this young man was producing Gin-based dry martinis, using gin and vermouth made by Jean Baptiste. You could have one with a slice of freeze dried orange, which had some chilli on it, or a dirty martini with an olive. They were very good and rather strong

Pesto vol au vents

Snoek paté on crackers

The freeze dried orange slices and the green olives. In the background is the dry vermouth

A nice chilled Martini

Some interesting sweet olives

Smoked salmon and cream cheese on tiny crackers

Delicious skewered rolls of springbok Carpaccio with buchu

Gin, Art Deco bird, a dry Martini and the tonic

The room is a very good place for a large stand up or seated function and can be hired

On the permanent bar, this barman was making Gin and tonics using the three cordials, but they were long drinks, rather watered down.. We would have like to have tasted the gin neat to sense its underlying character and taste its botanicals, but it was not offered

Jean-Baptiste tells us about the Tonics and the Gin

Jean-Baptiste Cristini with Chris Mullineux

The components

The Tonic cordials are served in precise measures. They come in 500ml bottles, and cost R160 each. The Geometric Gin, aka GG, is in a 750 ml bottle and costs R450. You can order them from www.http://geometricdrinks.co.za. We suspect that they will also be sold in good liquor retail outlets and bars

And then we were off to the Raath trade tasting across town, the second of three Uber rides that evening. Under these circumstances, driving is not an option

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