Time for the Blaauwklippen Blending Competition
(BBC) awards, now in its 35th year. Every year Blaauwklippen holds a blending
competition for wine clubs. Clubs who enter from all over South Africa, are
sent four varietals and asked to make a certain type of blend. This year it was
to be a a playful but chic blend to enjoy anytime with friends & family, but
with enough backbone to be savoured at a special occasion; from Shiraz 2017,
Malbec 2017, Petit Verdot 2017 and Merlot 2017
We were welcomed by good
snacks, too large to call them canapés, but delicious
The four teams who were
finalists were there and just a few media; many are down with flu
We stood out on the terrace, getting to know each other and drinking some Zinfandel bubbly
The trophies, the main one
hidden, before the announcement was made
Lunch was at the long table
The menu
Three different butters
And some very good olive bread
Our starter was titled The Smoking Battlefield and was hidden
under a glass dome filled with smoke
Removed by the waiting staff,
it released a puff of rooibos smoke
and was an interesting dish of
excellent gravadlax in beetroot and orange, with naked pickled squid rounds,
refreshing segments of lemon, orange and grapefruit, slices of raw beetroot, a
morsel of sweet beetroot cheesecake (hmm, jury out on that), raspberries and a
sesame crisp. Couldn't find the promised licorice pearls? Overall a good dish.
Served with a glass of the 2018 white Zinfandel
The winning blend was served
with our main course, but the winner was still unidentified. We sat with many of
the contestants and it is fun to see who recognises their own blend. Not many
do! This is probably the best blend we have tasted in many a year; it fulfilled
its brief so well: playful and also chic, it is rich, soft and enjoyable and, yes, one to drink with family and friends. The winning blend
has 36% Shiraz, 23% Malbec, 17% Petite Verdot & 14% Merlot. It is savoury
first on the nose, then violets from the Petite Verdot, spice from the Shiraz
and lots of dark red fruit. On the palate, soft and sweet with liquorice and
rich red fruit, a kick of spice. Alcohol and fruit acid mean it might keep well
for a year or three. And salty on the end
The main course was a large
portion of tender and flavourful braised beef short rib in a rich and shiny
mushroom demi-glace sauce, with a butternut and sage risotto, unusually topped
with lots of crisp panko crumbs and small light butternut fritters. A good
match for the wine. The best thing on the dish (and this does not take away
from the good cooking of the rest of it) was also the simplest: the wonderful
fresh broad beans. It is such a treat to have this wonderful (nicely cooked)
vegetable served, it is so rare in South Africa. We all said we could have had
a bowl of this as a course all on its own!
PRO Emile Joubert with the
announcement of the winners
Nanette De Hart, who is the Hospitality Manager
and is the sister of Narina
Cloete, the winemaker, who told us that the competition had been started 35
years ago by Walter Finlayson. This year there were 74 entries. The four
finalist wine clubs were Business Time (Western Cape), Digital Blenders
(Western Cape), Hartbeespoort Vélo et Vin (North West) and the Lydenburg
Wynproewersgilde (Mpumalanga). All four of these cultivars, Shiraz, Malbec, Petite Verdot and Merlot had to be used in
the final blend and each of the wines, which are marked for use in the
Blaauwklippen range, received a variation of oak regimes. Each of the wine components
was limited to a minimum of 5% of the blend and no more than 50% of the total
blend. Judges for this year’s competition were Narina Cloete (winemaker at
Blaauwklippen), Clive Torr (Cape Master of Wines), Spencer Fondaumiere
(Sommelier at Warwick)
Christo Hamman, Farm manager and Viticulturist at Blaauwklippen
Each of the finalist teams had
a chance to introduce itself
Paul Ackerman, the spokesman for Business Time (Western
Cape)
Ananda Abreu of Digital Blenders (Western
Cape),
Niel van Deventer spoke for Hartbeespoort Vélo et Vin
(North West)
and dentist Jakkie Swanepoel of Lydenburg Wynproewersgilde
(Mpumalanga)
Head Judge Clive Torr CWM told
us that all four finalists made completely different but good blends. The
judges were impressed. In the past several clubs have come up with the same
blend, this year there were 3, but none were winners
The first award was for the
Newcomer of the Year,
getting a hug from the
Winemaker
and the BBC winner is... Yes, it’s
Hartebeespoort Vélo et Vin (North West) ...
... all looking very happy
indeed
In the sunshine with their wine
The Trophy
AND ... another newcomer is
soon on the way! Niel van Deventer (on the right) who is a film producer, and
his wife have just moved to Cape Town from Gauteng
Time for The Flaming
Cannonball. Lynne had to restrain her neighbours, who were planning to drop one ball on
another from a height to break them,
as she had a inkling of what was going to
happen next
Flaming brandy was poured over the chocolate ball
and it slowly melted, revealing
the delicious, decadent contents: a rich dark chocolate delice with hazelnut
and brandy cake, a trio of raspberries and hints of Turkish delight. One of the
best and certainly the most theatrical desserts we have had this year. Applause!
not just to this but for an excellent meal
Great service too by the staff, so
well trained and pleasant
and here they all are with
talented chef Louise Veldhuisen
Can’t wait to see who and what wins next year
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2018
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