.: June 2019

All content © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

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On the MENU this week. Smoked Haddock and Sweet Corn Chowder

We know that we don’t eat enough fish. We love it but, where we live, our only local source is supermarkets, where the fresh fish looks days old and is very unappealing. Ridiculous, one thinks, in a city by the sea. Or from frozen food cabinets and we do tend to pass them by, except for frozen vegetables like peas. The ‘haddock’ (actually smoked hake in South Africa) came from one of those. And now there is a shadow over our fresh fish. Lynne used fresh corn which she took off the cob for this recipe and it does have a different fresh flavour. This is a relatively simple dish to make and it is very satisfying and filling

1 T butter - 2 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped into 2 cm pieces - 1 onion, finely chopped - 500ml milk - 2 medium potatoes cut into small cubes – a good grating of nutmeg - 300g Smoked haddock fillets - 140g fresh or frozen sweet corn - 1 teaspoon of lemon juice - salt and freshly ground black pepper - 1 T chopped parsley

Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Tip in the bacon, then cook until starting to brown. Add the onion, cook until soft, then pour over the milk and stir through the potatoes. Add a grating of nutmet. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes

Add the haddock, then leave to cook gently for another few minutes until you can break it into large chunks. Stir through the sweet corn, then simmer until everything is cooked. Add a good grinding or two of black pepper. Taste and add salt if necessary. Scatter over parsley, if using. Serve with plenty of crusty bread and a good crisp white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or a white blend of Sauvignon and Semillon

All content © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

The 2019 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show at the CTICC

Every year, after the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Competition, comes the Trophy Wine Show, which is held in Cape Town and Johannesburg and, at last, we had a chance to taste some of the Silver, Gold and, especially, the Trophy winners, and see why the Trophy wines won their classes

If you want to see this year’s results, Click on this link: https://www.trophywineshow.co.za/2019-results/

Of course it is not possible to taste all of the wines. We do try to get around to taste the Trophy wines and there were some really outstanding wines this year, as expected, as the bar has been pushed high. Mulderbosch won three trophies: The Harold Eedes Trophy for Best Chenin Blanc, Old Mutual International Judges’ Trophy and Old Mutual Trophy for Best White Wine Overall with Mulderbosch Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc Block A 2017. And wow, this wine is spectacular. Perfumed with integrated apple & citrus fruit, with lees character from its natural fermentation in old barriques, some salty minerality on the end

Keelyn Gibbons was at their stand to show the wines

Wade Roger-Lund, Young Winemaker of the Year 2017, and his colleague Dennis showed the Jordan Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2018, which won the Miele Trophy for Best Chardonnay. Already a 5 Star in Platter, this wooded Chardonnay charms and shows how judicious use of oak can enhance and enrich a good Chardonnay without ever overwhelming the good citrus fruit. Fermented 'sur lie' for 9 months

Jeremy Borg of Painted Wolf Wines with their three trophies: Old Mutual Trophy for Most Successful Producer Overall, for his many medals. But, almost more importantly, he won both the Trophy for Best Niche White Variety with Painted Wolf Roussanne 2018 and the Trophy for Best Niche Red Variety with his Painted Wolf Black Pack Mourvèdre 2017

Viticulturist Marco Ventrella and his colleagues were on the KWV stand with their two: Trophy for Best Museum Class Semillon, awarded to KWV The Mentors Semillon 2012 and the Trophy for Best Museum Class Fortified Wine, KWV Ruby Port 1949

They also won a Gold for KWV The Mentors Semillon 2015 (from Darling grapes). This was a classic Semillon, crisp with a dusty nose, beautiful on the palate. The Mentors Semillon 2012 was racy and full of life. Sadly the 1949 Port had all gone by the time we got to the table, but the vestige of wine left in the bottle smelled amazing

Nederburg won the Old Mutual Trophy for Best Dessert Wine (Unfortified), Nederburg The Winemasters Noble Late Harvest 2018

Having fun with Martelize Brink of the SABC’s Radio Sonder Grense on the Leopards Leap Table

They won the most fragile trophy, the Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-Style Red Blend, Leopard's Leap Culinaria Collection Grand Vin 2017. The Trophy is a large Riedel wine glass which has the capacity for a whole bottle of wine. The Grand Vin 2017 is spicy and fruity, a beautiful wine with such depth and maturity that tastes as though it might have been from the 2007 vintage. Definitely the red wine of the night. And many in the room agreed. It is our Wine of the Week

Reino Kruger of Stellenview was awarded the American Express Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon

and the Old Mutual Trophy for Best Red Wine Overall for the Kruger Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

More fun on the Mulderbosch stand with their three trophies. Harold Eedes Trophy for Best Chenin Blanc, Old Mutual International Judges’ Trophy and Old Mutual Trophy for Best White Wine Overall, Mulderbosch Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc Block A 2017

Sean Griffiths having fun with Michelle Stewart and Caroline van Schalkwyk

Delaire Graff are very happy about their award, the Tony Mossop Trophy for Best Cape Port,

the Delaire Graff Cape Vintage 2017 which was shown by Maggie Marais

And D'Aria won the Trophy for Best Museum Class Sauvignon Blanc D'Aria The Songbird Sauvignon Blanc 2014. We learned something from this wine. We need to keep D'Aria Sauvignons Blanc for a few years in the cellar. Wow, this was impressive. We confess we do find their current vintages rather too fresh for us; now we have the solution

Ghost Corner deservedly won the Nestlé Pure Life Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2018. It is so good to see a Sauvignon Blanc of this depth and quality come to the fore. It is a classic green and herbal, quite intense, layered Sauvignon, with not a hint of any tropical flavours, and a benchmark for its terroir. The style we Sauvignonophiles absolutely love to drink and buy. Well done David Nieuwoudt. Perhaps this will start a trend back to how Sauvignon should be. And those who prefer more tropical flavours can start to drink more South African Chenin Blanc, which is also fantastic.

There were many other superb wines to taste but, sadly, they were beyond our capacity. The evening as always, was very social; we do enjoy meeting MENU readers. This is definitely one of the best wine shows of the year; there is quality and variety to taste and admire

All content © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

MENU’s Wine of the Week, Leopard's Leap Culinaria Collection Grand Vin 2017

The Grand Vin 2077 is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (46%), Merlot (36%), Malbec (12%) and Petit Verdot (6%). With aromas of black current and blackberry, spicy and fruity, a beautiful wine that fills the mouth with ripe succulent fruit. There is a background of soft oak and soft tannins. The wine has such depth and maturity that tastes like it might have been from the 2007 vintage. Definitely the red wine of the night. And many in the room agreed.

Price: R121.00 from the farm

All content © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Jazz and Fondue Sundays at Delheim, Stellenbosch

We were invited to the first of Delheim’s popular Jazz & Fondue events, which will be held every Sunday until 25th August

and headed off, on one of our rare but lovely sunny winter days, to this farm high in the Stellenbosch Simonsberg foothills

We received a very friendly welcome

This week, the band was a group who came together while at the South African College of Music at UCT

Held in the cellar tasting room, we were shown to a table in the back corner

Our lovely waitress Isipho explained the menu and what we could have
Our fondue and a bottle of wine were complimentary, as we were reviewing the event

The "wine bottle" on the table is a pepper grinder, made to look like Delheim's first wine, Spatzendreck. Michael "Spatz" Sperling came to the Cape from Germany in 1951. He joined his uncle Hans Hoheisen and his aunt Del on the Delheim (Del's home) farm, where he started to experiment with wine making, eventually adding to his knowledge by consulting with established winemakers. His first wine Spatzendreck, a natural sweet, was tasted by a friend who pronounced it “dreck”. He bottled it with a picture of a sparrow relieving itself on the label and it has been a favourite dessert wine for many aficionados ever since. Sperling is the German word for Sparrow and Spatz is the colloquial equivalent. Spatz died in 2017. We published an obituary. Delheim is run by his son and daughter, Victor and Nora

First came the two complimentary glasses of glühwein, nice and hot, sweet and rich with the flavours of cloves and other spices

John said he thought it might have apple juice in it as well

The Menu and the Wine List. Tickets cost R350 per person. Entry includes glühwein on arrival, the musical entertainment (band cover charge) and the fondue (with bread and vegetables). Note that all starters, meats and desserts will be charged extra. Wines will be on sale by the bottle or glass. Each lunchtime show runs from noon to 15:00.

The band which was playing on Sunday. They played lots of African jazz and some classics, which we enjoyed

The cellar is quite small and so we don’t think the bands need amplifiers as the sound can amplify in the space all on its own

It was sometimes rather hard to hear the waitress or each other

The timetable. Be there by 12 noon. And you must book beforehand

Isipho opening our wine

We were given a bottle of the Delheim 2016 Sur Lie Chardonnay, which went perfectly with the rich cheese fondue

It is full of toasted brioche, citrus and peach with long flavours, a good zing of acidity and some good salty minerality

We could have had the Shiraz, but prefer a white wine with cheese fondue

Our neighbours on our table ordered the soup for their starter, which was Butternut

We shared the Cape Malay Platter at R70 and, compliments to the chef, it was totally delicious, all of it

Two sensational mince samoosas with bubble crisp pastry and that was only one layer thick. Applause

Tiny, crisp and light as air chilli bites - we could have eaten a plate full

Two spring rolls, again with crisp pastry, filled to the brim with soft and tender shredded roast meat

Not sure if it was lamb or beef, but they were moist and moreish

It was in a very interesting sauce which tasted of sesame or nuts, a little like a sate sauce without the spice

Don’t hesitate, have this when you go. The whole vegetable pickle in the middle reminded us of Piccalilli

Then the cheese fondue. They gave us the vegetables first which was very good strategy and very good for us,

as one normally eats too much of the bread, which came later. The texture of the fondue is perfect;

it coats each mouthful with a thick coating of what tasted like good cheddar cheese fondue

Cauliflower works so well

Broccoli too. And it stops dripping almost immediately

We and the other couple did order the Sirloin to accompany the meal, but it didn't arrive

Not too much of a problem, we had so much fondue and dipping accompaniments to eat

The Sirloin apparently comes sliced and ready cooked, so you don’t dip it in the cheese

And we could not resist sharing a slice of the German cooked cheesecake, not something you see often,

so light and very satisfying, drizzled with a thick syrup, and went well with the coffee served at the end of the meal

Our bill for the extras: the starter platter, one dessert and two coffees came to R200 including a tip

Oops, weren't those coffees supposed to be complimentary?

Thank you Delheim for a lovely event

Lunch at He Sheng Chinese restaurant, Sea Point

He Sheng restaurant on Sea Point Main Road, near Pick n Pay, has been sold since we last visited and has new owners. It has also moved across the road. We haven't been for years because, the last time we went, the previous owners put so much MSG in the food that we had bad reactions. We read some good reviews on a Facebook page we follow: Restaurants the Good, the Bad and the Nasty and, as we love Dim Sum, decided to venture forth, with a couple of like minded friends, for lunch last Friday

It, strangely, looks better in the photograph than in reality!

Chinese people were eating there, which is always a good sign of authentic food

We did take some wine and pay corkage. Always happy to do so if we have good wine that needs drinking

Not sure about the Whisky though. How much can you drink with a meal?

The menu

Second page

Our friends ordered the vegetarian steamed dumplings and enjoyed them very much

Apologies, this is only one third of the seaweed salad, which is a large portion. John remembered just in time to take a photo

The seaweed is fresh and crisp, but it is rather vinegary and not umami enough. We added soy

We saw garlic, but didn’t taste much

The Eggplant in Brown Gravy was delectable

Soft, sweet, well flavoured pieces of aubergine with lots of other crisp vegetables in a good, lightly chillied sauce

We had a little of this - it was our friends' main course, but we will definitely return for more

We can imagine that the Eggplant in Chilli sauce must be quite hot

We ordered the Pot sticker (steamed then fried) dumplings, filled with Pork and Prawns

Nicely crisp on one side and full of flavour, but more meat than prawns

Good dipping sauce provided and they disappeared in an instant

Our main course was rather bland and not something we would order again. Soup noodles with what looks like pork or beef?

Dressed with spring onion and lots of fresh coriander. The soup was very bland, the noodles slippery and the meat a little absent

Mama making dumplings next to us

You can see the proportion of the prawns to the pork and herb filling

And our waitress helped to make the next batch. It's a skilled job

Our bill. R260 per couple including corkage on two bottles of wine (one was only a half bottle) and a tip

Next time more Dim Sum. And we did not have any reaction to MSG