Last year, we were invited to Brookdale Wine Estate in Paarl to meet their young and talented winemaker Kiara Scott
and to taste the excellent award-winning wines she produces
We also met the chef Gary Coetzee and his wife Yvonne, the General Manager,
who told us that they were building him a larger restaurant next to the new wine cellar
and we would be invited to sample it when it opened, which it did at the beginning of February
This week we received the invitation. Transport was, thankfully, provided from the Waterfront
and we were collected from outside the Zeitz Mocca Silo complex
Brookdale is owned by the Rudd family. https://brookdale-estate.com/
Brookdale is a very beautiful farm, nestled in front of the Paarl mountains
and here, coming over the brow of a hill, you see the Manor House nestled among the vines
It is a small luxury boutique hotel. https://brookdale-estate.com/manor-house/
which we described in our story last year
The Bistro, Brookdale's new restaurant, is built adjoining the wine cellar
Both are modern and have been built in lovely stone which reminded us of Cotswold stone
The reception is cool and elegant and has a small shop where you can buy the wine and some local produce
Warmly welcomed by winemaker Kiara Scott. She is in the middle of harvest
and had a very brief hiatus from the urgency of winemaking
She took us on a quick tour of the wine cellar and the beautifully arranged barrel cellar
Then the tank cellar with its wonderful aromas of grapes and fermentation, which you always get in harvest
The crusher sends the grapes into these short squat tanks for fermentation to start
and Kiara needed to get back to these crates of just-picked grapes which needed to begin their journey into wine
More were due to come in when the pickers had finished their lunch
It was lovely to see her and we are thankful that she had some time to tell us about their good harvest
She is very happy with the new cellar and the quality of fruit coming in for the harvest
She loves her new equipment in the cellar, especially the concrete eggs and huge clay amphorae
There is plenty of space for more!
Tamsin Snyman, an old friend of ours who was also in our group of guests, chatting to the tasting room manager
Gary Coetzee is the Executive Chef. The restaurant is decorated in cool blues and greys and feels spacious and airy
There is a large terrace, but it was extremely hot that day,
so we were very happy to be inside in the air-conditioned restaurant
and a new Stok by Paaltjie (Sur Échalas or "goblet" training of the vine) vineyard in front
Some of Brookdale's current selection of wines
Brookdale’s Mason Road Serendipity Rosé is very French in style,
a blend of Shiraz, Grenache, Cinsault, full of summer berries and good depth
Lovely with food and an excellent quaffing wine too...
We could eat off the à la Carte menu and there were some great choices. The menu will change with the seasons
https://e3f8x3f7.rocketcdn.me/wp-content/uploads/Brookdale-Estate-Bistro-Sample-Menu.pdf
The complex Brookdale 2020 Old Vine Chenin Blanc was the perfect match for Lynne’s Prawn starter
Fruit driven, layered and rather French in style, it delights
In the 2022 Trophy Wine Show it was awarded a Gold Medal and the Rosa Kruger Trophy for Best Old Vine Wine
The open kitchen and its happy chefs, Exec Chef Gary is on the right
We were a small group hosted by Brookdale GM Yvonne Coetzee
Janie van der Spuy of Five Star PR had arranged the function
Warm and redolent Mosbolletjies which are made, not with yeast, but the must from the fermenting grapes in harvest
and soft herbed focaccia with flavoured butter and good local olives
The starter of duck liver pâté came with blackened bread and a herb butter
The duck liver pâté served in a slice topped with a fresh fig, crisp chicken skin, a raisin purée and a bruléed fig and port gel
Steamed tender prawns with a firm deep fried prawn 'lollipop', sliced avocado adorned with dukkah,
a spicy harissa aioli and some mixed baby greens and a slice of lime
A vegan course:
Char grilled baby gem lettuce, picked red onion, avocado, croutons, capers, wakame seaweed and a cashew dressing
Springbok tartare, a mieliepap crisp, Dijon milk emulsion, pea shoots and salsa verde
Oxtail tortellini with its own jus, parmesan cheese and topped with crisp onions
Brookdale’s Mason Road Syrah is full and fruity with lovely spice notes, very good with rich meat and poultry dishes
Time for main courses
Very popular was the Beef Rib-eye with potato pavé,
an onion soubise, mushrooms, broccolini, beans and a rich Mason Road Syrah jus
Duck leg confit, with correctly crisp skin duck breast, sweet potato purée, pak choy, fine beans and a ginger gastrique
Perfection, says Lynne
Cauliflower risotto, pickled shimeji mushrooms, toasted almonds, aubergine biltong, pea shoots and herb oil
Another delight for the vegans
Watching the chefs on the pass, plating up
The restaurant, which overflows onto the terrace, is busy, so do book
There is a small but good selection of desserts
This is the Coffee Hazelnut tart, Stroh rum gelato, grapefruit compote & aniseed meringue
The vegan coconut panna cotta, with mango gel, passion fruit sorbet, sweet toasted and fresh cut mango
The excellent Ruby port and Valrhona chocolate fondant, perfectly oozy in the middle, and so dark and chocolaty
served with crisp poached plum and a vine leaf gelato, raspberries and bruléed orange slices
And as an accompaniment to the coffees, some friandise -
tiny meringues and white chocolate squares filled with nuts and raisins
An excellent meal, with great attention to detail, and good cooking
Thank you for introducing us to the Bistro. We hope to return
Thanks and appreciation to our fellow guests from the "Thorn among the Roses" photographer
for permitting photographs to be taken of their food
All the stories we have published can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right
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