Friday, October 18, 2024

The 2024 Veritas Awards at the CTICC

A rare event for us in 2024; the 2024 Veritas Awards dinner at the CTICC
The invitation said "Strictly black tie" and many of the men did, indeed, wear suits with black neckties
with a reasonable number in proper evening gear, but it was disturbing to note how few had polished their shoes
The women, naturally, were beautifully, mostly glamorously, turned out. The men need to polish their act

Dr Winifred Bowman CWM, Wosa CEO Siobhan Thompson, 
Kendra Thompson, Neil Pendock

Lynne in her finery, looking suitably glamorous

Glasses of good local Cap Classiques served to keep us hydrated and happy. They did

Deep fried prawn tails in abundance with a dipping tartar sauce. Good prawns, but they needed a little salt?

Pouring Boschendal Brut Rosé MCC

Beetroot canapés

Etienne and Aaltjie Gouws, Leon and Marie Uys of Amorim Cork

At Wegner of GetWine
Great to meet his beautiful daughter who is not in the industry, but works in the bush at Kruger National Park

Nice moist lamb Koftas

A loud rock band played all the old favourites like Elvis, Country and Western and solid rock
and made conversation difficult

At our table were Alvi and Junel van der Merwe CWM owners of Alvi's Drift in Worcester

Also at the table were Gera and Johan de Wet of DeWetshof in Robertson

Bennie Howard CWM started proceedings

followed by Christo Pienaar, President of Veritas Awards

There were three Wine Legends awards this year. Sadly, Johann Rupert was unable to attend
His award will be delivered to him in London

Philip Jordaan of Dutoitskloof Winery in Rawsonville

Tim Hutchinson was instrumental in steering the DGB group
to become one of South Africa’s largest independent wine and spirit producers and distributors

A moments silence for those we have lost  this year. 

A televised address by Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, saying how much he would like to be there
as he is a great lover of Cape Wine, but he had other commitments away from home

And we had some great wines on the table. This De Wetshof Calcrete Chardonnay, crisp and clean and delicious,
went so well with the rich starter

Deliciously rich duck confit with citrus segments, herbed quinoa, parsnip and beetroot purée,
and a great duck jus. It would have made a meal on its own

The main was a duo of South African Beef:
a rich Beef Wellington in the pastry caseenrobed in mushrooms, 
long and slow cooked Beef brisket, Duchesse potato, roasted baby carrots, a melanage of wild muchooms,
crushed peas and a roasted butternut purée  

John's dinner sans Mushrooms, the Brisket and a rare fillet of beef in a chilli sauce

Our table had several good wines to sample, to see which went best with dinner
The one that excited us most was the rich and full Buitenverwachting Double Cab,
a blend of Constantia Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc made by cellarmaster Brad Paton 

The highest performing winery, the KWV team with their gold and double gold medals, 
photographed with  Bennie Howard and Christo Pienaar

Desert was a chocolate bar filled with a Marquise chocolate mousse, a good macaron, fresh strawberries
and a brandy snap circle

Executive Chef Roberto Carvalho is in charge of all the catering at the Cape Town Convention Centre

We will publish the list of Award winners when it becomes available 

All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

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