We received an invitation to attend the Investec Trophy Awards held at Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl
A beautiful bush of vibrant yellow flax (Reinwardtia indica) flowers on the way up to the Conference Centre 
and Investec's logo Zebra at the door
A very good selection of Cap Classiques awaited our arrival
Temptation. Lynne enjoyed a glass of the crisp Paul René Brut Rosé while John enjoyed the Van Loveren Christine
Both from Robertson, where farms have been so badly damaged by the recent flooding of the Breede River
The faces behind the competition
Michael and Janice Fridjhon
There was a good selection of canapés to keep hunger at bay, as lunch was served after the awards
Caramelised butternut and feta tartlets, Yellow fin tuna tartare on a blini, crisp Korean fried chicken
and filled Asian steamed buns
Michael Fridjhon began the ceremony at 12 noon and talked about the quality of the wines this year,
the judges and the tasting of the wines
All the winning wine makers were present
If you have been invited, you know that you have won a Gold medal or a Trophy
Waiting in anticipation in the glassed-in terrace
and in the main hall
and then it was time for the presentation of the awards
Peta Dixon, Head of Sponsorships at Investec told us that this is the fifth year of their partnership with the Trophy Awards
It is about supporting excellence and South African wine on the local stage
The wine industry creates thousands of jobs and has resilience and adaptability
Investec is always looking for ways to raise and support the industry
She congratulated the participants on winning and raising the bar
Monica Mountjoy, Events Manager at Out Sorceress Marketing, helps Michael with the award presentations
Tarryn Thomas, Sales & Marketing at The Reciprocal Wine Trading Company, with the Riedel Trophy
Gold Medal Winners, L to R:
Back Row: Leon Coetzee, The Fledge & Co/Boplaas; Andrew Mellish, Mellish Family Vineyards; Richard Duckitt, Bellingham;
Duncan Stuart, Kloovenburg; Albertus Louw, Perdeberg; Johan Jordaan, Spier; Jacques Cilliers, Zandvliet Wine Estate;
Johnnie Calitz, Glen Carlou; Kobus vd Merwe, KWV; L’Ré Hughes, Stellenzicht Wines
Front Row: Zinaschke Steyn, Nederburg; Lizemari Geldenhuys, Graham Beck; Marius Burger, Roodekrantz Wines; Christoff de Wet, De Krans; Sjaak Nelson, Jordan; JD Pretorius, Warwick; Dawie Botha, Rupert Wines; Hanri Ferreira, Kleine Zalze; Kiara Scott Farmer, Hazendal
The Trophy Winners, L to R
Back Row: Morné Vrey, Delaire-Graff Estate; Leon Coetzee, The Fledge & Co/Boplaas; ; Warren Ellis, Neil Ellis;
Liesl Clüver Rust, Paul Clüver
Middle Row: Bernard Smuts, Boland Cellar; Richard Duckitt, Bellingham; Estian de Wet, Constantia Uitsig; Stefan Johannes, Zwartwater Wines; Marius Burger, Roodekrantz Wines; Rianie Strydom, Cavalli Estate; Van Zyl du Toit, Allée Bleue;
José Condé, Stark-Condé
Front Row: Kelsey Shungking, Rickety Bridge; Lizemari Geldenhuys, Graham Beck; Charl Schoeman, Boschendal; Dawie Botha, Rupert Wines; Pieter Carstens, Leeuwenkuil; Juandré Bruwer, Diemersdal; Zinaschke Steyn, Nederburg;
Jamie Williams, Nederburg; David Nieuwoudt, Cederberg Wines
The Grande Roche manor house and Bosman's restaurant, where we had lunch after the award presentations
The interior
We were allowed to sample some of the wines entered
and the waiters could bring us our choice as the wine list was printed on the back of our menus
The wines for lunch were selected from the Silver medal winners - scoring 90 to 94/100. Still very good
The menu and wine list
The excellent starter of Pan seared Salmon trout
with a celeriac espuma, grilled asparagus, brown butter beurre blanc and salmon trout roe and dill oil
The delicious and deeply flavoured main course was tender slow braised beef flat rib (no bones)
with butter roasted sun chokes, caramelised carrot purée, pickled mustard seeds bone marrow jus
and topped with a beef tendon crisp
Dessert was a very moreish Valrhona chocolate sticky toffee pudding,
with a sea salt and brown butter ice cream, dehydrated strawberries and meringue shards
It's perfect matches were the Perdeberg Dry Land Collection Longevity Natural Sweet Chenin Blanc 2022
and the De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve Port 2020
We must not let our sweet wines disappear. When you take them with desserts like this, they make perfect sense
Colours and mists of winter in a vineyard at Grande Roche as we left
You can see the list of winners here:
https://www.trophywineshow.co.za/winners-and-results/
All the stories we have produced since 2012
can be opened from the archive list near the top of the column on the right of this page
No comments:
Post a Comment