A rather special invitation from Wine Marketing Manager Janet Rowsell to Hazendal wine estate in Bottelary
for a wine pairing dinner in their Siyalima restaurant
with cellarmaster Kiara Scott Farmer
We have known dear Kiara for several years
We first met her at Brookdale and have seen her blossom and continue to produce great wine
and, we hear, a rather splendid daughter
We first met her at Brookdale and have seen her blossom and continue to produce great wine
and, we hear, a rather splendid daughter
We were very grateful that they sent a car to fetch us which meant that John could taste the wines and not have to drive home
The inside of the restaurant
We were welcomed with the Hazendal Cap Classique Blanc de Blanc Brut, a fresh and zesty 100% Chardonnay,
with notes of pear and Granny Smith apples and some toasted brioche
with notes of pear and Granny Smith apples and some toasted brioche
On arrival, we walked through their gardens and were enchanted
They are currently replanting and you can already see the magical changes happening
Our much respected award-winning Horticulturist Leon Kluge is doing the design and the replanting;
we cannot wait to see the end result
A view of the lily pond just outside the restaurant
The menu
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Three canapés
L to R: Saldanha Bay Oyster, citrus ponzu, truffle and trout caviar; Dry aged beef sosatie topped with red onion, chimichurri and black garlic; brioche, salmon with fruit pickle on toasted brioche,
specially for John, with his mushroom allergy
The oysters were very popular
The mushrooms were exceptional
A rich parfait enrobed by a mushroom on a tiny bit of brioche
and the pairing with the Cap Classique was so clever
Three pieces of tender beef on each skewer sauced with red onion, chimichurri and black garlic went down so well
A wonderful tear apart Milk bread and some good sourdough on the table, with two accompaniments
We were at a table with other invited friends from the wine industry, an overseas guest Matt
and Guest Experience Manager Matthew M.
A circular pond, with a weeping willow, still to flower, and you can see some of the new plantings about to happen in front
Other diners sat at separate tables
Winemaker Kiara introduced us to the talented chef Charl Prince, who has been at Hazendal for several years
He talked us through the menu which he tries to keep seasonal and much of the produce comes from the Hazendal farm
He says his salsa verde and pesto are his green gold
He told us that the Pork belly is slow roasted for 2.5 hours with the skin off
and he makes apple ketchup to go with the cabbage, crisp crackling on the side, chopped apple and a pork jus
We thought we recognised him and, indeed, while he has been at Hazendal for several years,
he does have a history in the industry where we may have met him and eaten his food
Kiara talked about the history of Hazendal which was founded in 1688
and sold cattle to provision Dutch East India Company ships arriving at Cape Town
Bottelary means Pantry and, indeed, they grew and supplied different produce to the ships
With the first course, we had her Bottelary Sauvignon Blanc paired with the food
She explained she had gone off direction to make this, she gave it oxygen, early picking
It was chilled, then made in open kuipe (tanks) on the skins
They also use Foudres, French oak barrels and cement tanks to make wines
Shy at first on the nose, as it was chilled, then a hint of smoke
Richness builds, then full and mature peach and golden oak notes
On the palate, it has a good mouth feel and deep flavours of peach guava and lime. Not a hint of green pyrazines
and it leads you to food, something her wines do
The first course was Confit Kingklip, fresh and flakey, topped with char grilled leeks,
on a bed of marinated peppers, and presented with a smoky fish velouté and charcoal oil
The wine was a rather good pairing with both the fish and the rich velouté
Lynne was very grateful for the bread on the table
- so she was able to mop up the sauce; none of that was going back to the kitchen...
The Estate Chenin Blanc 2025 followed for the second course
There are 2 hectares of Chenin bush vines on the farm
On the nose, it's a rich and classic fine, ripe fruit Chenin Blanc
Crisp, then full on the palate with expected apple and gooseberry fruit
and the 100% oak maturation in old barrels adds its depth
The wine really paired so well with the slow roasted Pork Belly, unctuous and fall-apart tender,
with contrasting sharpness of crisp apple cubes, and a good apple cider sauce
Cabbage and fennel added contrast and crispness to the enjoyment
Next the Bottelary Hills Syrah with its great nose of black cherry, spice and incense wood
Soft on entry, then zingy and full to the brim with dark berry fruit and even some pomegranate
Soft tannins, looong flavours
Rounded and silky with good grip of acidity to balance the richness of the fruit and there is some minerality
Calls loudly for food
Kiara explained that she uses dried grape stalks in the fermentation process
It is aged in oak and concrete vessels. It is delicious and so easy to drink
The third course was chargrilled Denver steak with a Nori seaweed crust
and indeed, when one tasted the tender steak, there was a good umami crunch on the edge, different and special
Served with one of our favourite and hard-to-find vegetables, parsnip, whole and tender and also in the sauce
Spinach and a grilled mushroom and a rich truffle jus completed this good dish. And the wine made it sing
For the last course, we had the Estate Collection Pinotage
Kiara likens it to a male ballerina, strong and muscular with beautiful elegance
and, indeed, it has those characteristics, arriving with a great Nijinsky leap on the palate
The nose is quite sophisticated with good oak and graphite pencil shavings
Layers of dark layered fruit, textured and full, picked early in 2025 but so ready now
Kiara talking about the Pinotage
John's Third course without the mushroom
Kiara with broadcaster and athlete Guy MacDonald, also a guest with his wife, Bronwyn
The fourth course had an expectation of dessert,
but instead turned out to be more a very enjoyable cheese course, perfect for the Pinotage
Pain Perdu (French toast), cremozola blue cheese, mulled pear
and a pinotage and blackcurrant consommé surprised and delighted
It was a wonderful evening, of great wine, really special food, great company around the table
and great service from the whole team, for which we ae very thankful
So good to see Kiara after rather a long time
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
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