Our first stop was to taste the Genevieve MCC and say
hello to Melissa Genevieve Nelsen, who makes it. She was giving away cameo
badges - her logo
New we met the boys who are GM and Ahrens, Gerrit Maritz and Albert Ahrens.
They only make 700 bottles each year and they say this crisp and lean bubbly
which sells at a premium price sells out each vintage.
Their “French” look for the festival
The festival is held next to the Huguenot monument,
where they have planted wonderful roses and unusual striped pansies in
profusion. Lynne covets them for her garden.
Veuve Clicquot seemed popular and so were the fresh
oysters
Their stand, with no bottles but very beautiful
assistants
A nice way to chill on a Sunday afternoon, especially
as it was nice and cool this year.
Fridges filled with Graham Beck bubbly
Lynne and Alan Mullins getting into the spirit of
things.
Alan's wife Theresa is behind Lynne
Oliver Cattermole chef at Le Franschhoek serves John a
pork pie for lunch
Johan Kruger of Sterhuis - one of our favourite people
- and his Blanc de Blanc.
Both were in sparkling form
Sally Gower of Ross Gower wines from Elgin was next to
him
and we had a good chat and a taste
Father and Son Nigel and Craig McNaught of Stony Brook
with their bubbly and their fantastic antique champagne bucket, probably the
nicest one we saw that day.
They both went to John’s old school, St Andrews.
Sue and Neil Proudfoot of Wine Concepts with their
daughter, all having fun
Pierre Jourdan’s range of bubblies with their new
livery. We like the new labels very much
and think they will stand out well in any wine shop - as the wine does
Lynne with Takuan and Christiane Von Arnim of Pierre
Jourdan
They called this marvellous concoction of smoked
salmon and fresh raw salmon with fresh beetroot, pickled ginger and a good avocado
sauce a ‘salmon kebab’. It so deserved a
better name and was delicious. Those
worms are actually puffed wheat which added nice texture and the black addition
is an unusual Nori crisp
Rickety Bridge stand was next and we heard about the
new restaurant,
which we will visit shortly
Karen Loubser presents her husband John’s Silverthorn
Bubbly, also one of our favourites
Melanie van der Merwe from Tanzanite and her husband
Melanie has a cuddle with Alan Mullins.
He is deservedly
spoilt at events like this, where he is known and respected by everyone
Nigel Cattermole of Siris Vintners tucking in to his
son’s sushi from the Le Franschhoek hotel stand..
...and has fun with his family
On the Woolworth’s stand with wine selector Ivan
Oertle, we tried all their bubblies
Comtesse Alexis Brut Rose French Champagne from Woolworths
with the local Ladybird Brut Rosé MCC from Laibach
Cute romper! The theme of the day was black & white and he was suitably dressed,
even if he does support the wrong Team!
German winemaker Mareike Jensen, whom we met last week at the Savvy Celebration with Wesley
from Oded’s Kitchen and his girlfriend
Some people were extremely happy and lining up the
bottles for later
JP Colmant and Janine from Colmant.
Their Franschhoek bubbly is a Ford family
favourite
Hennie Coetzee And Maggie Mostert of Batonage,
whom we
meet often at these functions, having fun and a bite to eat
More faces from last week at Savvy Celebration. Anton Smal of Bramon wines near Plettenberg Bay was showing us his bubbly made from
Sauvignon Blanc
Caelli Pentz the Tasting Gallery Manager of Avondale
with their Brut
Good dance music and people having a great deal of
fun.
On the way home.
These chic chaps certainly like their French Champagne as well as lots
of the local bruts.
Pictures and text © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor
& Bacchus cc 2012
