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Thursday, November 14, 2013

Elgin Open Gardens

Fairholme

The smell of these beautiful roses filled the garden

These upper gardens were very formal and so well clipped and tidied. Superb roses everywhere

Something to aim for in our grass growing garden.
Who wouldn’t want a pergola rather than waist high kikuyu?

Irises to covet, we bought one to take home. Plants were really reasonably priced and healthy

Their cliffside garden is full of proteas, other indigenous plants and sunbirds

Auldearn

Spring green vines and fruit trees fill the Elgin skyline

Magnificent views from the hilltop house and garden of Auldearn

Leek flowers about to burst out

The vines make wonderful patterns across the land

A Southern double-collared sunbird hen (Cinnyris chalybeus) on a King Protea (Protea cynaroides)

A field of white daisies and some thrift

“Yes, I made the biscuits, they are buttery shortbread with rosemary” and they went very well with a cup of weak tea, so refreshing on a hot afternoon

Girls having a giggle

Just sit quietly under a tree and admire the view.

An Orange-breasted sunbird hen (Anthobaphes violacea)

The road home

More beautiful patterns with vines

A Cape White-eye (Zosterops pallidus) drinking from a sprinkler

2013 Droëwors Maker of the Year at 96 Winery Road

The impressive plaque given to the winner

A delicious glass of Stellenbosch Hills Chenin Blanc in the garden of 96 Winery Road, venue for the function

Tweeting begins. Karen Glanfield Pawley, Johan Crafford and Lynne Jarché Ford

Delicious canapés were served. Caramelised onion and gorgonzola on the best pastry we have tasted all year. Whoever made it is a serious find, it is ‘melt in the mouth’

Asian style sesame encrusted salmon lollypops

Yum. Home-made tomato jam on crisp belly of pork. Such a great idea

Stellenbosch Hills cellarmaster PG Slabbert

The menu

Prawns and pancetta with enoki mushrooms, fennel puree and a cider glaze was the starter

Third placed Leonard Lotter and his wife were at our table

Tweeting at table. Should this be allowed? We try in vain to keep up with the announcement of the winners and runners up

in the background, journalist Joanne Gibson listening, and foreground, hand written and electronic communication: Graham Howe and Jonathan Snashall

We finished with a glass of a very sweet and delicious Muscat de Hambourg...

... which went perfectly with dessert of Creme Brulée Peanut ice cream and a slice of chocolate gateau

The winners, Marianne and Matty Scholtz with manager of Freddy Hirsch and PG Slabbert

Marianne and Matty Scholtz

Marianne and Matty Scholtz with their trophy

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Lunch at Iona with Andrew and Rozy Gunn

The Iona Manor House sits high up on an escarpment with beautiful views across the Elgin valley

You need to book for this enthusiastically attended lunch

Humus, and lots of Ottolenghi salads, plus roasted aubergine with lebneh

The dessert table kept being supplemented. Here is a gooey date and almond cake, a classic apple tart tatin, meringues, cream and ice cream

Andrew and Rozy Gunn, owners of Iona. She is a very talented cook

Lynne and Rozy share similar tastes in food and cookbooks, here swapping notes on which are good recipes.

A Gunn dog, relaxing in the sunshine

The house has lovely views across the vines as well

A visit to Mike Kreft at Belfield, Elgin

They have turned an old stable building into the tasting room

Owner winemaker Mike Kreft

Beautiful pencil drawings by Mike’s talented daughter adorn the walls

Belfield’s three red wines

Taking the midday easy with a tasting on the stoep

Finding out what goes into the wine

Healthy vines

Workers are trimming and training vines at this time of year. The vineyards run East West, so the prevailing winds blow along the vines and cool them

Belfield's price list and contact details

A walk in their stunning gardens which were open on the Elgin Open Gardens weekends

Koffieklip, the local rock on which the vines thrive. Lots of iron in there.

And it makes the flowers grow so well

A malachite sunbird in the garden