Managing Director Thys Lombard welcomes the media
Winemaker Narina Cloete
Learning about the history of Quoin Rock wines
Managing Director Thys Lombard
Viticulturalist Nico Walters
The cellars are on three levels ,so the grapes are gravity fed into the tanks
The top level was like an aircraft carrier's deck with frighteningly vertiginous views of the floors below
The cooled fermenting tanks
Like many Cape wine farms, they are busy bottling at the moment. Narina tells us how the cellar works
The vaulted barrel cellar
The new concrete fermentation ‘eggs’ which mimic the conditions of ancient winemaking in amphorae
We do a tasting of one of the wines in cellar
She uses a ‘wine thief’ to get the wine out of the barrel
This was a Cabernet which will be released much later in the future
On the way to “The Cave”
The magnificent Round table in what looks like the Court of King Arthur.
Tables can be put into the niches and this can be used for larger functions
Another view
It has a nice cool temperature on a hot summer's day.
This is the Oculus that lights the Cave and gives its name to the popular Sauvignon Blanc/Viognier blend
The terrace
Fresh oysters and limoncello
There was not enough of this fantastic pate for Lynne!
The winery entrance
Talking to Dennis Gayduk, son of the Ukrainian owner, Vitali Gayduk. Educated at Oxford his English is good.
Salmon wrapped in potato rosti – different and delicious
TK, who looked after us at Oneiric, doing a splendid job again
Dennis, son of the owner, had just flown in from the Ukraine
More wonderfully green healthy vines after our wet winter and Spring.
We like the new labels and the 2012 Chardonnay from Agulhas grapes
Maryke Roberts
One
of the strangest canapés we have ever had but everyone loved them. Prunes stuffed with almonds, wrapped in bacon
and then folded into a spring roll pastry. Served with a sticky sweet sauce
Perfect
salmon roses topped with avo and salmon caviar
Discussing
the wines as we taste them
A
very South African version of scones.
One with cheddar cheese and the other with cream and jam. You are meant
to eat them together. Lovely soft scones
Mini
scotch eggs. Yum
Scrumptious
warm cheese gougeres (puffy éclair pastry made with cheese)
Dessert
was Strawberries and cream topped with nuts
Journalist
Christian Eedes makes notes
Passionfruit
milkshakes
And
finally, after all that food, a cheese platter
Served
with their creditable Noble Late Harvest
