To
Nuy for the opening of their new Tasting room. What vision!
And
what a lovely spot they have chosen for this modern and airy tasting room, deli
and restaurant. In the past to get to Nuy (which is at the end of Worcester on
the R60 to Robertson) you had to turn off the main road and drive another 7
kilometres to get there. Not many people did. Now you cannot help but see this
very well designed building on the hilltop alongside the road and be tempted to
stop and enjoy the wines, food and the magnificent view.
The
new venue features a newly designed wine tasting room and a restaurant run by
Danette Thompson as well as a deli. A spacious patio surrounded by lawn
provides ample indoor and outdoor seating for patrons to treat themselves to a
wide choice of restaurant dishes ranging from tapas, wood-fired pizzas,
hamburgers and steaks, to a selection of Banting dishes. You can spot the flags
from the road a few kilometres before you get there
The entrance
Canapés of smoked salmon on fritters with
herb cheese
The musicians Dirkie and Talisa played
some lovely old tunes and classical music throughout the function
We were offered a glass of the
Sauvignon Blanc bubbly
More canapes of smoked ham, tomatoes,
chutney and onion on crostini
Seating out on the terrace with the
most awesome views of the Ceres and De Doorns mountains. They have a wood
burning stove inside and in the winter you will be able to sit and enjoy the
view of the snow topped mountains while enjoying the Nuy wines. Muscadel is
great on a cold day
These very pale sausages (chicken?)
were absolutely delicious, especially with the sticky grainy mustard coating
Warm cheese balls served in tiny tins
Would you like a deep fried rice and
mushroom ball?
Nuy cellarmaster Christo Pienaar opens proceedings
and tells us about the new wines being
launched. They will include the Inspiration, Mastery and Legacy ranges The
Mastery range will treat your palate to the more complex pick of Chardonnay,
Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage, while Nuy Wine Cellar’s flagship
range, Legacy, will consist of a white and red blend. Nuy’s maiden limited
release MCC called Celine was made by Tanzanite winemaker Melanie van der Merwe (only
1000 bottles made, not tasted). Their celebrated Muscadels and a potstill
Brandy were also there to taste
Chairman of Nuy, Charl Rabie
Inside the spacious venue. This can be
hired for weddings and other functions. He also told us about the three Bicycle
routes they have from here. The bathrooms have showers and changing areas for
people who want to do the routes. They suggested you leave the car keys and the
kids here and go and enjoy yourself
This is the fireplace for winter
comfort
More canapés
Listening to the speeches
So nice to see an old friend and
former guru Tommy Loftus, who helped us a lot with technical information when
we were studying wine and he was at Rooiberg winery
The 180 degree view from the terrace
is breathtaking
An area for children on the lawn
outside, with more tables and benches
Looking down on fields being irrigated
This is where you used to be able to
stop and buy the Nuy wine if you didn't want to drive the 7 Km down the side
road. But not many people stopped. We think they will definitely make the turn
to enjoy the venue, the Nuy wines and some food and the incredible views
The tasting area and the deli
A very novel idea - build your own
picnic from the fridge
Nuy barrels with the memorable logo
In front of the deli area
Late afternoon light on the mountains
makes this a painter's dream landscape
Vineyards below and, in the distance, blue, violet and grey mountains behind Worcester
The Nuy Potstill brandy was extremely
enjoyable and was served with some lovely chocolates
The newly release top of the range
Argilla 2013 - a blend of Shiraz & Pinotage, already a 4 star in Platter.
These new wine ranges will also feature a newly designed label combining the
coats of arms of neighbouring Worcester and Robertson with a depiction of the
new venue in the background
The Celine MCC Brut
Its back label with the information
about Esaline (Celine) Cloete
The Inspiration range offers a wide
choice of quality Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon,
and two popular bubblies – an off-dry Sauvignon Blanc and sweeter Muscadel
Warm "Jaffles" were tempting,
filled with melted cheese and ham
The chocolates served with the brandy.
The dark ones were chilli flavoured
Oh those views
They go on forever and you so want to
get your oil paints out
Tommy Loftus hasn't aged a day since
we last saw him about 10 years ago !
A view of the building from another
angle
The verandah. Folding glass doors
enclose the building on inclement days
What the explorers saw as they
travelled off into the hinterland of Africa. This is the main pass at De Doorns
where all the horses and wagons would have travelled, which now carries the main N1 route to Johannesburg and the North, eventually reaching Cairo
Not far away in the distance, the town
of Worcester
The restaurant menu
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015
