Thursday, June 06, 2019

Wine Concepts Chardonnay Pinot Noir Celebration at the Vineyard

We really enjoyed tasting some of the best Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs at Wine Concepts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Celebration last Friday evening.  There is such a wide selection - and so many friends to chat to about their wine while tasting it
We made a good attempt and tasted as many as we could between 5 and 8 pm
Bevan Newton Johnson with John Collins who markets the wines for them
We think Bevan was surprised that we liked both wines so much
We bought some of the lovely Southend Chardonnay
The Family Vineyards might have to wait until we have another windfall, it's a little out of our price range
Natalie and Joris van Almenkerk were showing their lovely, crisp and limy 2017 Almenkerk Chardonnay from Elgin,
4 stars in Platter
Always a delight to see Kevin and Hanli Grant of Ataraxia. Tasting their layered and delicious 2017 Chardonnay and deep and complex Pinot Noir was a pleasure and Lynne was tempted to buy some of the Chardonnay. Kevin is a very talented winemaker indeed; he has made successful wines for many other farms and guided and tutored winemakers in the art of making fine wines
Winemaker/co-owner of The Fledge and Co, Leon Coetzee, chats to journalist Fiona MacDonald
His wife Margaux was at home with the new baby. He was showing their 2017 Katfis Pinot Noir and their 2016 Pinot Noir
Georgie Prout, Marketing Manager for Glen Carlou, chats to tasters at their counter
Cape Wine Master Jacqui Henderson, Sales Manager of Iona Wines, pouring a tasting of their 2017 Chardonnay
They also had their excellent 2017 Pinot Noir for tasting
We hope to visit the girls from Journey's End on the farm very soon
They were showing the  2017 Chardonnay, the 2017 Destination Chardonnay and the 2018 Haystack Chardonnay
From La Bri, the really good 2018 Chardonnay
And back on the Newton Johnson, stand a discussion with Sue Proudfoot of Wine Concepts Kloof St....
..."Yes" says Bevan, and "Yay" says Sue! (No idea what was going on, we guessed)
Jane Eedes with John Seccombe of Thorne & Daughters with their 2018 Pinot Noir. Love that Hokusai Wave t-shirt!
It was a very successful and enjoyable show. Thanks to all at Wine Concepts for making it happen
Posted by MENU at 11:24 am 0 comments

Wednesday, June 05, 2019

New labels launched at Kunjani

Kunjani held a celebration to celebrate their new branding as well as the 50th Birthday of one of the owners, Paul Barth, last week and we were invited. Paul comes from the Rheingau wine region of Germany and both his father and grandfather were winemakers. As a child, he helped with the harvest every year, so coming to South Africa and establishing his own wine brand on his own “piece of heaven” was a dream come true. Paul Barth & Pia Watermeyer, husband-and-wife team and owners of Kunjani, welcomed us with the greeting Kunjani - which is isiXhosa for "How are you?". The farm has a winery, a restaurant, and 5 self catering villas and is in the Devon Valley. 
They are up on the Bottelary Hills and have wonderful views out over the vineyards and winelands
Doyen of the wine industry, Francois Naude with photographer Danie Nel - who doesn't often get into shot
Having fun with Kathy Brewer of Villiera Wine Estate
We gathered in the restaurant/tasting room and on its terrace
Kathy Brewer with Mary-Lou Nash of Black Pearl - they are both Cape Wine Masters 
PRO Zelda Furstenburg welcomes us, tells us about Kunjani and runs through the details of the day
Owners Paul Barth & Pia Watermeyer, husband-and-wife team. They met at a friends wedding and it was an instant connection, despite Paul's very limited command of the English language. Pia, a successful businesswoman in her own right, was not easily won over by this charming German. It took months of Paul getting friends to type messages in English to this enchanting woman. Pia’s zest for life and infectious energy soon turned Paul's second home, South Africa, into his first. Pia is learning how to make the wines
Hearing the story of Kunjani which has been open since November 2017. Winemaker Carmen Stevens, is responsible for creating Kunjani’s wines. Carmen has a foundation that has raised over two million rand to feed hungry school children in the Peninsula School Feeding scheme. Sadly she was unable to be there for the celebration. Carmen uses Kunjani’s own shiraz grapes and sources other varieties used in the farm’s wines
Pia with chef Lamek Mnisi, who has been at the helm of the Kunjani kitchen since it’s opening. He was under great pressure as the whole area was under a severe power cut and he was producing the canapes for the function
The five Kunjani wines were available for tasting on three tables. There are two white wines, a 2018 Sauvignon Blanc grown in Paarl and a 2018 Chenin Blanc from grapes grown in Paarl and Wellington
Three red wines to taste. Kunjani has only 2½ hectares under vine, all shiraz. A dark wooded 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon full of cassis and grown in the area and a 2015 Shiraz grown on the farm which has incense wood and spice on the nose. Soft and sweet black cherries, berries, spice, licorice and salt on the palate. The 2017 Merlot has blue gum mint and incense wood, fresh fruit acidity and a finish of dark toasted wood. Also from the Devon Valley area. 
Small pies were on offer
Ina Smith tasting the wines. She so ably runs the Chenin Blanc Association
Here Ina is with Philip van Zyl, Editor of the annual John Platter Wine Guide
The 2018 Stolen Chicken Rosé, made from 98% Shiraz and 2% Merlot from bought in grapes, grown in the Stellenbosch area
More canapés
A sight of the new labels with two hands doing a fist bump
Smoked salmon and cream cheese on small blinis
Samoosas with a dip
Belly of pork with fruit
Meatballs topped with cheese
Dessert was mini malva puddings in custard
All content ©  John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus
Posted by MENU at 5:32 pm 0 comments

Lunch at Bellevue, Stellenbosch

We haven't visited our friends at Bellevue for a while and wanted to see what wines they were releasing and find out about their winter specials. We began in the tasting room where had a quick tasting of some new wines with winemaker Wilhelm Kritzinger
And said hello to Chef Eddie Enslin. The first special on their programme will be a LIVE MUSIC EVENT on Friday, 7th June 
To book, call 021 865 2054 or email restaurant@bellevue.co.za. No extra cost, only pay for your food and beverages
We really like the new very elegant labels on the Bellevue wines. The just released 2018 wooded Chardonnay has had 12 months in 100% new French oak but is not over wooded. It has a typical bready Chardonnay nose, with elegance, minerality, golden fruit notes and whiff of smoke on the end. Round on the enjoyable palate, nectarines and peach, limes, citrus and golden oak on the finish. R180 on the farm. Its our Wine of the Week this week. 
Wilhelm also gave us tasting of two new wines just bottled and soon to be released. The 2019 Eselgraaf (Donkey Grave) Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc R75 Perfumed with hints of Hanepoot fruit, peach and elderflower (no cats pee!). Also round on the palate with salty minerality, white pear and blossoms with good balanced grape acidity. Nice use of wood, just shows at the end. The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc R80 - bottled 3 weeks ago - has classic Sauvignon Blanc notes on the nose, green leaf pyrazines & herbs. Crisp acidity, buzz tingle on the tongue, grapes, figs, granadilla. Good minerality and length unwooded, just lees stirring in tank. Bellevue is of course famous for growing the first Pinotage grapes and still produce wonderful Pinotages and other good red wines
We also tasted the Reserve Pinotage 2016 with rich red and black berry fruit, whiffs of steel, wood and vanilla oak. Plums, dark damsons, sweet cherry and some savoury umami licorice on the end. We exited to the stoep while Wilhelm went back to work
An old work bench becomes a plant table
The very good Winter Pensioners' Special lunch menu
Their normal menu
The choice of Pizzas
Or you can order platters
They are very child friendly and, besides the good Kiddies Menu, they have a climbing frame in the garden
More importantly, the wine list
The stoep is covered
And it is nice long stoep. They are planning to extend the roof to cover the whole area
They hold numerous functions and the restaurant is also very popular
Lynne ordered the Cinsault Pizza which has a very good crisp, thin crust. On the normal Margarita base, it is topped with caramelised onions, bacon bits, corn, brie cheese and thyme oil. She tasted the Classic Cinsault with her pizza. It is spicy on the nose with dusty smoke and red berry notes that remind one of Pinot Noir. It had been well chilled so, initially, was rather shy, then dark bitter wood, wild mulberry, rhubarb flavours appeared; even some savouriness, then more notes of ripe, light Pinot fruit as it warmed up with wood on the end. Good with food
John had the burger which comes with a small salad and crisp chips
The talented Pizza chef. A great place to drop in to taste good wines and have some lunch
They also host functions and weddings
Our bill
All content ©  John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus
Posted by MENU at 5:12 pm 1 comments
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