Christian Eedes' Top 10 Chardonnays

Waiting for the awards to be announced in the upstairs space at French Toast

Sharon Paterson of Sumaridge wines in the Hemel and Aarde Valley. 

To her right,   Maggie Mostert of  Batonage

Much discussion over who had won by Jonathan Snashall, 

Greg Landsman and Kalinka Lombard

Christian Eedes and Alwyn van der Merwe of Sanlam, the sponsors of the awards

Christian speaks about the awards – lots of tweeting going on

Cathy Marston of Food 24, tweeting

Corlien Morris of Wine Concepts

whose Koelfontein wine came very close to winning an award

Shock and surprise at an announcement.  What was she telling them?

Anel Grobler and Kalinka Lombard look astounded

Some of the tapas we were served:

Lovely seared salmon on tiny blinis, topped with sour cream and chives

More tapas - onions and peppers on bruschetta

The most succulent chicken kebabs, a whole breast on each skewer

Soft and delicious mushrooms on bruschetta topped with grated cheese

Tiny bites of steak with onion on toast

Pan fried calamari – wonderful flavours

Tempura seafood and vegetable

Photographs s © John Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2012

The Alphen

Dinner party food

Roasted baby aubergines with mozzarella slices, pomegranate molasses and fresh parsley

Blanched green beans, roasted red pepper slices, 

pitted calamata olives in a cider vinegrette

Thinly sliced fennel marinated in lemon and olive oil and 

topped with slivers of parmesan cheese

Moroccan deboned chicken with preserved lemon, Ras al Hanout and herbs

Duck fat roast potatoes  with the herb gravy from the roast chicken

Fresh asparagus with anchovy lemon butter

A plateful

We believe in self service rather than pretty presentations

The wines we served were

Laborie Brut MCC 2008

Diemersdal (Woolworths) Fruity & Light Sauvignon blanc 2010 (magnum)

Glenelly Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2006
and an ancient (non-vintage) Porterville Rooi Jerepiko from our cellar
with the sticky toffee pud

Photographs © John Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2012

Joostenberg lunch

The light and airy interior of Joostenberg restaurant with windows onto the enormous garden

Lynne’s delicious double-decker Croque Monsieur with chips and a little salad

John’s baguette of cheese ham, pickled onions and cornichons with salad

Lunch with one beer and a tonic water, with service cost R125.

Avondale's Eco tour

Avondale's beautiful view of “the Pearl” – Paarl rock with Paarl town nestling below

The interior of Avondale’s tasting room, full of beautiful antiques and modern touches

Young vines at bud break stage beneath a flat pine

One of Avondale’s dams

Caeli Pentz and the Avondale Anima Chenin Blanc on the back of the bakkie

An old farm cottage on the edge of the woods

A view of the mountains behind the winery

Young budding vines, still with the cover crop on, with the 100 Avondale ducks and their duck minder. The ducks clear up the snails, slugs and other pests in the vineyards

The root of a lupin plant showing the nodes of nitrogen 

which will be ploughed back into the soil

A fresh spring day in the vineyards with the mountains in the background

Our lovely driver, whom we first met when he used to deliver Avondale wines to our shop.

Tasting the two red wines in the tasting room after the tour

The Avondale wine range

The spotless gravity fed tank cellar awaiting the next harvest

The barrel cellar

Spring daisies in the vineyards

Photographs © John Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2012