A good idea was a selection of the wines on show paired with suitable canapés:
Rather under-seasoned Oxtail spring rolls
with Epicurean 2008 or Meerlust Pinot Noir
Duck with a fruit ‘jam’ with Rust en
Vrede Shiraz or Saronsberg Shiraz. Sadly the duck was raw and needed seasoning
The all-time favourite dish of the
evening. Duck mousse pate in a raspberry gel shell to go with either the
Mulderbosch Faithful Hound or the Stellenbosch Kloof 2010
Roasted tomatoes topped with creamed
snoek and sweet potato mash was a little strange. It went with Haute Cabrière’s
unwooded Pinot Noir 2011 or La Motte’s 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, which is not a good
match with tomato.
Poached chicken roulade topped with
(tinned?) mango and peaches matched to Cederberg Bukettraube 2012 or Ken
Forrester 2012 Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc
Unusual dish of deep fried seafood
infused risotto patties with Zevenwacht Chenin Blanc 2012 or Buitenverwachting
Blanc de Noir 2012
Very good twice baked cheese soufflés
with De Wetshof Finesse Chardonnay and Cape Point Isliedh – both perfect
matches with the rich cooked cheese.
Not to everyone’s taste, but Lynne
enjoyed. Cooked beetroot slices sandwiched with goats cheese to match Delaire
Graff’s Coastal Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc and Cape of Good Hope Ultima Sauvignon
Blanc. The match worked.
Soft and juicy poached salmon wrapped
in cucumber with Diemersdal 2013 Sauvignon Blanc and Simonsig’s Kaapse Vonkel
2011 Brut. A conventional match but good.
Rare roast beef slices wrapped around
enoki mushrooms. No flavour at all, sadly. It needed a sauce or seasoning. Paired
with Ernie Els Big Easy 2011, a lovely wine.
Rather overcooked chicken pieces in a
sauce, paired with the smoky Paul Cluver 2011 Chardonnay or the Beyerskloof
Pinotage Reserve 2011
Simple slices of salami with Guardian
Peak SMG 2011
This course was strange until you tasted
it with the wine, then it worked. Small dabs of duck paté on pieces of dried
apple, served with De Grendel 2010 Merlot or Martin Meinert’s La Barry 2011 Red.
Peeled prawns with a ball of polenta
and cheese with sweet corn inside it. It lacked flavour. We didn’t feel it
worked as a canapé. Paired with Leopards Leap Chardonnay 2012 or Tokara
Director’s reserve
Takuan von Arnim of Haute Cabrière
A huge draw card for the evening was David Nieuwoudt’s Ghost Corner wines. Here he chats with Axel Daniel of Mo and Rose restaurant near Robertson
Duncan Savage of Cape Point Vineyards explains his wines
Cape Point's Splattered Toad Sauvignon on tap at their dispensing station, which can be hired.
A lovely selection of Simonsig's Kaapse Vonkel to taste
Jacques Jordaan, Hannes Meyer and Johan Malan of Simonsig
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013
