Tracey van Maaren's showcase at Auslese

After our visit to Allesverloren, we had a smoky trip – passing burning fields of wheat stubble - back to Cape Town to Harald Bresselschmidt’s function venue, Auslese, to attend what we regard as one of the best trade wine tastings of the year. Tracy represents a very exciting list of wine farms and they present selections of their wines, cleverly matched with dishes prepared in Harald Bresselschmidt’s kitchen.  With many chefs, sommeliers and other trade friends attending it is also a great social event  Despite suffering from flu, Lynne managed to stand upright all evening and, hopefully, didn’t pass it on to anyone else.  No kissing was allowed. There were so many really good wines to taste it was hard to do them all justice

How to welcome your guests: Pair duck liver parfait and grapes on brioche toast with Pol Roger champagne

This canapé, cured ham on a goats' cheese and chilli spread with sourdough bread, was matched to the Spanish Rioja Muga Reserve

The charming Morgan Delacloche of Great Domaines was doing the pouring

Fresh oysters to go with Silverthorn Jewel Box MCC

Karen Loubser, wife of the winemaker, John Loubser. Silverthorn is their own label

Chicken liver mousse, celeriac salad and melba toast to go with the Silverthorn Green Man MCC

Dave Swingler chats to Aubergine and Auslese Executive Chef and owner, Harold Bresselschmidt

Mini calamari on black squid ink risotto

Bresaola on polenta purée with porcini

These two went with these wine from Eagles Nest.  The Shiraz is so soft and full bodied and charming

Vriesenhof's beautiful buttery chardonnay was ably matched by this canapé of quail and Sweetbreads

The Kleine Zalze team : winemakers RJ Botha and Johan Joubert, owner Kobus Basson and Marketing manager Wynand van Schalkwyk

Goats' cheese pralines to match the Kleine Zalze sauvignon blanc

The cold bisque was lovely with their full and deep chenin blanc

Winemaker Cathy Marshall introduced us to her really lovely new Merlot, alongside her excellent Amatra Chenin and classic Elgin Pinot Noir 2012 reserve.

Cured Kudu Carpaccio with mange tout

Lynne loved the veal tongue salad with pawpaw and sorrel

The Hannay Sauvignon blanc was a new find.  A good green sauvignon with elderflowers on the nose and lovely pyrazines on the palate

Risotto balls with guava

Seared swordfish with grapefruit and fennel

And finally Bruwer Raats with some really stunning wines . He is a master at making Chenin blancs absolutely shine.  And his Cabernet Francs are such a true example of what this grape should and could be like.

A view of the room with many enthusiastic tasters

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014

Allesverloren launches Tres Vermelhos Portuguese style red blend

On Wednesday we had a lovely trip through the sunny and warm Boland to Allesverloren in Riebeek West in the Swartland where we had a magnificent view of the valley from their stoep and enjoyed a lovely lunch with owner Danie Malan and his wife, eating superb food prepared b y Nick van Wyk and drinking three of their excellent wines, all new releases. This is the oldest wine farm in the area, established circa 1700. In 1704 the then Cloete family farm was burnt to the ground, hence the name Allesverloren, "All is Lost”. Since then it has prospered. It has been in the Malan family since 1872. They started with a sweet wine, then made port, for which they are famous, and now make a variety of wines.

Danie Malan, in his wonderful Malmesbury “brei”, told us that his father, Fanie, loved to travel overseas with his wife and, one day, he found the best wine he had ever tasted in the world. It was made from Touriga National, a grape used more for port than for wine. Then he sent Danie to Portugal to find a cork supplier and he too fell in love with these grapes. That is why they turn port varietals into wines on Allesverloren as well as growing great Shiraz, Cabernet and Muscadel. And with global warming, they are looking to the future as these Portuguese varietals are very accustomed to hot, dry growing conditions.

Welcomed by Danie Malan as we arrived

A long table had been set for lunch on the stoep

An amuse of chorizo, chicken and artichoke delighted

There were presents for everyone, wrapped in gingham cloth

Greg Landman, elegant as always, matched perfectly fashionably with the wine and the cloths

Welcome drinks were iced water or the newly released pomegranate pink Tinta Barocca Rosé 2013. This is is the first rosé of this varietal available in South Africa. It smells of candyfloss, is dry with lovely red berry flavours and it is extremely refreshing and delicious. A wine to go with lunch and with the alcohol at 13% this is very easy drinking. Retailing at approximately R43, we think this is a winner.

The voorkamer full of traditional furniture

Chef Nic van Wyk in the kitchen

All big family celebrations are held on the stoep

A bit of family history

Allesverloren assistant winemaker, 26 year old Armand Lacombe, chats to Jos Baker and Christine Rudman

Danie Malan in conversation with Johan Crafford

Chef Nic van Wyk tells us what we'll have for lunch

Danie tells us about the new wines and how they were made, plus a little history of the farm

Homemade bread rolls, smoked salted butter and green olive tapenade

Cape Legends Global brand manager Tanya Jordaan. Cape Legends division of Distell distributes Allesverloren wines and numerous other producers, such as Alto and Uitkyk

The view across the Swartland of the vines colouring after harvest, the wheatlands beyond, the smog from the stubble burning and the blue mountain ranges in the distance

The starter of salted snoek fish cakes, baby calamari and filo shards on a bed of slivered cucumber

The newly released Trés Vermelhos 2012 (Portuguese for ‘three reds’ ) made from Souzao, Tinta Barocca and Touriga Naçional.  The ratio may vary every year but they will try to maintain the style. Vinified separately, the wine was matured in French oak barrels for 12 to 14 months and then blended. A deep dark red, it is full of ripe cherries, rhubarb spice and chocolate on the nose. It is very soft and smooth and tastes of rhubarb, amaretto, cherries with an almond finish. Many layered with complex flavours that linger. At R150 a bottle, a good wine for any wine list for robust flavoured dishes

It went very well indeed with our main course of spicy and smoky Blue Wildebeest fillet Trinchado

Armand tells us how the wine was made

Allesverloren Red Muscadel 2013 is another completely new addition to the farm’s portfolio

A staff member brings glasses of the new Allesverloren Red Muscadel 2013 (R107) for us to drink with dessert. This heady and intense muscadel is thick with Christmas pudding fruits, a hint of cinnamon and honey but with good acidity and 201 g/l sugar, it can stand up to most desserts.

and was the perfect match to quinces poached in muscadel with amaretti biscuits and crème fraiche, a wonderful end to a very good lunch

You can taste these wines on the farm and they do have something special arranged during the Olive Festival which is on the 3rd and 4th of May, when there will be ample parking and shuttles from Allesverloren to other parts of the festival.

And finally with coffee, a very, very clever friandise: a biscuit that tasted exactly like a melktert

On departure we all received bottles of the Trés Vermelhos and the Muscadel

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014

Van Ryn brandy tasting and tour

On Tuesday morning we found our way to Van Ryn in Stellenbosch where we had been invited to do a brandy and chocolate pairing, a tour of the distillery and then lunch in their elegant dining area. We have both studied brandy and other distilling when we took the Cape Wine Academy diploma a few years ago and we had an intensely interesting tour of a brandy distillery in Cognac last year and a negociant producer, which we wrote about. South African brandy deservedly  wins many international awards. We make fine products in the correct manner and it is always nice to see the process again. Sadly, we cannot show you all the pictures, as some areas are not available for photography. Which means you might just have to book yourself a visit to see the process and taste some fine South African products...

The Van  Ryn distillery is just off Baden Powell Drive, which leads from the N2 and goes past Spier on the way to Stellenbosch. This is their elegant formal entrance where you can, in good weather, do a tasting and eat lunch

Some traditional and some quirky decor inside the tasting area

A miniature model of a working distillery

We were warmly welcomed by Fre-Nay Brown, Brand Home Manager at Van Ryn's Brandy Distillery, who told us what the tour tasting and  lunch would entail

Our able guide was Marvin Moses, standing here in front of the original still used in the 1840’s

Low wine is boiled and turned into steam which is then distilled out as a liquor. In South Africa we double distill and we then mature for a minimum of three years in oak.

These are storage tanks for the base wine which is early picked chenin blanc or Ugni blanc of high acidity and low alcohol, with no added sulphur. These wines are made elsewhere for van Ryn and then sent to the distillery to be turned into brandy

One of the highlights of the tour is watching Jackson Mnqavana, one of their experienced master coopers, who takes you through the whole barrel making process. A cooper makes just one barrel a day and it is an extremely skilled process. The Coopers even have to make their own tools which they then use throughout their career.  Here he shows us how he trims the staves with a very sharp adze

His own set of very special tools, each of which has a precise use in the art of making a barrel

Trimming the  barrel with an adze to make space for the lid

Planing the rim of the barrel

The very smart restaurant area

Other visitors enjoying the brandy tasting

Here we taste a 12 year old, 15 year old and a 20 year old brandy with three expertly matched chocolates. The black coffee is to refresh your palate between each pairing. We did taste each chocolate with all the brandies and found that they went perfectly with the brandy they had been paired with.  You might disagree... go and see for yourself. 

Milk chocolate with the 12 year old, cinnamon and orange with the 15 year old and 70% dark bitter chocolate with the 20 year old.

Marvin, our guide, took us through the tasting

A small but very good menu should you want some lunch after your tasting

Robert Bruwer is in charge of the catering

John chose the cheese and charcuterie platter

Lynne the unusual and absolutely delicious salad of smoked chicken and fior de latte mozzarella  with fresh strawberries, avocado, caramelised nuts and dressed with a local raspberry vinaigrette

Robert insisted we finish with a slice of dark and moist chocolate and brandy torte.  Deliciously wicked and very,  very sweet and rich

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014