Off to a glamorous dinner in KWV’s Cathedral Cellar on
quite a chilly night but we were warm enough with lots of space heaters placed
in this cavernous cellar filled with huge old carved vats from the
past. They don’t actually use these much any more as things have go much more
high tech but it is a place with huge atmosphere. Lynne was first taken to visit there by a
young winemaker when she was only 17 and it hasn't changed as much as she has
The courtesy
car took us to and from Grande Roche, where we stayed the night
Entering the cellars at KWV
Welcomed in one of the barrel storage cellars with music and
Stanislav Angelov , a talented organist who played lots romantic French style music and some
other popular tunes
This plaque tells the story of the Old Bill barrel
Shall we have the Brut? Or Brut Rosé?
Lynne with Zelda Oelofse, General Manager of
Laborie. Zelda was the major domo of the event and had the organization running
very smoothly
Media members arriving for the dinner
and awards This is Maryna Starchan of Wine Extra
Journalist Norman McFarlane and his
wife Eppie
This is the magnificent cathedral
cellar with is huge carved barrels
We join our table for the evening
Kobus van der Merwe, winemaker at Laborie
The menu. The food was prepared by
Chef Matthew Gordon from Harvest Restaurant at Laborie
Master of Ceremonies was Stephen Richardson of
Mellasat Vineyards. Stephen is the President of the Paarl Wine Route
Sponsor of the Paarl Wine Awards, Zoyon Le Sueur of Collotype, who produce labels for the wine industry
The awards
The first course of moist smoked
chicken with raw apple, beetroot, sprouts and pine nuts with a lime dressing
was very refreshing and went very well with the white wine served, the KWV
Mentors Semillon 2013 and the Chardonnay 2012 both were prize winners
The audience listens to Guest speaker
Katinka van Niekerk’s speech
Cellarmaster Razvan Macici and White Wine maker Natasha Williams of Nederburg
Katinka presenting some of the awards
to the worthy winners from Perdeberg
The white wine trophy went to Perdeberg for their 2014 Sauvignon
Blanc
Proudly received by ??
Kobus van der Merwe, winemaker at Laborie, receiving an award for the Top MCC
which went to KWV’s Laborie Brut 2010
Stephen Richardson having a word with
Analize Stroebel
She presented this enormous bouquet to
Katinka van Niekerk
We shared our table with Marketing
Director of KWV, Jeff Gradwell, with his wife Lize-Marie
The proud trophy winners
Main course was a lovely tender piece of beef fillet on a gratin of potatoes with a good caramelised parsnip and horseradish cream sauce and was topped some rather odd sweetened raw parsnips. On our table we had the wining Rhebokskloof Shiraz 2011, The Perold and the Taillefert. There were also tables at either end of the cellar where one could taste all of the winning wines
Main course was a lovely tender piece of beef fillet on a gratin of potatoes with a good caramelised parsnip and horseradish cream sauce and was topped some rather odd sweetened raw parsnips. On our table we had the wining Rhebokskloof Shiraz 2011, The Perold and the Taillefert. There were also tables at either end of the cellar where one could taste all of the winning wines
Entertainment during dinner was
provided
Dessert was a Melktert (custard tart)
pannacotta, redolent with cinnamon, a praline ice cream, a rooibos jelly and a
biscuit crumble. This was served with a beautiful Nederburg Noble Late Harvest
dessert wine
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014